Silver reflector for lighting up actors outdoors creating glare in actor's glasses!

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Filmkid2003

Well-known member
Hey everyone. I am using some silver reflectors to light up my actors. The main character wears glasses all throughout the film and 95% of the film is shot outdoors in sunlight. I am having a problem lighting up the actor's face evenly WITHOUT catching the glare/reflection of the silver reflector in his glasses! I don't want to have to shoot from extreme angles just to avoid getting the reflection of the silver reflector in his glasses. Is there any easy solution to this problem? Using electric lights is not an option in my case. Do they make some type of clear anti-glare sticky film or spray to place over the lens of a person's glasses so the glasses are still clear but won't reflect anything? Anyone know of a solution for this problem? Thanks.
 
Angle of incidence equals angle of reflectance. The more the bounce board is near the axis of the lens the more you will see the reflector in the glasses where you don't want to see it.

Because glasses are convex you have to move the reflector even more to the side to move the reflection to the side than if you were dealing with a reflection from a flat surface.

But that's okay, lighting from the side is far, far more attractive in most cases of film lighting than from right on the kisser, which removes all shadows and modeling that give the face dimension and shape.

Outdoors I'd do the following:

1. Try never to have the sun be the key light for any medium or close-up shots. Put the sun somewhere behind the talent so that it lights up their hair and shoulders with a nice halo.

2. Use the bounceboard from the side to fill the shadowed face and so that there will be a contrast ratio across the face that shows at least some light shadows from the nose, creating a more pleasing look than flat lighting.

3. Don't worry too much about seeing he board in the glasses. Catchlights are placed in eyes or glasses deliberately to give a bit of sparkle.

4. Don't use the silver hard side of the board unless you have to and never on closeups.

5. Do use the soft side of the board and get in as close as you can while staying out of frame. Intensity and softness depend on the relative size of the reflector and the face.

6. Grips like to place bounce boards on the ground or hold them up a little and illuminate the face from below, because they can see over the board and be sure where it is working. That's a wrong look 99% of the time. Have them put the board on a stand or hold it high, so that the reflected light is coming in level or above the actor's face. It will look pretty and natural instead of the "artificially lit" or horror flick look of having the source below the face.
 
Pros who have to wear glasses get them with a low-reflectance coating that decreases the reflection problem. It always looks a little purple to me so I'd rather have the actor change positions or move the sources to keep reflections to the side.
 
Thanks, Slondon. I am using insulation board from Home Depot, you know, the kind that is silver on one side and white on the other, as a bounce reflector because I'm on a shoe string budget. If I use the white side, it doesn't light up the actor at all. So, I have to use the silver side. So, you are saying I need to keep the reflector level or a bit higher than the actor? I do have a circular polarizer filter. Would that kill the reflection?
 
LOL! I was at a shoot Monday where the interviewee did not have anti-glare coating on his glasses. His lenses look green when looking into a light source.
 
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