Steaming Mirror without Steaming Camera and Lens

S

Sledgeweb

Active member
I'm working on a project in which the script calls for a shaving scene in a bathroom. I want to reveal the character by having a tight OTS shot on a steamed mirror. The character's hand will enter the frame and wipe a clear path through the steam, revealing the reflection of the character's face. This is a scene that may take several takes to get, and here's what I'm wondering...

With all the lights going, and the camera and audio equipment, what is the best way to fog/steam the mirror, without steaming the rest of the equipment in the room? Also, will the heat produced by the lights dry the mirrors? Ideally, I want the mirror to be steamed/fogged enough so that you can't see anything in it until the character wipes it with his hand.
 
Hopefully, the mirror is on the front of a medicine cabinet. Yes? If so...fill the medicine cabinet up with ice (or even dry ice, perhaps). That should keep the mirror cool enough for condensation.

Dan
 
Great idea. However, I'm not sure yet of the set location. We may be able to use this idea, but we may not. Any solutions for a flat wall mirror with no space between it and the wall? I was thinking it would be good to try and keep the mirror cool, but I'm not sure how to do this on a flat mirror. I also though we could perhaps use a clothes steamer, but I'm not sure that would work too well. I was also thinking perhaps we could fog the mirror with some kind of powder/oil/lotion/wax to emulate the steamed look but that wouldn't be dependent on humidity/temperature. Any of this sound plausbile?
 
A clothes steamer should work fine. I can't think of anything other than steam that would look right when wiped away.

As to cooling a flat mirror... It just has to be cooler than the ambient air temp. You might be able to bring along a tank of compressed air and "spray" the mirror just before steaming it. That should cool the glass enough for the steam to "stick".

Dan
 
GenJerDan said:
Hopefully, the mirror is on the front of a medicine cabinet. Yes? If so...fill the medicine cabinet up with ice (or even dry ice, perhaps). That should keep the mirror cool enough for condensation.

Dan
Click to expand...


nice idea, I have to remember that one!
 
Yeah...it really just has to be a bit cooler than the ambient air. Not TOO cold, of course. We want steam condensate, not frost. :laugh:

Dan
 
Compressed Air - Upside Down

Compressed Air - Upside Down

You could lightly mist the mirror with water, then freeze it using a can of air upside down. As it melts it should have the desired steamed look.
 
Umm, the above will all work, but it sounds like a pain in the ass . . . ;)

I just did a shower scene for a feature I am currently shooting - the shot was on the mirror (steamed) reflecting the shower.

When we made steam from the shower, it eventually fogged the lens (as you assumed it would). So we just used dulling spray on the mirror to simulate the effect of steam. The actor can still rub it off as if it were steam.


Kevin Zanit
 
Kevin_Zanit said:
Umm, the above will all work, but it sounds like a pain in the ass . . . ;)

I just did a shower scene for a feature I am currently shooting - the shot was on the mirror (steamed) reflecting the shower.

When we made steam from the shower, it eventually fogged the lens (as you assumed it would). So we just used dulling spray on the mirror to simulate the effect of steam. The actor can still rub it off as if it were steam.


Kevin Zanit
Click to expand...

Interesting. How did it look?

I would think that the clothes steamer would be best low ball way to go.
 
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