What is that spray called ( use on windows to get and Even Blown highlights? )

J

jramos

Active member
Hello,

What spray is used to get that nice even overexposed look on a window?
The window will look like a big soft box.

I am shooting some cooking video and there is a window behind the talent and on the
other side ow the window a red wall.

Thanks for the help!
 
The grips have something you might be talking about called 'dulling spray', but that's not really for glass, rather just to get specular reflections off objects. Maybe it's some kind of canned 'frost'?
 
Best option, tape up a diffusion gel. If you don't have access to a grip or theatrical house to buy one, you cal also use tracing paper.
 
Dulling spray is actually a pretty clever idea. I've used it before to frost mirrors and it could work well to blow windows out evenly, without having to tape up a bunch of gels or what have you.

Usually people will use trace paper though, or 1000H, then just tape it up with 1" white gaff.
 
I asked this question years ago to someone and they told me to use hairspray. I used it to cut reflection on a mirror. It worked very well, but the small detail left out was the hour of scrubbing it off. Bad experience in the long run. Now I just use diffusion. If it's a very large window or multiple windows (more diffusion than I have) I will go buy some parchment paper from the store (located right next to the tin foil). It's made for baking so I don't worry about the production lights setting it on fire, and it's far cheaper than diffusion gels.
 
Thanks for the help guys,
I thinks it was the Dulling spray I was thinking about. I did not know about the hair spray and the tracing paper.

Thanks for the help.
 
j said:
Best option, tape up a diffusion gel. If you don't have access to a grip or theatrical house to buy one, you cal also use tracing paper.
Click to expand...

If you do this, try and use REAL tape though...nothing like snail adhesive. I know it works really well for glass as far as being close to undetectable, however it leaves one heck of a mess for your PA's to clean up. Not that I have stayed on a set 4 hours after everyone left just to try and get snail adhesive off along with 2 other PA's and a very nice producer.....*cough
 
Snail adhesive? Snot tape?

That stuff is the devil and I can remember the one time using it to rig something and spending that time after everyone was gone peeling it off. I always hate when I find that people have put it directly onto a 4x frame, after you leave it for a while, it's just never coming off.

So yeah, use 1" white gaff and just tape it directly onto the window. If you have to put it onto a painted surface for some reason, use 1" white paper tape.
 
RyanT said:
I always hate when I find that people have put it directly onto a 4x frame...
Click to expand...

I hate when people try to tape down stingers with it. Might as well throw it away at that point, that gummy stickiness is never coming off.
 
to get rid of the dried up residue from gaffer and other tape rub it
with wd40............. or if really stubborn use nail polish remover.
 
ian dart said:
to get rid of the dried up residue from gaffer and other tape rub it
with wd40............. or if really stubborn use nail polish remover.
Click to expand...

Does that stuff work any better than Goof off?

And do people really tape down stingers with snot tape? I've never ever seen that.
 
RyanT said:
And do people really tape down stingers with snot tape? I've never ever seen that.
Click to expand...

Not on sets. The times I've seen it happen were parties and corporate events. Gaffing down 25+ feet of cable in sections is not enough so when you turn around they run the length with snot tape. Then some genius rips it up by the cable so the tape wraps over itself around the cable, making a bad situation worse.
 
14 Day painters tape is great, it's rated to last upto 14 days without leaving any sticky residue, it peels off perfectly, and leaves zero residue. Make sure to buy 3m, it's the best.
 
The best adhesive residue cleaner for rubber-based glues on earth is called "bestine", sold in graphic arts shops. It's specifically made for that job.

I'd be worried about cleaning tape off a floor with WD-40 - you could kill someone that way.

Bestine does the job, but the fumes are really flammable (same with alcohol and thinners though). It lists "nerve damage" in its warnings, so bring rubber gloves. (Hey, read the label on lacquer thinner or even WD for some more scares). It evaporates 100% - unlike WD, it doesn't slick up the surface.

As for dulling spray - it... gets... EVERYwhere. You need to mask or at least use some cardboard sheets. It is handy stuff, but it doesn't "dry", it remains powdery so you can't use it on things that will be touched or moved.
 
the reason i suggested wd40 is because every grip truck in the world probably has some on board so it is easy to get hold of.

silly me..... i foolishly assumed people would have the good sense not to spray it on the floor.
 
I was restoring an old camaro once and laid all the door weatherstrips on the garage floor and soaked them with silicone spray. I was a kid in a rent house and for some reason, the garage was carpeted. That spot was like an ice rink for weeks. I mean, it was INSANELY slippery!

I remember one thanksgiving, I sprayed a turkey rack with Pam and got it all over the floor. Grandma nearly broke her hip. My bad.
 
I've used cheap hairspray for that sort of thing a number of times...the trick with cleaning it up is to use nothing but warm water and clean paper towels. it's nothign more than water based laquer with no coloration in it. Water rehydrates it, dilutes it and it wipes off with no problem. If you use something like window cleaner, you could be cleaning for a while
 
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