-
Silk replacement
Hey gang…
I’m retiring a couple of my rags that are… well… too ragged.
One that I need to replace is is my favorite 6×6… it’s probably about a 1-stop, but seems more translucent than the typical 1-stop silk. Very bright, but soft…no hard shadows at all. I can find no brand on it, it’s ancient and has long since lost its tag and I honestly don’t remember where it came from. I’m pretty sure it’s not a Matthews (it has different webbing than Matthews rags, or at least current ones), but can’t say what it is.
Anyone have a suggestion for a replacement (like a brand/number)? I’d say it’s about the silk equivalent of somewhere between 250 and 251 or so.
Thanks!
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
9 Replies
-
Sounds like you might be looking for a china silk. Generally white silks fall into three grades – full poly silk, china silk or 1/4 stop silk. Silks, while not all that soft are great for outside because the are quiet. A softer alternative is grid cloth or sail cloth which comes in full, half and quarter strengths.
Mike Gluckman
dp -
My favorite all-around is 1/2 grid. Fairly soft. Can be used to bounce the sun. Can also be used to both bounce the sun and soften shiny boards shooting through from behind for a beefier fill or soft key. An LA grip showed me that simple trick years ago.
Rick Wise
director of photography
and custom lighting design
Oakland, CA
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
https://www.recessionvideo.net
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwise
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com -
[Rick Wise] “shiny boards shooting through from behind for a beefier fill or soft key”
Very intriguing, Rick, but not quite following…
Can you take a stab at describing that a little more in depth?
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Todd, imagine you place one or two shiny boards on the ground, angled so they direct the sunlight toward the subject. Place a 1/2 grid in a 12 x 12 frame in the path of that light, angled so that it also bounces the sun toward the subject. Now the subject is receiving both sunlight bounced off the 1/2 grid cloth and also sunlight bounced off the shiny boards but diffused through the grid cloth. Too much light? Waste (twist off-tasrget) some of the shiny-board bounce until everything looks right.
Obviously you can also do this with all elements higher than on the ground.
Rick Wise
director of photography
and custom lighting design
Oakland, CA
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
https://www.recessionvideo.net
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwise
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com -
Hi Rick…
Thanks… I’m sure if I saw it in action I’d instantly go “Ohhhhhh… so simple.”
Unfortuantey my brain is not quite wrapping around it. Unsure of the position of the sun to the subject/camera (if it matters). But more importantly can’t quite seem to imagine where exactly one would position your 12x so that it both bounces onto the talent and diffuses onto the boards.
Believe it or not, I’m usually considered relatively sharp… haa.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Maybe a picture helps:
Rick Wise
director of photography
and custom lighting design
Oakland, CA
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
https://www.recessionvideo.net
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwise
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com -
Ahhhh ok… got it.
Thanks,
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
-
Looking at my drawing again, I see that it is somewhat wrong. For maximum effect, the sun’s rays should be first striking the 4 x 4 shiny board directly, not through the 1/2 grid. Those rays that hit the shiny board(s) then kick back toward the subject, diffused through the 12 x 12 1/2 grid.
Of course, you could also place the shiny board(s) closer to the rag and, depending on the angle of the sun, be able to bounce back just some of the sunlight penetrating through the 1/2 grid. Which is what the drawing suggest. That method would produce a softer and less intense fill or key.
Rick Wise
director of photography
and custom lighting design
Oakland, CA
https://www.RickWiseDP.com
https://www.recessionvideo.net
https://www.linkedin.com/in/rwise
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com -
Ahhh…
Yes, that makes more sense. I have to admit, when I looked at the drawing and was seeing it the other way, I kept thinking that seemed like a lot of trouble for something you could do easier, such as just use a 4×4 white bounce rather than a shiny board… but I was giving you the benefit of the doubt…haa. This new way makes a lot more sense.
T2
__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com
Reply to this Discussion! Login or Sign Up