Guide about Textiles Used In Film Lighting

Useful Guide About Textiles Used In Film Lighting Scrims Artificial Silk white softens and diffuses light. Its illuminating quality is very clean and its crisp diffusion favours a cooler, white light. Produces ambient bounce. Known as full silk.

China Silk white softens and diffuses light. It produces a glowing, warmer white light; ideal for skin tones, or for diffusing sunlight. It introduces ambient bounce. Known as a half silk. Will yellow with age and weathering.

Black Silk is used to reduce the reflection of the light source in a reflective surface; i.e. if you are lighting a beer glass and a white diffusion is used, the white will be reflected in the glass. If a black silk is used, only the source will be reflected, the diffused quality of the light will be the same. The Black China silk does not reflect the colour temperature.

1/4 Stop Silk is a sheer white polyester fabric. The diffusion quality of this textile is such that only 20% of the source is reduced, 80% is diffused, thus not flattening the light too much. A very soft diffusion produces NO ambient bounce.

Clear Griffolyn has a reinforced weave and provides very good, waterproof light diffusion. Fantastic in rainy conditions - can put it above a subject (car or person) so shooting can continue. Also very good on the beach as a windbreak or an overhead. Will pinken with age and weathering. Susceptible to tearing where sewn if placed under stress.

Bobbin Net is used for reducing sun or artificial light. Black, the most popular colour, absorbs as much as 90% of the light and reflects no light. White bobbin net absorbs about 30% of the light and reflects the remaining 70%. These delicate nets are used to achieve fine subtleties of quality lighting. * note Triples may project a "morea" effect.

American Muslin is a wide width, loose weave sheeting (light canvas). It comes either bleached (white) or unbleached (cream). It is a heavy diffusion and can be used when shadowless, wrap-around light is desired. Can also be used as a bounce. Ultrabounce has come on the film scene in the past decade. It is a grid cloth with a perfect white on one side and a deep black on the other. This fabric is ideal for bouncing anything. It’s got a lot of punch, but also not as specular as a Grifflon. The black side can be used to create a negative fill or a better practice is to use older Ultrabounces for tenting windows. Ultrabounce is very durable, yet can be torn in a straight line by hand because of the grid pattern. This fabric has been used to create enormous ceiling pieces, even bigger tents, and bounces hung high in the jungle. It is waterproof, lightweight, and very useful in dozens of applications.

Reflectors

Griffolyn T55 - Blk/Whte Shiny is a black/white fabric that has a high gloss finish for a hard light result. Griffolyn is a lightweight, waterproof textile used for large bounce sources. For exterior shooting, it can be focused onto a subject as a fill light. For interior shooting, a light must be focused into the fabric, though caution must be taken not to have the light source too close to the textile. Susceptible to tearing where sewn if placed under stress.

Griffolyn T85 - a matte finish for a soft light result. Griffolyn is a lightweight, waterproof textile used for large bounce sources. For exterior shooting, it can be focused onto a subject as a fill light. For interior shooting, a light must be focused into the fabric, though caution must be taken not to have the light source too close to the textile. Susceptible to tearing where sewn if placed under stress.

Gold Glame - reflects very warm light and is often used to impart a sunset or sunrise warmth to a scene. Also used for filming 'day for night' scenes. Glame is a metallic film laminated to a white nylon backing. It is used to reflect a soft, warm light that is not too harsh or directional. White backing gives it the advantage of doubling as a bounce. Metallic finish diminishes with age and weathering

Silver Glame - reflects a cool light. Reflected light can be used for daylight fill. Glame is a metallic film laminated to a white nylon backing. It is used to reflect a soft, warm light that is not too harsh or directional. White backing gives it the advantage of doubling as a bounce. Metallic finish diminishes with age and weathering

Lisa Marie - a blend of silver and gold squares in a checker board fashion. Blending the gold and silver reflects a warmer light than the silver, but not as warm as the gold. Glame is a metallic film laminated to a white nylon backing. It is used to reflect a soft, warm light that is not too harsh or directional. White backing gives it the advantage of doubling as a bounce. Metallic finish diminishes with age and weathering.

Cleaning guide for Textiles It is recommend that textiles should  be washed in cold water using a mild detergent.  All textiles should be blocked dry on the proper frame to prevent shrinkage.  Ensure textiles are dry before storing.  After cleaning, flame retardant may have been removed.