Using A Huge DIY Reflector For Hollywood Lighting
Mar 29, 2013
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
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One thing that make Hollywood light what they are is the fact that they are huge. Huge light equals soft flattering glamorous light.
Sadly, huge lights have their price and getting a big pro kinoflo kit may set you back a good $3K or so.
But how about using cheap worklights bounced of a huge reflector and diffused by a bed sheet? This is exactly what Matthew Scott did for as little as $55.
Inspired by a BTS shot from No Country For Old Men by the Cohen brothers, Matthew build a very glamorous setup with one trip to the hardware store area
Key light is a set of four worklight bouncing off a mega-monster reflector made by wrapping tinfoil on a flat and spread-out TV box. You can see the setup below:
The last step was color correcting the footage.
For a complete account of the build, lighting diagrams and some cinema love, take a look at Matt’s post.
P.S. Matt is not the only one to love lighting with bed sheets. See here David Hobby and Joe McNally pull similar stunts.
[DIY BEAUTY LIGHTING via ISO 1200]
Udi Tirosh
Udi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.
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12 responses to “Using A Huge DIY Reflector For Hollywood Lighting”
Could have saved himself a lot of effort with a can of 3m spray stick. It’ll mount aluminum foil to pretty much any surface in seconds.
He used an old TV box and duct tape to mount the aluminum foil. How is 3m spray cheaper than that?
I didn’t mention cheap, I said he could have saved a lot of effort. And for the record, that’s not duct tape, its gaffer tape. And with the roughly 40′ of the high dollar tape he used, a light but sufficient coat of spray stick would have probably been cheaper.
He would have also been able to finish it in about 5 minutes.
Sounds like a much better plan….I’ll be doing that next time :) For now, the mother reflector is still holding strong. Also, sometimes it’s about what is available on a Sunday cost wise and proximity wise. This was the best I could do that afternoon :) Thanks for the comments,
Matt
The fact is he did it. Could’ve should’ve. Nice job, Matt.
Nice build..thanks, will probably build this if I can find the parts (not so easy in Cambodia)
Is there suppose to be links for Hobby and McNally?
yes, they were always there :) if you missed them, then you probably blinked before my edit from 10 seconds ago :)
Very nice light. But I think you could have painted the cardboard white and forgot about the sheet with very similar results.
Similar results yes, but not as nice. I’ve tried and bouncing the light through diffusion is much nicer :) Thanks for commenting!
Matt
You can get the same effect with one light, a medium or large silver or white umbrella and a diffusion scrim (like a sheet or frosted shower curtain)
love my frosted shower curtain diffuser and also the silver emergency blanket (camping department) reflector – been a DIY photog for a while ;)