Window gels. . . two stops or three?

[Stephen Pruitt]

I'm looking to buy some Lee window gels in the 48" width. What would be more useful? Two stops or three? Is three too much? Or just right?

Thanks much.

Stephen

 

[Mark Collins]

I'm looking to buy some Lee window gels in the 48" width. What would be more useful? Two stops or three? Is three too much? Or just right?

Thanks much.

Stephen

Depends on where and when you're shooting. If you have to choose between them, I, in my limited experience would probably go with 2.

If I had the money though I'd probably get those Rosco Polarizer panels though, since I find them quite cool and useful for studio work.

 

[Craig Ryan]

I've had great success using a ND 9 (3 stops) on windows for balancing. But sometimes you might want a more overexposed look outside, so I'd go with the 2.

 

[Mark Wilkinson]

If you are able to meter the location - take a look at what's coming through the windows. I shot a spot recently and the morning sun hit the side of a nearby house and was metering very, very hot (64+). But the afternoon was full shade and just 2-3 stops over key (4).

Also, consider what you're going to do with the interior: tungsten (use 85ND on windows, maybe) or daylight, what's your target stops, etc.

Always do the math, right?

All that said, my default is ND9. I've never tried the Pola panels - they sounds cool, but expensive...

 

[Stephen Pruitt]

Three it is. . .

Thanks much, guys!

Stephen

 

[Justin Chin]

Mark is right on with checking your location.

Don't forget your snot:
http://www.filmtools.com/12scotatgtap.html

And a gun:
http://www.filmtools.com/scotatgtapdi.html

 

[Shawn Booth]

Do you have to gel the windows?

 

[John Brawley]

I'm looking to buy some Lee window gels in the 48" width. What would be more useful? Two stops or three? Is three too much? Or just right?

Thanks much.

Stephen

In my part of the world it's 3 stops and sometimes i've had 5 stops up in summer.

I never bother with lighting gel though. it's noisy, moves in wind when outside the window, never flat even when you apply it to the window with water.

Instead, although more expensive, I use tinted acrylic or perspex. You can often use a single piece to cover a window exterior and it's very fast to get up and down as conditions change.

Right now I'm shooting a network series with a recurring location that's on the third story of a building with a wall of windows both east and west. I've had perspex cut for almost all the windows. I can have them up on all the windows in about 15 minutes.

It's a smidge over 3 stops and at that level, it's just enough to see detail but still feel like there's heat out there. It's magical watching the guys put em up with the camera on. White windows suddenly have detail in them. It cost about $2k to do the whole space. Each sheet generally costs about $120 a pop. (8' x 4')

With 6 stops up, (depending on what you see out the window) and the white point down low you've also got a cheap and quick day for night as well.

I go to the local acrylic supplier and run a colour temp meter across their little sample patches to make sure I get one as neutral as possible.

jb

 

[Mark Collins]

In my part of the world it's 3 stops and sometimes i've had 5 stops up in summer.

I never bother with lighting gel though. it's noisy, moves in wind when outside the window, never flat even when you apply it to the window with water.

Instead, although more expensive, I use tinted acrylic or perspex. You can often use a single piece to cover a window exterior and it's very fast to get up and down as conditions change.

Right now I'm shooting a network series with a recurring location that's on the third story of a building with a wall of windows both east and west. I've had perspex cut for almost all the windows. I can have them up on all the windows in about 15 minutes.

It's a smidge over 3 stops and at that level, it's just enough to see detail but still feel like there's heat out there. It's magical watching the guys put em up with the camera on. White windows suddenly have detail in them. It cost about $2k to do the whole space. Each sheet generally costs about $120 a pop. (8' x 4')

With 6 stops up, (depending on what you see out the window) and the white point down low you've also got a cheap and quick day for night as well.

I go to the local acrylic supplier and run a colour temp meter across their little sample patches to make sure I get one as neutral as possible.

jb

Any chance of getting a link to where we can buy said tinted acrylic?

 

[John Brawley]

Any chance of getting a link to where we can buy said tinted acrylic?

Just do a search on anyone that sells Perspex in your area. Perspex is one of many brands of plastic that can be used. They most often get used by sign makers.

Jb

 

[Mark Collins]

Just do a search on anyone that sells Perspex in your area. Perspex is one of many brands of plastic that can be used. They most often get used by sign makers.

Jb

Thanks.

I'm wondering though with windows and the RoscoView panels. They are simply Polarizers in glass form, so wouldn't it be possible to just lay a sheet of polarizer on the windows and then simply used something similar to a gel holder in front of the lens to increase or decrease the polarization amount?

 

[John Brawley]

Thanks.

I'm wondering though with windows and the RoscoView panels. They are simply Polarizers in glass form, so wouldn't it be possible to just lay a sheet of polarizer on the windows and then simply used something similar to a gel holder in front of the lens to increase or decrease the polarization amount?

There's a few issues I've found. For starters it's a lot more expensive. And it's not that wide, certainly not as wide as acrylic or Perspex. There will be windows that will individually be too wide for the Rosco.

The other issue is polarizing itself. In theory it sounds like a good idea, but i've found it's very difficult to have it be consistent from shot to shot. It seems as you move around the amount of polarizing changes and you have to adjust by eye. Plus you loose at least a stop by having a polarizer in front of your camera lens and it can affect other things in shot. The nice sheen you may have on actors face from a kicker starts to fade under polarization for example...

jb

 

[Mark Collins]

There's a few issues I've found. For starters it's a lot more expensive. And it's not that wide, certainly not as wide as acrylic or Perspex. There will be windows that will individually be too wide for the Rosco.

The other issue is polarizing itself. In theory it sounds like a good idea, but i've found it's very difficult to have it be consistent from shot to shot. It seems as you move around the amount of polarizing changes and you have to adjust by eye. Plus you loose at least a stop by having a polarizer in front of your camera lens and it can affect other things in shot. The nice sheen you may have on actors face from a kicker starts to fade under polarization for example...

jb

Good points. I'll have to keep that in mind next time I shoot in an area with a lot of windows.