The Videomaker Guide to Video Production, 4th Edition

 

33Use Reflectors Like a Pro

 

Jim Stinson

 

 

 

 

Reflectors are so versatile, useful and simple thatprofessionalvideographers deploy them even in high-rent productions. Advanced amateurs may know how to use reflectors for outdoor fill light, but that’s only their most obvious application. So let’s conduct a quick flyover of professional reflector techniques, both outdoors and in.

First, let’s take a quick taxonomy of reflector species. Reflectors are either rigid or flexible. Rigid reflectors may be faced (in order, from brightest to softest) with shiny aluminum, matte aluminum, wrinkled aluminum or white paper. Paper-faced reflectors are usually foamcore: rigid Styrofoam sandwiched between paper surfaces and available at any art or craft ...