Say you've just canned a glorious tracking shot. When you go to review the footage, however, you're dismayed to find out that you tracked past three windows, and in every single one of them you can see the dolly and camera crew, the boom operator, and some PA holding coffee that is wandering around like a lost puppy. Almost every filmmaker I know has dealt with this problem in some form or another, and it's one that every up and coming filmmaker will encounter at some point in their lives.

But what can you do to get rid of those pesky reflections that can ruin your shots? Here's Ryan Connolly and the Film Riot crew to offer up a few quick tips:

In my experience, it's always best to have a few different options for cutting reflections readily available to you, because there is no one solution that is perfect for every situation. First off, a circular polarizer is a must, especially if you're shooting in direct sunlight or with a single source of light, because it very effectively reduces glare from one particular angle. I find circular polarizers to be most useful when shooting outside, especially when you're dealing with car windows.

However, more often than not we're using more than a single source of light in our shots, which means that another solution is necessary. This is where dulling sprays and matte sprays become your best friend. Simply spray down your reflective surfaces with something akin to the Krylon Dulling Spray (hair spray works too), and you're ready to shoot reflection-free. Just make sure that the spray you choose is temporary and can be wiped off. The only problem with this approach is that it definitely changes the aesthetic of your reflective surfaces. If you want the windows and reflective surfaces to have a slightly matted finish, this solution will work great, but if you want your reflective surfaces to look -- well -- shiny and reflective like they would in actuality, you may want to avoid sprays altogether.

The last option is, of course, fixing it in post. There are plenty of tutorials out there for masking and tracking pesky reflections and applying a fast blur to them. Unfortunately, if you want the camera to be able to move around in front of mirrors (like in Birdman), you're going to need to do some serious work in post that probably involves 3D modeling and a whole lot of intense compositing.

What are your tips and tricks for getting rid of pesky reflections? Share them down in the comments!

Source: Film Riot

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Cinematography & Cameras