Anti-glare spray alternatives for highly reflective surfaces

[mrpeech]

Hi,

I have to shoot a promo video for a client in a martial arts dojo. Of the four walls I have to work with 2 are white perspex/reflective plastic that give a nasty glare when I try to bounce my light off them. The other main wall is a long mirror and the rear wall has a window to an office, changing rooms etc and is generally unphotogenic.

I would love to get my hands on some anti-glare spray locally but I can't seem to find any. That includes going to a huge cine-lighting company that caters to large scale productions.

I overheard a DOP/Cinematographer once talk about alternatives to reduce glare on surfaces. Though I can't for the life of me remember exactly what he was talking about. Grease or some such thing?

Ideally it would be a spray that I can wipe off easily. I have to shoot on Tues (in 3 days time).

I could use softboxes with a diffuser. But might get some nasty shine still. I'd like to know how to solve this particular problem in the future, other than shooting in an alternate location. Which in this instance is impossible.

Any advice guys...

 

[Gonzo_Entertainment]

Probably "Streaks and Tips". It's that spray on hair color. You can buy it at a costume shop or beauty supply store. I'm pretty sure it would clean off with soap and water or windex.

 

[2001 Productions]

Or regular cheap hair spray, if you don't want to change the color.

 

[knightly]

Use flagging to remove the light from the walls, then put the light back on them in a more control manner.

Are you providing the light or using "existing, natural lighting?" If it's natural lighting, probably ceiling fluorescent, you can just tape some black construction paper to the side of the lights facing the white walls making the edge of the shadow from the paper hit right where the wall and floor meet... then add a light very close to the wall to make the angle of incidence very narrow so it doesn't reflect back into the camera... you can even color this light to bring some life to the image.

If you're lighting it yourself, just make sure you're controlling your angles:
(the pertinent bits are about half way through the video)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yuntK56wL7A

 

[mrpeech]

Thanks, some good advice there. There are a number of large florescent lights hanging from girders from the ceiling. They are quite high. There isn't really glare from the walls when this existing lighting is on. I would have liked to have simply mixed the florescent with my own lights. Ie A strong key, and perhaps a gelled rim light (blue or perhaps a warm colour).

When I try bouncing the light from the rear wall the light reflected is too weak. What I might try is two large soft boxes aimed at the subjects with some diffuser. Then the rim light. Will try out the hair spray to see if that works and perhaps light the wall with another bank of softboxes.

I need at least one wide shot, which is the trickiest part as it's such a large area. Once I get in close ie shooting 2/3 individuals at a time I can use large reflectors.