BUILDING GOLD REFLECTORS This entry was posted on 8/31/2006 3:18 PM and is filed under Pre-Production. Another useful tool Gabriele and I made were several Reflectors. This was a pretty simple arts & crafts project that only required buying a few sheets of foamcore board, a package of 6" square gold foil, a bottle of glue and some clear packing tape. If you want to get professional lighting results when shooting your day exteriors, you need enough reflectors to get the job done. Reflectors are time consuming to construct but they're a necessity that cost so little to make, there's really no excuse for not making several in an evening. Gabriele and I started by gluing down the gold squares wirth Gorilla Glue, folding all four edges of each square sheet up, let the glue dry, then fray the edges of the surrounding sheets together. That's all there is to it to building reflectors exactly like the ones you can rent. If you have a stand to mount them to, you're in business (or you can hold them by hand, they weigh next to nothing). Despite the fragile materials used, the Reflectors have held up to a lot of use without suffering any real damage. Everything together cost $15 for the gold foil, along with each foamcore board that were under $3 each, plus the $5 we spent on tape and glue. It a one-stop-shopping event at Michael's Art Supply house.

Waiting for glue to dry that secures the gold foil squares dowen to the foamcore.	Once the glue dried, the folded back edges of the foil were interlocked.

The reason the edges need to be interlocked is to keep the sheets from peeling away from the board.	Closeup of all three interlocking steps: Folded, cross torn and mashed into a strong seam.

Taping down the edges of the board with clear packing tape for a little extra durability.	With one board complete, another can be attached to create a large but folding Reflector.

With a little teamwork, you and a partner can build quite a few Reflectors in no time.	Here, the board Gabriele made is about to be taped together with the board I made.

The back sides of the boards also provide a white reflector surface for a little versatility for when you're working under artificial lighting.	Taping the boards together makes a large Reflector easy to fold for transport and protect the delicate reflective surface.


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