Butterfly (lighting)
Encyclopedia
In cinema
, butterfly is a methodology of lighting sets. When controlling light, grip
s use a variety of flags (black, opaque material), nets (one, two, or three layers of black, white, or semi translucent bobinette
), and diffusion
(translucent white materials of different densities). Generally, these are sewn onto frames of standard sizes, which are kept in racks or on carts where they are easily accessible. However, when a flag, net, or diffusion is needed to cover a larger area it is not practical to keep it built and sewn on the truck; thus, Butterflies.
Butterflies are also known as overheads, or are simply called for by their dimensions, which are standard: 6 ft. x 6 ft, 8x8, 12x12, and 20x20 are the standard nominal, or frame sizes, the material, often referred to as "rags", or Goods, tend to finish at about 8 inches less on a side in order to assure a flat, stretched surface. Further, while the standard rags mentioned above are on every grip truck, butterflies are often rigged with reflective fabrics as well, for instance, silver lame.
Cinematography
Cinematography is the making of lighting and camera choices when recording photographic images for cinema. It is closely related to the art of still photography...
, butterfly is a methodology of lighting sets. When controlling light, grip
Grip (job)
In the U.S. and Canada, grips are lighting and rigging technicians in the filmmaking and video production industries. They constitute their own department on a film set and are directed by a key grip. Grips have two main functions...
s use a variety of flags (black, opaque material), nets (one, two, or three layers of black, white, or semi translucent bobinette
Bobbinet
Bobbinet or genuine tulle is a specific type of tulle netting which has been made in the United Kingdom since the invention of the bobbinet machine in 1806 by John Heathcoat. John Heathcoat coined the term "bobbin net", or bobbinet as it is spelled today, to distinguish his machine-made tulle from...
), and diffusion
Diffusion
Molecular diffusion, often called simply diffusion, is the thermal motion of all particles at temperatures above absolute zero. The rate of this movement is a function of temperature, viscosity of the fluid and the size of the particles...
(translucent white materials of different densities). Generally, these are sewn onto frames of standard sizes, which are kept in racks or on carts where they are easily accessible. However, when a flag, net, or diffusion is needed to cover a larger area it is not practical to keep it built and sewn on the truck; thus, Butterflies.
Butterflies are also known as overheads, or are simply called for by their dimensions, which are standard: 6 ft. x 6 ft, 8x8, 12x12, and 20x20 are the standard nominal, or frame sizes, the material, often referred to as "rags", or Goods, tend to finish at about 8 inches less on a side in order to assure a flat, stretched surface. Further, while the standard rags mentioned above are on every grip truck, butterflies are often rigged with reflective fabrics as well, for instance, silver lame.