plans for making a cheap softbox?

[Tard]

You ever hear of Google?

http://www.fredmiranda.com/A18/

This came-up second on the list when just typing "softbox".

[nick23]

hi, i was wondering if anybody knew how to make a softbox? are there plans anybody knows of or any resources out there?

any help would be greatly appreciated.

thanks.

nick

[sn-films]

The cheapest alternative I've heard of is using a couple light stands to hold up a translucent shower liner and shine the light through that. Be sure to leave plenty of space between the bulb and the liner.

[twister!]

Here's another:

http://www.astro.uu.se/~marcus/private/sbox.html

But the absolute cheapest and easiest way without spending ANY money is to simply bounce the light off something (a wall or piece of white board for example) onto your subject.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ June 21, 2005 06:08 AM: Message edited by: Justin M. ]</font>

[nick23]

thanks everyone. yes reved i did check out google and the site you mentioned is for a stills flash softbox and this being a film-makers forum i was looking for something a little more film orientated.

justin m's recomendation was good, thanks. just thought people might have archives of useful film info & links. also about the bouncing thing, it's an animation so i have to isolate the light sources as it's happening in quite a small space and i'm using the softbox to light a chromkey background. because the light will be infront of the camera i need to make sure i don't have any spill coming from the back of the light.

thanks again.

nick

[danr7]

I have complete construction instructions in my book (Nuts and Bolts Filmmaking) for building a pretty good softbox, but if you want to go to the table of contents, there are a couple of pictures of it there (section 4.2):

http://www.cvisual.com/film-books/nu...f-contents.asp

If you?re handy, you can most likely construct it from the pictures alone (click on the picture to see it larger). Good luck!


Dan Rahmel
Author: "Nuts and Bolts Filmmaking"
Free scripts, templates, film glossary, and know-how,
check out: http://www.cvisual.com

[jungleguy]

why not bounce the light out of a polyboard, or white reflector.

home made soft boxes are a potential fire hazard!

[nick23]

thanks jungle guy but i can't used those methods because of the reasons i outlined in my second post. also, you can fire retard fabric and polyester which is used to make softboxes with is heat proof up to about 150 degrees.

nick.