Tips, Tricks, and Products
By Working Photographers For Working Photographers
DigiComp is Rosco's system for seamless compositing in film, video, and digital photography. It represents a top-to-bottom range of stage equipment that precisely match for consistent keying separation with little to no post-production touch-up. All products are available in either DigiComp Green or DigiComp Blue.
Getting a good, clean matte is an essential part of modern production workflows. Sure, you could save a couple of bucks by buying a knockoff that happens to be the same hue as Rosco Ultimatte or Chroma Key paint, but you'll probably regret it when you see what a crummy mask it gives you.
That's because only Rosco matte paints are the right combination of hue, luminosity, and uniformity to give you reliable, clean mattes every time.
Rosco Chroma Key paints are specially formulated to provide high luminance values and color saturation for keying effects. The acrylic formula provides high build, one-coat coverage on almost any surface, and is sold in one- or five-gallon containers.
| Luminance | Vectroscope Phase Angle | |
|---|---|---|
| Blue | 52 | 342 |
| Green | 57 | 242 |
Rosco Ultimatte paints are the approved Ultimatte paint system. These paints were designed in conjunction with the Ultimatte technical team to meet their stringent requirements. This vinyl acrylic paint can be used on nearly any surface, and is available in one- or five-gallon containers.
| Red Component | Green Component | Blue Component | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blue | 22 | 40 | 82 |
| Green | 29 | 84 | 36 |
| Super Blue | 7 | 18 | 72 |
| Values measured with an Ikegami EC-35 camera with Plumbicon tubes. The iris was set so that an 89.9% reflective chip on a Porta Pattern 11 step chip chart was at 100 IRE units, the gamma was set to 0.45, and the knee circuit was turned off. Different cameras may yield different levels, even under the same conditions. | |||
Any great set designer will tell you that when lighting a scene, the lights you use are only part of the equation. Like any great art, what you leave out is just as important as what you put in. Enter: gobos. Derived from the phrase "GOes Before Optics", gobos fit between your light source and lens to partly obscure or modulate light.
View the Rosco Gobo catalog (PDF) or use Rosco's iPhone app for gobos to see a sample of the styles and colors available. Don't forget to find a dealer once you've picked a few out!
Depending on what they're used for, gobos may be made of stainless steel or glass. Stainless steel gobos selectively block light, often creating a stippled effect or more or less expressionistic shapes. Glass gobos come in a variety of forms: 
Colorizers create beautiful multi-colored effects. Image Glass gobos are colorless, bending and refracting light to create complexity. Prismatics are usually fitted into moving lights and project kaleidoscopic patterns. 
ColorWaves create vivid dichroic color patterns such as waves and mosaics. Different gobos can be used on each light and mixed on-stage to liven things up.
Usually, you'll need a gobo holder for each of your gobos, although some holders can accept multiple gobos in series. And gobos can be used like cogs — placed into a motorized gobo rotator, which can turn the gobo at various speeds for even more interesting displays.
It's important to understand that gobos come in a variety of sizes. Depending on the lamp you use, you will want compatible gobos and at least one compatible gobo holder.
| Letter Size | Outer Diameter |
Artwork Diameter |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|
| A Size | 100 | 75 | |
| B Size | 86 | 64.5 | |
| M Size | 66 | 48 | |
| E Size | 37.5 | 28 | |
| BG Size | 79 | 64.5 | Obsolete glass size. Available by special order. |
| C Size | 150 | 120 | C Size available size by special order. |
| G Size | 65.5 | 48 | For Clay Paky Goldenscans |
| D Size | 53.3 | 38 | |
| Cyberlight | 44.25 | 38 | |
| Studio Spot 575 | 36.3 | 31 | For HES Studio Spot 575 |
| Mac 500/918 | 27.5 | 22 | Not all standard designs available in this size. |
| V Size | 25.5 | 22 | Not all standard designs available in this size. |
| Mac 250 | 22.5 | 17 | Not all standard designs available in this size. |
| 518 Size | 20 | 13 | Not all standard designs available in this size. |
| Sizes listed in millimeters. Not all designs are available in all sizes. Please call to verify availability. | |||
One of the coolest things about gobos is that you can make your own custom designs! We can accept artwork from you or your graphic designer and match it to almost any gobo size you need. Prices and turnaround time are very reasonable — simply email us to get the ball rolling.
If you're feeling overwhelmed, don't worry — we can help. Get in touch and we'll be happy to explain your options, or refer you to a knowledgeable dealer in your area.
In confined spaces, unwanted light reflection can become quite annoying. What's needed is something that can attach to any surface and absorb light. Cinefoil is just that thing.
Cinefoil roll sizes
Photofoil roll sizes
Essentially a matte black version of aluminum foil, Cinefoil can be wrapped around, stapled, or taped to any surface or object to prevent light spill. It can also be molded to form barndoors, flags, or whatever configuration you need.
Cinefoil is sold in twenty-five to fifty-foot rolls for theater and set use. For still photographers, videographers, and students, Photofoil offers the same properties in shorter lengths at lower cost.
30 years ago, Rosco developed their Academy Award-winning water-based fog fluid. Until that point, fog fluids had been petroleum based — potentially hazardous, and often leaving an unpleasant oily residue on people or equipment. Rosco's water-based formula made all that a thing of the past, becoming the most widely used fog fluid in theatre, live entertainment, theme parks, and clubs.
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