I'm using a portable dvd player hooked up to my XL2 to get a larger image, however outside I have trouble looking into the lcd monitor on the dvd player because of sun glare. Does anyone have any ideas as to how to reduce the glare? If I make some sort of hood of some kind I'll have trouble looking at the screen at all.

I keep a black t-shirt on set that I can throw over my head and it makes an instant hood for my Marshal remote LCD monitor.

Good idea! except this isn't an on cam monitor. I just found out about cinefoil. Does anyone know about it? I guess you can shape it to form a sort of hood and use it in general with different lighting situations. You can, for instance make barn doors with it because it's fairly thick. I'll be checking it out this weekend and hope it will work with the monitor I've purchased.

Lucinda, the best thing to do is go to an art store and get some black illustration board and velcro strips. Just fashion a hood out of the board and apply the different sides of the velcro, one side to the contact points of the DVD player and the other to the hood.
It's very simple and very cheap and will cost you all of ten dollars and couple hours of your time.
I'd save the cinefoil for your on set lights.

good ol' cardboard and velcro will fix it!

Thanks and I already thought of that. The thing that makes me hesitant is that it will be hard to see into the monitor with the pieces of illustration board coming out from it and make it more cumbersome when we move it around with the XL2. I actually had one of my assistants holding the dvd player and moving along with me when I had to move my tripod. Really silly! I need to find a better way to use the monitor. A stand with rollers would work better, but I haven't found one yet. What do people use for a stand when they use field monitors? something mobile?

I'll be using a Rubbermaid cart as it has plenty of room for accessories and is pretty solid.
As far as the hood thing, goes, make a hood that has more of a pitch to it.
If you want to keep glare off the screen, you will have to deal with a hood being cumbersome. Plus, illustration board is virtually weightless at that size.
Sony has some type of tech built into the LCD's of their camcorders that makes for sharp bright pictures even in sunlight. I think there is some kind of reflective material that bounces incoming light back up into the rear side of the screen if I read correctly.
Very cool, hope this will be the case with many other LCD's in the future.

One more thing, as I go back to retype this, Lucinda.
Check this out, I bought one of these but no longer need it as I attach my new TFT right to my camcorder.

This basically clamps right on to the leg of your tripod. Get one of these and a tripod dolly and you'll have a mobile platform that you can move easily about.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=productlist&A=details&Q=&sku=125207&is=REG&addedTroughType=search

http://search.ebay.com//search/search.dll?from=R40&satitle=tripod+dolly

Eric,

What's a Rubbermaid Cart? I think I know, but not sure.

I made a mount for one of my tripods by cutting a small piece of wood to fit into the recess area on the top where the camera would go, and then gluing and screwing a larger piece of wood for the portable dvd player to sit on. It looks like it will work ok. I like the tripod dollys, they would make it much better for moving around even tho' this tripod is light.

Thanks for the tip on that!

Say, I'm out in the Inland Empire...... and making one of my films in LA which is why I'm making this stand to begin with.

Do you know anything about the Cinefoil? I'm checking on that tomorrow to see if it will work to reduce the glare. We were using a dark umbrella last week and it didn't work too well because everything became too cumbersome.

Cinefoil also goes by blackwrap..or it's maybe the other way around. Basically they are the same thing. It's just heavy gage aluminum foil that is generally used for makeshift barndoors, light control, etc...Very useful stuff.
You should be able to buy it at practically just about any film supply place in LA or online.
And thanks for reminding me... I have to pick up a roll myself.
Along with trying to find a new sound guy...
A new location for filming...
It never ends.

http://www.foodservicedirect.com/index.cfm/S/359/Rubbermaid_Service_Carts.htm

You could always pick up a hoomdan from http://www.hoodmanusa.com/

They make and supply a number of products to help with reducing glare. I have the 7inch hoodman for my external LCD monitor. It helps tremendously.

BH is one of Hoodman's resellers.

Thanks Robert! I'll check hoodman. I'm getting or checking the cinefoil today. Glare is a real issue. It's very bright in LA....no high bldgs like NYC!

Eric, you still didn't tell me what a Rubbermaid Cart is?......

Lucinda

Thanks Robert! I'll check hoodman. I'm getting or checking the cinefoil today. Glare is a real issue. It's very bright in LA....no high bldgs like NYC!

Eric, you still didn't tell me what a Rubbermaid Cart is?......

Lucinda


Lucinda, sorry I wasn't more specific. It's in the URL I included at the bottom of the post. Some are a little expensive but you can get them under $75.00 as well.

Eric,

That's what I thought they were. They are pretty pricey. Where can you get them for around $75.00? Sorry to ask, but I might want to get one. The cinefoil aluminum is terrific! I'm really glad to have gotten it.

Eric,

That's what I thought they were. They are pretty pricey. Where can you get them for around $75.00? Sorry to ask, but I might want to get one. The cinefoil aluminum is terrific! I'm really glad to have gotten it.


Oops, sorry Lucinda. I was reading the info wrong. They are more expensive than I first thought. Well over a hundred. Once I find the cheapest deal or a cheap alternative I'll let you know.
BTW, a good book to read for "no" budget filmmaking is this:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0240805461/qid=1128889219/sr=8-1/ref=pd_bbs_1/103-4084750-5719042?v=glance&s=books&n=507846

Check it out if you already haven't.

Eric,

You might check out thrift stores. I seem to vaguely recollect that they have Rubbermaid Carts in places like that and for far less money.

I'll check out the link to the book. Thanks!