Different screen materials

[pushed to the edge]

Hi,

 

Wondered if anyone can help......

 

Im trying to rear project onto a black guaze but after sitting down and thinking about it, I think this would look terrible and probably not even work!

 

So is there another type of material I can use to make into a screen? I would like to rear project onto it and also use the same screen for bleed throughs just like a gauze.

 

Has anyone done this before? or anyone had a lightbulb moment? Cos im tearing my hair out!!!

 

Thanks

[Gerry]

A quick search of "rear projection" in the search function will bring up many answers.

Cheers

Gerry

[Shez]

I would like to rear project onto it and also use the same screen for bleed throughs just like a gauze.

I think these two requirements are somewhat at odds with one another. For the first application, you need light to hit the "screen" and for the second, you need it to pass right through it. I suspect you'll end up having to compromise one in order to achieve the other.

[Robin D]

Not really sure I've grasped what you are attempting to do, but as a thought, is there the opportunity to back project onto a lighter (grey?) solid screen and place the black gauze in front of it? With light on the front of the gauze you will not see the dimmed screen. With the projector on and the face of the gauze in darkness, the screen will be visible.

 

If I have the wrong end of the stick, utmost apologies.

 

Edit: My granma again! <_<

[pushed to the edge]

Basically im trying to use one screen but as two functions, although not at the same time.

 

1. to rear project onto

2. to use as a gauze in the usual way.

 

I understand that a screen isnt going to be transparent no matter how much back/front light you through at it!

 

but is it possible to rear project onto a gauze? I didnt think itd be possible due to too much light bleeding through the holes.

 

but maybe if the projector is angled from a height, would the angle counteract the holes?

[AHYoung]

Basically im trying to use one screen but as two functions, although not at the same time.

 

1. to rear project onto

2. to use as a gauze in the usual way.

 

I understand that a screen isnt going to be transparent no matter how much back/front light you through at it!

 

but is it possible to rear project onto a gauze? I didnt think itd be possible due to too much light bleeding through the holes.

 

but maybe if the projector is angled from a height, would the angle counteract the holes?

 

 

why rear project, if you need a projection screen / gauze front project onto a gauze, it will work ok ish as long as the projector is either rigged high or low so the spill falls on the floor not the whatever behind the gauze. If you rear project onto gauze it doesnt work very well and the spill invariably falls onto the audience or set looking rank. You wouldnt light a gauze from the rear, which is effectively what you are doing with the projector. You will however need a fairly beefy projector as the gauze wont hold that much light.

[andy_s]

I am sure I've seen a show using front projection onto gauze, but I can't quite recall the details - it might have been white gauze ...

 

I'd just get a scrap of the material you hope to use, and try it out. no need to go to the expense of the full sized cloth, a metre square would be enough to see if it works or not.

 

Also, I recall going to the IMAX a few years ago when it was still quite a novelty, and the programme was introduced with a little item about how IMAX worked - there was a demonstration of the sound, which I am fairly sure involved a dissolve through the screen to show the speakers mounted behind it.(which would suggest that the effect you are after is indeed possible using some kind of screen material) the audience was then instructed to don the 3D glasses, and on doing so, a dinosaur tried to bite my head off. Scary! No idea how it was done or what screen material was used, maybe someone else remembers this and can shed some light?

 

( the main film that we'd actually paid to see was a pretty dull film about the space station. The introduction film was the highlight for me!)

[AHYoung]

I am sure I've seen a show using front projection onto gauze, but I can't quite recall the details - it might have been white gauze ...

 

I'd just get a scrap of the material you hope to use, and try it out. no need to go to the expense of the full sized cloth, a metre square would be enough to see if it works or not.

 

Also, I recall going to the IMAX a few years ago when it was still quite a novelty, and the programme was introduced with a little item about how IMAX worked - there was a demonstration of the sound, which I am fairly sure involved a dissolve through the screen to show the speakers mounted behind it.(which would suggest that the effect you are after is indeed possible using some kind of screen material) the audience was then instructed to don the 3D glasses, and on doing so, a dinosaur tried to bite my head off. Scary! No idea how it was done or what screen material was used, maybe someone else remembers this and can shed some light?

 

( the main film that we'd actually paid to see was a pretty dull film about the space station. The introduction film was the highlight for me!)

 

 

pretty much all cinema screens have holes in like a gauze as the centre{main} speaker/s lives there, sensible that the words come out of the actors mouths... therefore by dimming the projection and bringing up lighting onto the speakers behind you can get the same effect as the classic gauze reveal. Possibly other than in the imax demo there would be no practical purpose...

[andy_s]

I am sure I've seen a show using front projection onto gauze, but I can't quite recall the details - it might have been white gauze ...

 

I'd just get a scrap of the material you hope to use, and try it out. no need to go to the expense of the full sized cloth, a metre square would be enough to see if it works or not.

 

Also, I recall going to the IMAX a few years ago when it was still quite a novelty, and the programme was introduced with a little item about how IMAX worked - there was a demonstration of the sound, which I am fairly sure involved a dissolve through the screen to show the speakers mounted behind it.(which would suggest that the effect you are after is indeed possible using some kind of screen material) the audience was then instructed to don the 3D glasses, and on doing so, a dinosaur tried to bite my head off. Scary! No idea how it was done or what screen material was used, maybe someone else remembers this and can shed some light?

 

( the main film that we'd actually paid to see was a pretty dull film about the space station. The introduction film was the highlight for me!)

 

 

pretty much all cinema screens have holes in like a gauze as the centre{main} speaker/s lives there, sensible that the words come out of the actors mouths... therefore by dimming the projection and bringing up lighting onto the speakers behind you can get the same effect as the classic gauze reveal. Possibly other than in the imax demo there would be no practical purpose...

glad I wasn't imagining it!

[rgye]

I really think you are on a hiding to nothing trying to rear project onto gauze - all you will get is flare from the projector shining into the audience's eyes. I have used projection gauzes on several occasions and I think the only way you will get this to work well is to front project as other members have suggested. The gauze needs to be white, or grey as a minimum, and even with white you must expect to lose a lot of the intensity; bear in mind, too, that if the set or backdrop behind the gauze is light coloured, you will get a second image projected onto that from the light that passes through the holes. You can mitigate that with oblique projection as AHYoung says, but this in turn can introduce other issues such as image distortion and depth of focus problems.

 

With all rear projection projects it's worth remembering that there are quite a few different grades of plastic screen material available - some suitable for double sided projection, some very high transmission and so on. I recommend that you get hold of a Rosco swatch pack and experiment with the samples.

[Bidniz]

We have a "nightclub" at my work where we are projecting movies (more like moving graphics) on to a scrim fabric that wraps the outside of circular booths where people sit below. The scrim is white and I would say it is front projection setup (but the scrim and booth are circular... so it sort of depends where you sit). The projectors are up to high to be shining in anybody eyes. The graphics look great on the first and even the second layer (probably about 10' between the layers) of the scrim fabric. They are just graphics and occasional logos though (I haven't tried watching Avatar on them or anything... at least not yet), but the effect looks great.