the windy bounce
In this post we are going to look and test the differences between a windy bounce 8 by 8 and an ultrabounce 8 by 8.
What is a windy bounce?
A windy bounce is essentially an ultra bounce, one side is bright white for bouncing light and the other is black for cutting or making a negative fill. In addition to these features a windy bounce has holes inside the fabric. This idea has been added in order to allow the fabric to stand better and safer in the wind. When a solid fabric such as an ultra bounce is placed outside it is extremely vulnerable to the wind. Wind can easily cause the heavy frame and light stands to topple over. Sandbags, ropes and experienced personnel are essential when building any frames outside.
Test
For my test I checked two things: How does the windy white side bounce in comparison to a traditional ultra bounce and how it does in the wind.
Reflective output
We bounced an Arri m40 with a 4k bulb into an ultra and the windy. We measured the lumins/foot-candles from the same distance and angle. Distance is about 3,2 meters. Light meter is 25fps and 800 iso.
With the traditional ultra we got: 3,200 Lux F. 11.7
With the windy bounce we got: 800 lux F 5.6
The Ultra is a little bit more than 2 stops brighter . Exposure ratio 1: 4.3
Conclusion: Although the ultra bounce is 2 stops more than the windy I still find the windy to still be useful. Quite often cinematographers ask me angle ultra butterflies to take away their intensity. Personally I find ultra fabrics to be a bit too “sourcey” or “punchy.” Nevertheless it’s a good thing to consider when making your lighting plan.
The windy test
I did this test at “Dangl” my local light and rental house, in Vienna, Austria. It had snowed the night before and was rather windy. 20 km per hour wind gust we’re still coming into this courtyard. I placed just one sand bag on each combo which held the butterfly frame. I then made myself a coffee and talked shit with Michael for about 20 minutes. Heavy gust came and the fabric danced well with the wind and the stands never seemed under much resistance. The fabric reminds me of a double net in the way it reacts to wind. This is promising and even better than I had anticipated.
Pros and cons
Pros
the windy bounce does well in the wind. As far as wind resistance I would compare it to 2 layers of a 1 stop net.
Personally I find it an advantage that it bounces slightly less than a traditional ultra bounce. Ultra bounce can from time to time look rather “scoury” and not so practical.
Cons
The holes can be a potential problem especially if you're trying to cut out direct sunlight from reaching your talent or subject. What I do see is at about 1.5 meters the pattern from the holes disappear. It certainly is something to consider before bringing it to set and knowing what you’ll be using it for.
Verdict
In general I'm looking forward to using this on outdoor shoots. Especially when a crew is not available due to budgets. This can be a solid run and gun solution when you want to still get cinematic looks in available light scenarios. All the cinematographers which I work with are requesting for negative fill for outdoor shoots. It’s the perfect way to get a contrast for interviews, portraits and narrative scenes. I’ve been stuck having to use molton/duvetyne “T bars” and I’ve found this solution to be dangerous and require way too many sand bags. Because of that it also is slow to make adjustments. I can see this fabric used in a “T- bar” and only requiring sandbags to hold it taut. Overall If you plan to do many outdoor shoots this fabric might be worth buying or at least convincing your local rental house to buy one. A 12 by 12 should be extremely handy especially for a windy day.
