Glimmerglass

I'm looking to add one or two Glimmerglass filters to my kit.

They're only available in potencies of # 1 thru # 5. From Tiffen, I'm used to using 1/8, 1/4 & 1/2 whereas 1-5 is generally to "mushy".

Does anyone have any thoughts regarding these filters.... and possibly some feedback on how to best describe the diffusion qualities between #'s 1 thru 5?

Thanks...

Jack Cummings
Buffalo/DP

" I'm looking to add one or two Glimmerglass filters to my kit."

I don't think I am familiar with the term. What's a Glimmerglass filter?

Argyris Theos
DoP
Athens Greece

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www.tiffen.com/glimmerglass-pr.pdf

Duraid

> Does anyone have any thoughts regarding these filters....

Yes. They are very nice. If you'd like I can send you stills (JPEG) from a recently shot test that show the difference in the grades. I have shot with these for print and for xfer and found myself wishing I'd used the 2 and 3 rather than the 1 and 2 and I like it pretty subtle. The 5 gets a bit foggy and washes the shadows but still looks nice.

Best regards,

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

> I don't think I am familiar with the term. What's a Glimmerglass filter?

Think of very fine glitter or shiny metallic specks in the glass. Somewhat like a frost or mist filter but the diffusing element is specular. It is a very new filter (made by Tiffen).

Best,

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

As an aside, I think Steven Poster recently made the comment that when some of the more astute on camera talent sees the sparkle of a Glimmerglass filter in the mattebox, they rest a little easier knowing that they're being looked after..

Jack Cummings
Buffalo/DP

>As an aside, I think Steven Poster recently made the comment that >when some of the more astute on camera talent sees the sparkle of a >Glimmerglass filter in the mattebox...

The story is that they were originally made for that very reason. Something along the lines of dazzling with brilliance or baffling with...

Best,

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

JLCummings writes :

>As an aside, I think Steven Poster recently made the comment that >when some of the more astute on camera talent sees the sparkle of a >Glimmerglass filter in the mattebox, they rest a little easier knowing that >they're being looked after..

Actually Ira will tell you that comment came from Bill Wages in Atlanta.

Steven Poster ASC

Anders Uhl writes:

>The story is that they were originally made for that very reason. >Something along the lines of dazzling with brilliance or baffling with...

But they really work well.

Steven Poster ASC

Have you found a source for these filters ... some rental houses are saying they are not yet available?

Mako, FilterFoto, Glendale, CA

Steven Poster wrote :

> But they really work well.

Yes they do.

Anders Uhl
Cinematographer
ICG, New York

Mako writes:

>Have you found a source for these filters ... some rental houses are >saying they are not yet available?

I can order them through my Tiffen dealer, Communiquip, in Buffalo.

I'm finding that some grades are on backorder. I'm buying, not renting...BTW.

Jack Cummings
Buffalo/DP

I have used the glass at Panavision in woodland hills. Its nice on female skin that is already reflective. Its a taste thing, no more special in my book than any other. Its a matter of what you like. It comes in three different densities 1, 2, & 3. It kind of an enhancer and not really some weird classic soft.

T.Upshaw
L.A. Cinematographer

Jack Cummings wrote:

>I'm interested in...Tiffen Glimmerglass...they're available in potencies >of 1-5...whereas I normally think in terms 1/8, 1/4, & 1/2

Glimmerglass was the brainchild of Bill Wages, ASC, who had prototyped them a while back, and showed them to me a couple of years ago. I made my own version, which he liked better, and Bill then used them on a Mary Tyler Moore Christmas special that aired about a year ago. Steven Poster got the next set and has used them as well. Sending further test sets out to others allowed us to learn what filter strengths were most useful, and then we put the most often used grade in the middle of the range and called it #3. As you'd expect, the #1 and 2 are somewhat weaker; the #4 and #5 are stronger. In this manner, the full range becomes more often viable. It may take some getting used to, but the numbering sequence is cleaner and just as readily describes the relative strengths, without resorting to fractions.

Fact is, our original numbering scheme for most of our effects started out as 1-5, and then as time went on, weaker grades become more important and we were asked to add what became the fractionals. That may yet happen here, but we feel this is a good place to start.

Ira Tiffen
The Tiffen Company
Hauppauge, NY 11788

Hi,

> Tiffen Glimmerglass...

Sorry if I'm asking a know-nothing newbie question, but exactly what is the effect created by these filters?

Phil Rhodes
Video camera/edit
London

Phil Rhodes wrote:

>"Tiffen Glimmerglass...what is the effect created by these filters?"

Phil,

You may recall when we met last February at the London hotel where Geoff had a CML gathering, that I passed some of these filters around.

The effect is that of improving people's appearance, through a subtle combination of fine detail softening, minimizing the appearance of wrinkles and blemishes without looking "soft-focus", and mild contrast reduction with modest highlight flare. Probably closest to, yet different from, the Pro-Mist range.

Glimmerglass has an additional psychological edge, as Steven Poster pointed out. Bill Wages uses it this way: he sits down with the talent prior to production, hands them the filter, they look through it to see how good people look. He then mentions that when they see it glittering, as Anders Uhl described, on the front of the lens during filming, they can relax knowing that he's "taking care of them," and they'll look their best. And this sometimes helps with more confident performances.

Ira Tiffen
The Tiffen Company
Hauppauge, NY 11788

When I first heard of the Glimmerglass, I had hoped that they actually caused a little sparkling in the image, like something you saw in the 1930's production of "Midsummer Night's Dream" -- but more subtle (they used some sequins on a fine net in front of the lens, out-of-focus, for some shots.)

I was hoping for a filter that when you got a halation, there would be a bit of a sparkling too.

David Mullen
Cinematographer / L.A.

David Mullen writes :

>I was hoping for a filter that when you got a halation, there would be a bit >of a sparkling too.

What if one removed the donut or otherwise opened up the rear of the mattebox to backlight the filter? Would that create the effect with Glimmerglass?

Could be a cool effect.

Mitch Gross
NYC DP