Does anyone know how to make cheap chinese laterns or any other kind of light diffusion methods?

http://www.college-film.com/

Go into the tutorials sections..

That would be good but I'm trying to find a way to diffuse the worklights I already have. I've tried various things with waxpaper but it either doesn't work or melts because it's too close. Do you know of anything I could like spray on the glass that would "frost" it, or diffuse the light a little bit more?

Chinese lanterns are pretty cheap to just buy, and I've never had a problem with one burning. Get some standard light sockets (Preferrably ceramic) from Home Depot and you're set. Shouldn't be more than $30 or so for a socket and lantern.

Studio Depot has them.

Nota "Has 3 sizes in his kit" Mono

dpete, are you talking about those really big 1000W work lights that you get at hardware stores?

i use one of those for fill sometimes, and the only thing that really works is going to a film store and by some diffusion like a frost, a grid silk. stuff like that. they're made to withstand very hot, concentrated light, since most of the time you just clip it to the barndoors on fresnel lights.

you can also get frames that you can stretch the diffusion over, and that way move it as close or as far as you want from the light.

i don't know where you live, so you may or may not have a place that sells film supplies.

and they sell chinese lanterns at Ikea in all different sizes and shapes too. they change the light around in different ways. do you have an Ikea near you?

IKEA

You could also bounce the light off a large white wall, or off a piece (or several pieces) of cardboard/foamcore, or maybe even a bedsheet hanging from a wall (you could pick a color if necessary).

Maybe hanging the sheet from the ceiling and putting the light behind it would not only act as a diffuser, but might allow you to direct the light. Hell, maybe even a translucent shower curtain might work when hung from the ceiling. I'm just thinking of stuff that might be easily accessible and cheap.

(I've used all of the above except for the bedsheet/shower curtain thing.)

This message has been edited. Last edited by: poptart,

Just buy diffusion. As far as film stuff goes, it's ridiculously cheap, and it's built for what you want to do. Five bucks a sheet. If you don't have an expendables store near you go online.

Don't even bother with MacGuyver-esque solutions when the good stuff is so inexpensive.

Just realized the original post is from April. My guess is what you wanted to diffuse has already been diffused. Hope it went well.