12x12 Black Solid

A 12x12 foot black solid, an opaque black fabric used on a large frame to block light completely. It is used to flag sun off a scene, to create shade, to make a negative fill for contrast and to take stray light off a lens.

A black solid removes light rather than diffusing it. Place it close to a subject and it cuts the fill from one side, which deepens the shadows and adds shape. Place it between the sun and the set and it makes a patch of shade that you can then re-light under control. A 12x12 is large enough to shade a whole scene, which makes it a heavy item to rig. Use solid stands, sandbags and a team of grips, and watch the wind once the fabric is up.

The fabric is 12 x 12ft (3.66 x 3.66m) and rigs on a 12x12 frame. Being opaque, it blocks light entirely, so it works as a flag, a shade or a negative fill over a whole scene.