The Ultimate Diffusion and Bounce Test

The Ultimate Diffusion and Bounce Test looks at a wide variety of materials to help you soften your light. Want to know what a certain material looks like and how it affects the light? What does diffusion-only look like? How about just bouncing the light? What about combining one with the other?? Look no further!
If you want to read the full technical breakdown, you can find it on my website.
www.mattporwoll.com/the-ultim...
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🔗 VIDEO LINKS 🔗
DIFFUSION
- Full (Artificial) Silk bhpho.to/3LZR6Ah
- China Silk bhpho.to/46Auz5G
- 1/4 Silk bhpho.to/3S13DY6
- Full Grid Cloth bhpho.to/46Jbyxk
- 1/2 (Lite) Grid Cloth bhpho.to/45up86O
- 1/4 Grid Cloth bhpho.to/46PuU48
- Frost bhpho.to/46J6aKw
- Opal Lee 410 bhpho.to/3S0rO9i
- 1/2 White Diffusion Lee 250 bhpho.to/46wIVUs
- Full White Diffusion Lee 216 bhpho.to/3FjPUEl
- Bleached Muslin bhpho.to/46uX18L
- Unbleached Muslin bhpho.to/3tzEUQz
BOUNCE
- White Griffolyn bhpho.to/3ZUJt3T
- Ultra Bounce bhpho.to/45vF3ld
- Bleached Muslin bhpho.to/46uX18L
- Unbleached Muslin bhpho.to/3tzEUQz
- Bead Board
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📖 CHAPTERS 📖
0:00 Intro
1:10 Breakdown of the test
1:47 Bounce materials overview
1:57 Diffusion materials overview
2:27 Diffusion explanation
3:05 DIFFUSION: Full (Artificial) Silk
3:24 DIFFUSION China Silk
3:42 DIFFUSION: 1/4 Silk
3:55 DIFFUSION: Full Grid Cloth
4:16 DIFFUSION: 1/2 (Lite) Grid Cloth
4:27 DIFFUSION: 1/4 Grid Cloth
4:38 DIFFUSION: Frost
5:14 DIFFUSION: Opal Lee 410
5:31 DIFFUSION: 1/2 White Diffusion Lee 250
5:42 DIFFUSION: Full White Diffusion Lee 216
6:00 DIFFUSION: Bleached Muslin
6:11 DIFFUSION: Unbleached Muslin
6:25 Bounce explanation
6:47 BOUNCE: White Griffolyn
7:04 BOUNCE: Ultra Bounce
7:25 BOUNCE: Bleached & Unbleached Muslins
8:02 BOUNCE: Bead Board
8:12 Bounce w/ added diffusion explanation
8:55 BOUNCE w/ DIFFUSION: White Griffolyn
9:23 BOUNCE w/ DIFFUSION: Ultra Bounce
9:51 BOUNCE w/ DIFFUSION: Bleached Muslin
10:18 BOUNCE w/ DIFFUSION: Unbleached Muslin
10:44 BOUNCE w/ DIFFUSION: Bead Board
11:10 Conclusion
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🎥🎧💥 MY EQUIPMENT PACKAGE FOR THE FILMS I SHOOT 💥🎧🎥
🎥
A CAM bhpho.to/3LWIafd
B CAM bhpho.to/3Fi9lgU
PRIMARY ZOOMS bhpho.to/46J9oO8
PRIMARY PRIMES bhpho.to/48Tpypn
LIGHTWEIGHT ZOOM bhpho.to/46RzZJd
TRIPOD bhpho.to/48v7HFx
Want to see how I configure my handheld rig? • Handheld Camera Build
🎧
CAMERA MIC bhpho.to/3QgAgzO
WIRELESS TX/RX bhpho.to/3FgTMG5
LAVALIER bhpho.to/3Fdddjb
Want to see my audio configuration when doing my own sound? • Camera Audio Configura...
💡
KEY LIGHT bhpho.to/3SMcQnK
FILL LIGHT bhpho.to/3ZWC3gB
ACCENT LIGHTS bhpho.to/40Ebm0F
PRACTICAL LIGHTS bhpho.to/46hJlgs
MINIATURE LIGHTS bhpho.to/41f3Iu2
Want to see my full lighting package and how I use it? • Doc Interview Lighting...
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DISCLAIMERS
This video is not sponsored by any brand, and most of the gear discussed in the video is equipment I personally bought and own. On occasion, however, videos may feature equipment that has been provided by outside brands, which I will always point out. My review of these products are always without bias and are only shown because I would personally recommend their use.
Many of the external links to products in my videos are affiliate links. There is no additional cost to you if purchases are made using these links and those purchases help me continue to provide free content on this channel.

[@YuvalAloni]

This is amazing, thank you. Find myself really gravitating toward Unbleached Muslin

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome!

[@vanzetti7]

Would have been great to actually see each modifier as you list them just to get a reference on how they look setting up.

[@LouisJonesFilm]

The Ultra Bounce & Frost combo is insane

[@matt-porwoll]

Nice!

[@DIMITRISEMENIC]

Not all PDs will come here at the same point in their career or learning curve, but they will. Thanks a lot Matt.

[@yousifwleed1935]

Wow, can’t even believe who great this video is 🤩 thank you

[@nikilragav]

Generally bounce plus full silk, 1/2 (china) silk, and grid or 1/2 grid are the best. Bead board on its own is also pretty decent - better than bouncing off of muslin from a power loss perspective.

[@dudepersonvids]

I've watched this video and read your website post several times since I first came across them. I keep coming back to them from time to time, as I learn more and continually reevaluate my understanding of lighting as a DP and gaffer. Thank you for creating such a clear and valuable reference!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks so much!

[@QZ_AU]

Wow Matt, I just checked out your blog. It is impressive how detailed you documented them. I will definitely sit down and go through it properly. And hope to see more of these soon!

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad it was helpful! The blog post certainly goes into a lot more technical detail. You’ll notice throughout my videos that attention to detail is everything, so glad you picked up on that in the longer breakdown!

[@antoniolazarski9361]

Thank you Matt for your study. This is very valuable info!!

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad you think so!

[@weezypeasy]

What a comprehensive test! Thank you.

[@sramosmedia]

Thanks for this, Matt!

[@DrRussell]

The best comparison I have ever seen! So much work! Mission-critical for us. Thank you Sir.

[@freezeactionphotovideo2554]

This is a great resource!

[@AlexLopez-iy4by]

Thank you for amazing demo. The bleached muslin has a beautiful warm quality. I also like the full Grid book light.

[@matt-porwoll]

Nice!

[@sergium6317]

Amazing content and very detailed. A professional DoP.

[@relaxwithme3266]

After years of using a variety of softboxes, I have found myself using 1/4 grid in front of bounced light off unbleached muslin the most these days. The light quality is gorgeous!

[@matt-porwoll]

Such a beautiful, soft source!

[@jonesy5150]

Excellent test and video. For any and all experience levels. 🤙🏼🤙🏼

[@framebuyframe2493]

Excellent video! It was really great to see the comparison of different materials.

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad you liked it!

[@vladbobe26]

This is one the best videos of this kind I have ever seen online. Congrats Matt, always nice to see practical advice from a real world user, subscribed!

[@matt-porwoll]

I appreciate that!

[@dathofilms]

Truely exceptional video on diffusion. Thank you for taking time and sharing it.

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad it was helpful!

[@cgforge]

Thank you for sharing your results! That was a fantastic test.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@seansims2475]

This is really cool. Before last week I didn't know your name and after seeing your interview with Lucy Forsyth I found this channel. I saw this video on my suggested feed and I remember seeing this model before. I was hired to manage the equipment for a small studio and I was getting complaints about shadows and I studied this on your website. I eventually settled on a 6x6 unbleached muslin with a bounce to the satisfaction of the producer. Thanks for helping me out three years ago and good luck with the channel.

[@matt-porwoll]

That’s amazing! This is the reason I did the blog post initially - to show people what each option produces so you can integrate them into your workflow. I’m glad you were able to save the day!

[@totallybern]

This is incredible, thank you for the important demo

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad you liked it!

[@Maros_Mari]

Matt, this is super helpful and useful, please keep on this track… would love to watch video on interview setup, etc. also to hear your take on the scene coverage would be amazing. Thank you. Much appreciated

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! I have plans for an interview lighting video down the line, as well as Shooting Scene Coverage, so thank you for the suggestions! I’m always open to hearing what information people are interested in and haven’t been able to find elsewhere on KZbin!

[@paranormalplantations]

Bravo!👏 This was a much needed video. Great job!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@lilsouschef]

all I can say is thank you for creating this. The blog has been crucial and I'm not sure what motivated the video (probably time haha) but this is such a create recap supplement for the blog.

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you so much! I’m glad the blog has been helpful for you. I figured it was better late than never to put together a consolidated video component, so I’m glad you came across it!

[@Naturlover785]

Great Video! Must have been a lot of work! Really one of the best Videos to show the different options of shaping light! Chapeau 👏👏👏

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you very much!

[@DJILLEE]

This is incredible! Thank you!!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@gen0987]

Really valuable information, thanks for this. Excited for more stuff. Subbed!

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome, thank you!

[@De_Randle]

Great video Matt, would love to see the different ways and material used to set up book lights as there’s not many video that’s explain that process in great detail! Cheers and congrats on the new channel

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! The magic of a book light is really just bouncing a light into one material and then diffusing that bounced light through another material to create a super-soft source. The configuration of that can sometimes look like a book, with the spine being where the bounce material meets the diffusion material. But it doesn’t need to be configured that way. As far as which materials to use, that’s the reason I put this test together. To show the various options to see what works best for your given look. Hope that helps!

[@shaunmaddox]

Very helpful video. Thank you so much.

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kh_221b]

Super helpful, really incredible!!! thank you sir

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you and you’re welcome!

[@blood399]

I work as a photojournalist for the local news in South Texas so videos like this are very helpful. I like to approach my job as I'm a documentary cinematographer. I started a year ago and I found that most of the helpful knowledge I got came from informative videos like this. For the most part my lighting setup changes based on time because most of the time I don't have time to set up a three-point lighting but I still like to mix it up. Lately I've been using a single tube light as my main key light but I still am considerate of the light around me so it may sometimes be a fill light if there's a window or more interesting light source. I'm always experimenting at my job to find a more efficient workflow for myself. Some things I hope to get out of this is just an insight in your workflow also these kinds of videos are always helpful for me I save them. Thank you 🙏

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! There’s a lot of the same skills you can transfer to any medium, so I thank you for taking a look!

[@SiblingRivalry772]

You sir have earned a subscriber. Thanks for doing the work!

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome, thank you!

[@lauritee]

very insightful! thank you!

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad it was helpful!

[@kelvinsakala]

Am seriously learning alot about lighting here, thank you so much sir.

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad to hear that, thank you!

[@DavidFlores]

Constantly think about this on every shoot, thanks for this video!

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome!

[@bese18shreif22]

That's beyond amazing

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@canalmarcelolobo]

Wow, this is extremely helpful Matt, thank you so much! Will always refer to this in the future. Greetings from Brazil mate!

[@matt-porwoll]

Great to hear!

[@TavarrFoust]

ultra bounce and unbleached muslin are my faves

[@ettoreposterli]

Watching this in preparation for my next shoot, this is great!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks! Can't wait to hear how the shoot went!

[@BlaineWestropp1]

yes! thank you!

[@EX_ANTI]

You're goated.

[@drafeirha]

Thank you very much for this test! Highly appreciated by fellow cinematographers

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you!

[@stidkriss]

ultra bounce and full silk i like

[@rickymcc8624]

Thanks, very helpful. Liked and subbed as I'm sure that a newbie like me can learn a lot from your experience. I'm thinking multiple smaller (less powerful) lights might help with reflection/diffusion rather than just one big key. Currently I only have three Amaran 200X s lights, some old stick tubes and several small panel accent RGB SmallRig panels. For most of my time I was a stills shooter using flash, but now attempting to gow my skills with video and cinematography. I know I still have lots to learn.

[@beany]

Great video. I would have liked to have seen the use of silver bounce in this line-up

[@matt-porwoll]

Good call!

[@redantdc]

I like the thinner diffusion with the book lights as it still give a nice shadow and not too flat... I would have like to see the thinner diffusions in action on kicker lights or even taking the edge off when backlighting outdoors with the sun.

[@matt-porwoll]

Love that you love the thinner diffusion look. For me, it’s so helpful having this as a reference to see the shape I can get depending on what I’m trying to achieve / match. Which thinner diffusion is your preferred?

[@_GhostGarden_]

Dude, thank you thank you thank you. This video was incredibly helpful. I especially loved your bounce explanation, I have often wondered what the difference between bouncing and diffusing was and why people choose to double diffuse vs bounce and diffuse. I guess with double diffusion it saves space and probably controls the spread of light more?

[@matt-porwoll]

You're very welcome! So much of it comes down to personal preference, but I’d say (generally speaking), double diffusing gives you a little more control of the direction of the light, while bounce/diffusing can offer a softer source. All depends on what you need to do!

[@NC-oc3ld]

Thanks for sharing this knowledge. I’m a complete newbie and it would help to see what the materials look like, how they are mounted and set up, how far they are from the subject and what light source are used. The scenes with the model is already setup, just move the camera over to show how it’s setup

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for checking it out. To see more of the behind the scenes and technical breakdown, check out my full blog post - link in the description - to see more. Hope that helps!

[@manmadewilderness]

Thanks for doing this, Matt. A lot of work! Answers many questions. Saved for future reference. Having trouble loading your website. Any suggestions?

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks, I appreciate that! And not sure why the site’s not working for you. Working fine on my end… www.mattporwoll.com

[@maggie3458]

Thanks so much for sharing this, it's so valuable. I found myself in the following situation many times on shoots where gear has to be kept to a minimum due to travel and I'd love some tips! When you have just enough light for proper exposure and achieving a lighting that's too harsh looking - would you compromise exposure for a softer lighting? I understand this would be camera dependant but for example under by 1 to 2 stops? I guess the question is do you have tips in terms of framing/lighting when the light source available to you is limiting your choices? Thank you!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thank you! Working with minimal lighting gear can be limiting at times, but on the other hand, it can be nice to work with restrictions. For example, you may need to shoot closer to the window than you normally would. Or slow down the daylight through windows so you can get a more balanced exposure. So much of this actually comes down to knowing the dynamic range of your camera and understanding how far you can push an image without degrading it in post. I’ve done projects with no lighting at all and just travel with various fabrics to augment what already exists. So it’s certainly possible!

[@KenFlanagan]

Excellent breakdown but maybe hard to look passed full grid as a go to but having a dp kit with an ultra bounce or for neg and 40x40 artificial silk is very simple as a booklight. Sorry I missed what light source you were using. Fresnel? If not i find having a fresnel can help change focus and be used to direct light into corners or in walls for a more controlled bounce. Amazingly thorough and professional content. Fantastic. Thx

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks so much! This test was using a Joker 400.

[@KenFlanagan]

@@matt-porwoll thanks so much for that. Not sure if you use frames like a 6x6 regularly enough to buy as part of your set up or you rent as and when but can anyone tell me why eggcrate grids are so expensive? They are so useful for control but why are they so expensive to buy? Thx as always.

[@youtubesurf7003]

After this study of various materials, what would be your chosen set if you needed just a small handful of options? Give me top four list.

[@JoePenaProductions]

Hi Matt, one key takeaway for me was that Frost warmed the light by only 30 degrees. Aside from that most of my shoots are daytime oriented, and I like setting up a book light bouncing off Bleached Muslin (or white wall) and diffusing with the equivalent of a 1/4 Silk. *Bookmarking this for reference. Thanks!

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome!

[@renaissancemedia4208]

Hey Matt, wondering about your thoughts on Magic Cloth diff? And... if you had only one cloth to take on a shoot, what would you take?

[@matt-porwoll]

I love Magic Cloth! My biggest regret of this test is not including it… As far as only choosing one cloth, I primarily use the Ultra Bounce / 1/2 Grid Cloth combo as a book light. Otherwise, if I’m only going to diffuse, I’ll use the unbleached muslin. But prefer the book light with the instruments I’m using.

[@houbena]

thank you for such informative video ! any links to order the items ?

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks so much! I’ll be sure to add some links for the various materials soon!

[@CurrenSheldon]

Amazing test. Thanks for this, Matt. I've done a bunch of diffusion and book light tests as well, but nothing this comprehensive. What would you say are your 2-3 go-tos?

[@matt-porwoll]

Awesome, thanks! I find myself mainly using UltraBounce with either Artificial Silk, Lite Grid or China Silk, depending. I love the look of a beadboard bounce, but normally do a 6x key, so UB is my go-to these days. But love having the reference whenever there’s something specific I’m after!

[@CurrenSheldon]

@@matt-porwoll Awesome thanks for your thoughts. Are you always book-lighting then? Bouncing and then coming back through the diffusion of choice?

[@stoki4374]

waaw alwais im asking to my sel when i work (im spark) what is exactly the diference , thanks for this helpfull info

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad it was helpful!

[@pizzomedia7261]

Great video Matt! What setup are you typically using for capturing a daylight look indoors that has a good amount of level, but doesn't feel like lights are being used? Not for an interview, but maybe a scene in a doc film. Ideally a quick nimble setup that will enhance the images being captured. Just setting up a softbox or a china ball doesn't always give me the results I'm looking for. Thanks!

[@matt-porwoll]

Thanks for your comment! For the types of projects I do, I don’t light scenes… I just work with practicals in the space and work out my framing to get the best light out of what’s there. The only lighting I typically do is interviews.

[@pizzomedia7261]

@@matt-porwollthanks!

[@AnthonyEynard]

I know a lot of this is situations and subjective, but are there 2-3 materials you suggest as a go-to kit for beginner cinematographers?

[@matt-porwoll]

You're right, it's incredibly subjective, but I would say a good place to start would be an Ultra Bounce for bouncing your light and an Artificial Silk and/or Lite Grid for diffusion. From there, it's all about how soft (or not) you want the light to be and if you're bouncing, diffusing, or both. And then, so much also depends on the lighting instruments you're working with!

[@QZ_AU]

How did you measure the change in Kelvin values?

[@matt-porwoll]

I used a color meter to find the changes. Using the naked light as a starting point, I could see the shift in each setup.

[@lucasj7192]

Very useful video, but I have some questions (out of ignorance, just learning): Isn't Opal a type of frost? I thought Opal was usually grouped together with some soft frost like the Hollywood frost from lee or the hampshire frost. Is it made of fabric or plastic?

[@matt-porwoll]

Glad you found the video helpful! You are correct that Opal is a type of frost. It's much less dense than a standard frost, like the one in my test. Opal only comes off a roll (like gels), that can either be unrolled and hung in front of a light or cut and mounted to a frame. You are limited to 4' wide, but as long as you want, whereas Full Frost comes in standard rag sizes (4x4, 6x6, 8x8, etc). Hope that helps!

[@lucasj7192]

@@matt-porwoll Ooh okay, thanks for the response!

[@jbe1official]

I’m trying to get a muslin today from a material shop. I’m a little bit confused with the texture description. Is it a two layer material or one layer? I'm told one layer looks like a gauze. Kindly help me out 🙏. Thanks!

[@matt-porwoll]

The standard Muslim materials used are dense, heavyweight muslin that resembles canvas in weight. Your best bet to locate this would be a retailer that sells film rags specifically. Hope that helps.

[@jbe1official]

@@matt-porwoll Thank you very much, Matt!

[@nikilragav]

Surprised that full silk and half silk in same amount of brightness loss

[@matt-porwoll]

I know right? There were many surprises in this test, but that’s exactly why I do them. Best to not take the manufacturer’s specs for gospel, since the way you use them can effect how the material changes the light. Testing for yourself is always the way to go.

[@shakyamunifilms8717]

What kind of light is being used?

[@matt-porwoll]

It was a Joker 400. All details of the test can be found in the link in the description.

[@DANAMIONLINE]

Hey, Matt! Do you have a personal light kit or do rent for jobs when you're not using natural lighting?

[@matt-porwoll]

I do have a kit, mainly for when I’m filming interviews. If I’m doing something bigger, though, I’ll rent.

[@DANAMIONLINE]

@@matt-porwoll can you make a video discussing your kit? I'm interested in upgrading my kit and would love to get insights about how you use your lights.

[@matt-porwoll]

I will definitely be doing a video on my lighting package, as well as my interview lighting approaches in future videos. Hope to have them in the near future!

[@DANAMIONLINE]

@@matt-porwoll Sweet!

[@chrophechrophe9071]

It would be much better to not edit in the picture of the guy that narrates when there is a switch between setups as that works to eliminate the chance to tell the differences between the setups. It is virtually impossible to identify the differences other than what I am being told about the difference.

[@matt-porwoll]

I totally hear you on not having enough time to fully analyze the various options. There’s so much in there that it would unfortunately take up too much time in the video. But be sure to check out my blog post on this as well (link in the description) where you can download PDFs of each look to take your time in seeing the differences.