{"id":127975,"date":"2022-01-26T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-01-26T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=127975"},"modified":"2022-05-31T08:39:59","modified_gmt":"2022-05-31T13:39:59","slug":"4-reasons-use-matte-box","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/4-reasons-use-matte-box\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Reasons Why You Need a Matte Box for Your Next Shoot"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let’s take a look at four reasons why you need, and can effectively use, a matte box on your camera during your next production.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I remember my first matte box. I purchased it cheap on eBay. When it arrived, I quickly slapped it in front of whatever lens I had at the time. When I took a step back to admire my creation, I realized that the matte box was too big for the lens and was a poor fit. As a result, it left a large circular gap between the two. What did I do about it? Nothing. I just rolled with it because it made my camera look cool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, matte boxes<\/a> are fantastic filmmaking tools that do more than improve the look of your camera. They can help you craft better, more distinct, more stylized imagery.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What Is a Matte Box?<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A matte box<\/a> is an accessory designed to control and work with the light that’s coming into your lens. This is done by the hood and the barn doors or “French flags” on the side of the box that can cut or reduce lens flares or distortions in your shots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A matte box also uses a drop-in-like filter component to add filters easily without screwing them to the front of your lens (which is extremely time efficient.) As for attaching a matte box, you usually get two options: a rod system or screwed onto the front of the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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1. Filtration<\/span><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Filtration is typically the biggest reason why someone uses a matte box. Filtration can be anything from neutral density (ND) to specialized filtration\u2014like black pro-mist, pearlescent, etc.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Filtration shapes your image, and the matte box keeps it all neatly in place in front of the lens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"PolarPro
Image via PolarPro<\/a>.<\/em><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Matte boxes come with a variety of filtration trays and stages. You can get a single-stage (which fits one filter) all the way up to a triple-stage matte box (which supports up to three filters).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are even new manufacturers\u2014like PolarPro<\/a>\u2014that are making proprietary matte box and filtration systems. These systems make the idea and concept of matte boxes more practical, affordable, and accessible to the masses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you need to see why filtration is so important to get those cinematic-looking shots, then check out this video by Threefold on How to get that Cinematic Look with Matte Box Filters <\/em>using a range of different filters by Tokina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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