Polyboard Film

[Marquez Feliciano]

One of the questions I am asked the most is how do I make my v-flats and polyboards for my backdrops. I have been using v-flats and polyboards as my backdrops in my studio for 26 years. I love them because they photograph beautifully, they are lightweight, and they are inexpensive to make.

V-flats and polyboards are two separate things. Polyboards are made of polystyrene and they need to be painted if you want to use them as Backdrops as they are white, if you just want to use them as reflectors then the white is perfect (BEST reflector money can buy) and v-flats are made of foam core and come in black and white.

The white side is used for bouncing light back into the shadows of an image, for example a light would be placed on one side of the model and a white polyboard on the other side of them. The light would illuminate one side and the polyboard would fill in the shadows from the other side providing a very beautifying light.

The black side is used for the opposite reason, to reduce the bounce of light. In certain situations in a big white studio, your lighting can bounce around and result in the lighting on the model looking quite flat and uninteresting. By placing black polybords either side of your subject can help sculpt shape and form by adding shadows where there was none before.

Poly-America has several subsidiaries and divisions. Carolina Poly is located in Chester, South Carolina and services the East Coast. Poly-West, a plant in Henderson, Nevada, services the West Coast. Up North Plastics, Inc., a fourth manufacturing site, is located in Cottage Grove, Minnesota. Additionally, we operate Pol-Tex, a reprocessing and scrap service center, out of Mont Belvieu, Texas.

Poly-America produces several product lines, all within the polyethylene family. The group of companies comprises the world's largest producer of polyethylene construction film and the highest quality trash bag manufacturer in the United States. Poly-America is also the most technologically advanced and largest recycler and compounder of polyethylene in the world.

Our kitchen trash bags outperform the leading national brands. Our proprietary blend of high-performance polyethylene resin combined with state-of-the-art processing technology gives these bags significant strength. Our kitchen bags incorporate patented flex technology, patented gripping drawstring technology, and a variety of scented options to keep your kitchen fresh and clean.

Sheeting is available in widths ranging from 1 foot up to 50 feet, and in thicknesses from 0.3 mil (0.0003 inches) up to 10 mil (0.01 inches). Flame Retardant and Consumer sheeting rolls are also available. Paint protection comes in handy 9' x 12' and 10' x 20' consumer drop cloths as well as numerous other sheeting sizes. Lighter weight high density painter's plastic features superior tape adhesion.

Husky Yellow Guard is an exceptional polyethylene/polyolefin vapor barrier that is available in 15 mil 14 ft. x 140 ft. rolls. Our 10 mil vapor retarder is available in 14 ft. x 210 ft. rolls and our 20 mil vapor barrier is available in 14 ft. x 105 ft. rolls.

Husky Shrink Film shrinks easily and consistently. It is UV stabilized and is offered in a wide selection of sizes and thicknesses to address specialized applications. In addition to a Flame Retardant option, the shrink film is also available in a variety of colors.

All of our state-of-the-art facilities feature equipment, procedures and training that exceed environmental and safety regulations. Our plants have received numerous awards in recognition of our water and air discharge programs.

Additionally, Poly-America is an active member of Operation CleanSweep, which is committed to preventing ecological damage that can result from plastic resin discharge into the environment. Indeed, we have taken the lead in voluntarily implementing training and accountability for spill prevention, containment, and cleanup.

Since the mid-1980s, Poly-America has ranked as one of the largest recyclers of polyethylene in the world. Our infrastructure as a plastic recycler has contributed to the success of numerous local, regional, and national recycling efforts.

For more than 30 years, Poly-America has been recycling plastic and incorporating reprocessed material into a number of the film products we produce. One hundred percent of the scrap generated during our manufacturing process is incorporated back into film products. We also purchase polyethylene scrap for use in a number of our products. Several of the products we produce, including t-shirt carry-out bags, are made with post-industrial recycled material.

In 2010, we replaced all of the metal halide lighting in our manufacturing plants with energy-saving fluorescent lighting. The fluorescent fixtures use as few as 190 watts compared to the 450 watts used by metal halide fixtures. Over the past several years, we have systematically upgraded the electric motors that run our manufacturing equipment to reduced energy consumption units. Additionally, we have tracking systems in place at all of our facilities for the recyclable materials used in our processes to measure the success of our waste diversion programs.

At Poly-America, we are constantly seeking to become a more efficient and sustainable company. By integrating sustainability into our business, we can improve our products and processes to create a more environmentally-friendly and cost-effective footprint for the future. We strive to minimize waste in packaging, manufacturing, energy and transportation. From new product development to routine review of existing products and processes, we seek sustainable solutions.

Foam board (I call it poster board) is something I always have on hand when shooting a project. It's light enough to be flown/mounted anywhere, can cut it down to the size you need relatively simply, and can be picked up at any store that has a craft section for about $1 to $5 depending on its size and weight.

We chatted with Sowden about his indie film and how he was able to shoot it using a Blackmagic Production 4K in an indie, but creative, documentary style, plus explored a bit more about how Comic-Con is more than just big-name superheroes.

Joshua Sowden: This project began in 2019 with Guy Birtwhistle. Due to the pandemic, he reworked the script to focus solely on a single character's perspective. In the meantime, I filmed my first feature, Extramundane, as a solo filmmaker. By 2021, Guy and the script were ready, and having done solo filming during Extramundane, we were set to go. Guy's story naturally lent itself to solo filmmaking, which was a beautiful fit.

Joshua Sowden: Guy Birtwhistle, a talented actor and producer, had his first sci-fi feature Alistair 1918 screen at Comic-Con in 2016. Our goal was always to submit Our Man in L.A. to Comic-Con, given its unparalleled platform and networking opportunities. The film's indie vibe and exploration of high sci-fi concepts made it a perfect fit for the festival's film showcase.

Joshua Sowden: I aimed to capture the film in a documentary style, reflecting the protagonist's perspective in this version of L.A. I embraced imperfections like slow focus pulls and harsh lighting to enhance realism and grittiness. This approach required flexibility and forgiveness, except for the final scene in the NASA Bunker, which demanded precision to contrast with the rest of the film.

Joshua Sowden: I predominantly used the Blackmagic Production 4K camera due to its affordability and ability to deliver the desired gritty image. I rigged it for versatility between handheld and tripod setups, allowing quick adjustments during filming. We relied on lav mics and a Rode NTG-2 shotgun for sound.

I would have the Rode mic usually in shotgun form and run the recorder into a fanny pack so that I could run sound and roll camera myself. We often utilized natural light supplemented by occasional bounce and artificial lighting. You will see the occasional DJI drone shots and go pro when the Blackmagic was not an option.

Joshua Sowden: Upon reading Guy's script, I envisioned an indie version of Michael Mann's Miami Vice meets District 9 (without the aliens).' I aimed for a gritty, hot portrayal of L.A., adjusting color tones and employing the camera to achieve a realistic, documentary-like feel.

The Skylite Rapid is a high quality, double sided textile reflector that clips to a lightweight aluminium frame. Mount it on a stand, or carry it using the specially designed handle to wherever you need it. This product has so many advantages over polyboard.

We recently added some black and white polyboards to our photography studio in Hemel Hempstead so we thought we would create a blog post explaining what poly boards are, why they are so useful for photographers and how they can elevate the quality of your images.

Polyboards are lightweight, rigid panels typically made of foam or polystyrene used in photography as light modifiers to reflect light and/ or create shadows. These boards come in various sizes, offering photographers a wide range of options to manipulate light during a photoshoot. Most photography studios use black and white poly boards to block light and bounce light. (Black side to block and white side to reflect or bounce light back onto the subject.)

Polyboards are really portable and lightweight, making them ideal to easily move around a photography studio. The lightweight design allows for quick and efficient adjustments during a shoot, enabling photographers to achieve precise lighting control without being weighed down by heavy equipment.

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