Adjustable black metal flaps on lighting fixtures that cut light precisely and create hard-edged shadows.
Standard barn doors are made of 0.8-1.2 mm thick, black anodized aluminum or powder-coated steel. They are attached via a bayonet or screw closure with diameters of 125mm, 150mm, or 185mm depending on the spotlight type. High-quality versions feature continuously adjustable friction hinges with a holding torque of 25-30 Nm. Special variants such as 8-leaf barn doors or motorized systems with DMX control achieve positioning accuracies of ±0.5 degrees.
Barn doors originated in the 1920s in Hollywood studios as an evolution of simple light shields. In 1927, Mole-Richardson introduced the first mass-produced version for their 2kW Fresnel spotlights. In the 1960s, the four-leaf arrangement, still common today, became established. Since 2010, modern LED panels have increasingly used softboxes with integrated barn door systems.
Barn doors precisely cut off light from image areas without creating spill light. In "Citizen Kane" (1941), Gregg Toland used them for the characteristic light-dark contrasts. In dialogue scenes, they prevent overexposure of the background while the key light models the faces. The typical workflow: roughly align the spotlight, adjust the barn doors, fine-tune with focus adjustment. Disadvantage: Barn doors reduce light output by 15-40% depending on the flap position.
Unlike cucoloris or gobos, which project light patterns, barn doors exclusively create straight cut edges. Modern alternatives include digital projectors with programmable masks or LED panels with zone-dimmable segments. For soft light shaping, flags or diffusers are better suited. Barn doors remain unrivaled for hard, precise light cuts, while iris apertures allow for circular shading.
Ich setze Torblenden ein, um mein Key Light präzise zu begrenzen – besonders bei 35mm-Objektiven, wo schon kleine Lichtreflexe im Hintergrund die Bildtiefe zerstören. Die obere Klappe verhindert Lens-Flares, während ich mit den seitlichen Klappen gezielt Schatten auf die Wand werfe und so plastische Tiefe erzeuge.
Torblenden helfen mir, die emotionale Gewichtung einer Szene zu steuern – durch harte Lichtschnitte kann ich Charaktere visuell isolieren oder Gesichtshälften gezielt in Schatten legen. Bei Verhörszenen nutze ich sie, um nur einen schmalen Lichtstreifen auf den Verdächtigen zu werfen und so psychischen Druck zu visualisieren.
Torblenden kosten 80-200 Euro pro Set, amortisieren sich aber durch eingesparte Zeit beim Licht-Setup – mein Gaffer braucht keine zusätzlichen Flags oder C-Stands für präzise Abschattungen. Das spart täglich 20-30 Minuten Setup-Zeit, was bei einer 50-köpfigen Crew 400-600 Euro entspricht.
1. Zu welchem Department gehört „Torblenden"?
2. Wie viele verschiedene Fachperspektiven bietet dieser Eintrag?
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