Application
Film and VFX Production
Chrome and 18 percent grey reference balls for on set lighting capture
Industry Pain Points
What Usually Goes Wrong
- Consumer chrome balls distort the reflection and make an HDRI unusable
- Grey balls sold as 18 percent are often not neutral, so the grade shifts between shots
- Kits arrive without a repeatable way to mount and frame the ball
- Small production suppliers cannot supply matched sets in the same finish
What Buyers Ask For
- Specular reflection held through a surface treated in more than twenty steps
- Grey scale accuracy checked through long term on set testing
- Diameters of 6 cm, 12.6 cm, 20 cm, 25 cm and 30 cm
- Chrome, grey and half chrome half grey variants from one batch
Typical Scenarios
Where the Work Ends Up
On set lighting capture
Chrome ball photographed in the plate position to build the HDRI environment.
Exposure and colour reference
18 percent grey ball shot alongside the chrome ball for exposure matching.
Split reference in one frame
Half mirror half grey balls to capture both references in a single pass.
Kit based shooting
Ball kits carried between units and locations.
Solution Flow
From Enquiry to Installed Piece
Requirement Analysis
Size, grade, finish, mounting, site exposure and destination are agreed in writing.
Drawing Development
Our 3D drawing team develops the panels from your drawing, sample or photographs.
Forming
Water pressure forming, mould pressing, spinning or plate work depending on the piece.
Welding and Seam Work
Seams ground back until the reflection runs across them unbroken.
Finishing
Polishing, brushing, sandblasting, plating, etching or sprayed RAL colour.
Packing and Freight
Crated and shipped by express, air or sea with carrier customs handling.
Recommended Products
Products Suited to This Application
Case Studies
Projects in This Field
Delivery Capability
What We Can Commit To
- Diameters from 19 mm to 5000 mm with 0.6 mm to 6 mm wall thickness
- AISI 201, 304, 316 and 316L, plus carbon steel, brass, copper, aluminium and corten
- Eight finishing routes including sprayed colour in any RAL reference
- 3D drawing team and in house artist team for OEM and ODM commissions
- Express, bulk air and sea freight arranged from the workshop
- 7 feet is the largest diameter shipped by conventional freight
Related Knowledge
Guides for This Application
Buying Guide for VFX and HDRI Reference Balls Buying Guide
Material Guide Stainless Steel Grades for Spheres and Sculpture Material Guide
Process Guide How a Mirror Polished Sphere Is Made Process Guide
FAQ
Film and VFX Production FAQ
Do you work directly with designers on this kind of project?
Yes. We cooperate with architects, real estate developers, landscape designers and interior designers, and we work with sculpture artists to create customised pieces to their needs.
What information do you need to quote?
Diameter or size, grade, wall thickness, finish, mounting method, any openings or patterns, and the destination country. A drawing or a photograph is enough to start.
Which grade suits this application?
304 for indoor work. 316 or 316L outdoors, and specifically in coastal cities and acid rain regions where the chloride and acidity in the air attack lower grades.
How is the work delivered to site?
Air express for samples and small orders, bulk air for medium and urgent orders, sea freight for larger pieces. 7 feet is the largest diameter that goes by conventional freight.
Next Step
Talk To An Engineer About Your Project
Describe the site, the size and the finish you have in mind and we will come back with a route, a price and a lead time.