DIY Lighting: Streaks ‘N Tips on Light Bulbs
What’s the deal with Streaks ‘N Tips as a lighting technique? Well, as cinematographers, we’re constantly battling and embracing light. Practical light sources — those lamps, bulbs, and fixtures that exist within your scene — can add immense realism and atmosphere. But they can also be unruly, creating unwanted lens flares or spilling light where you don’t want it. How do you tame a “bare bulb” to work for your story, not against it?
In this lesson excerpt from our On Set Series: Cinematic Light Sources, acclaimed cinematographer Shane Hurlbut, ASC, reveals a surprisingly simple yet incredibly effective technique for gaining precise control over these often-problematic sources. Forget complex rigging or expensive modifiers. Sometimes, the solution comes from an unexpected place — the hairdresser’s toolkit!
This is a lesson in taming bare bulbs to work as a light source in your scenes.
WATCH THE DIY HACK TO CONTROL BRIGHT BULBS
THE CHALLENGE: THE UNCONTROLLABLE BARE BULB
Shane sets the stage with a scene from the film The Rat Pack. In it, FBI agents are covertly listening in on conversations, their shadowy operation illuminated by a single, stark bare bulb hanging overhead. Visually, this bulb was a nightmare.
“It was flaring the lens like you could not believe,” Shane explains. “Wherever I panned the camera, there was a double image of that bare bulb.”
This is a common problem. The raw, omnidirectional output of a bare bulb can easily overwhelm the lens, creating distracting flares and a lack of control over the light’s direction and intensity.
THE SOLUTION: NOT PAINT, BUT “STREAKS ‘N TIPS”
Many might think of painting a bulb to reduce its output, but Shane quickly dismisses this.
“When you hit a bulb with paint,” he warns, “it’s got a thicker lacquer or whatever chemical base to it… and it’s hard to clean off. And when you hit it with paint, it tends to explode.”
This is obviously a safety hazard and impractical on a busy film set. Instead, Shane turns to “Streaks ‘N Tips” — a temporary hair coloring spray.
This product, designed for hairdressers to add highlights or temporary color, has become an indispensable tool for cinematographers.
WHY STREAKS N TIPS? |
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| EASY TO CLEAN | Unlike paint, Streaks N Tips can be wiped off relatively easily from glass bulbs (always when cool and with appropriate cleaners, of course). This is crucial for rental equipment or when needing to restore a practical to its original state. |
| CONTROLLED APPLICATION | It can be sprayed lightly to create a translucent coating, effectively acting like a neutral density filter directly on the bulb. |
| LESS PRONE TO EXPLOSION | The formulation is less likely to cause a bulb to overheat and shatter compared to thicker paints. |
THE TECHNIQUE: “PAINTING” WITH LIGHT, SELECTIVELY
Shane’s method for The Rat Pack scene was meticulous and precise. First, he addressed the lens flare issue.
“I will let the bulb sit there in all its firepower,” he describes, “and then I go up with black Streaks ‘N Tips, and I’ll literally just squirt a small little black hole around the hot part of the bulb.”
This targeted application on the filament-facing side of the bulb neutralizes the direct glare that causes the lens flare, essentially dimming the brightest point source for the camera.
But he didn’t stop there. To ensure the light still effectively illuminated the actors without spilling uncontrollably, Shane sprayed the backside of the bulb with black Streaks ‘N Tips. In the end, the whole back side of that bulb was black.
This effectively turned the omnidirectional bare bulb into a more directional source. The light hitting the two FBI agents was left open, cleanly illuminating them, while the backside was controlled, preventing spill onto walls or other areas where it wasn’t wanted.
“The edges illuminated our characters beautifully,” Shane notes.
THE CORE PRINCIPLE: FINESSING PRACTICAL SOURCES
This technique, like using a Coke can or Depron to shape light from barrel shades (as discussed in PART 2 of this series), underscores a fundamental principle of Shane Hurlbut’s lighting philosophy: taking practical, often problematic, light sources and finessing them into controllable, cinematic tools. It’s about understanding the light you have and then shaping it with intention to serve the story and the emotional impact of the scene.
This seemingly simple trick of using hairspray on a lightbulb is a testament to the ingenuity and problem-solving that happens on set every day. It’s about having a deep understanding of how light behaves and finding creative, efficient ways to control it.
THE BOTTOM LINE: MASTER CINEMATIC LIGHT SOURCES
This exploration of taming bare bulbs with Streaks ‘N Tips is just one insight from the third installment lesson, Shaping Light Bulbs and Replicating Screen Lights, part of our comprehensive On Set Series: Cinematic Light Sources.
In the full lesson, Shane Hurlbut, ASC dives even deeper into manipulating practicals, finessing different types of bulbs, and even demonstrates how to replicate the unique glow of various screens (TVs, phones, computer monitors) to create believable and atmospheric lighting.
