Butterfly (lighting)

In cinematography, butterflies (also known as overheads) are large structures with a thin layer of a translucent material, such as cloth, that are placed over a scene to block the glare of direct sunlight. They can control the level of a sunlight in a scene. Allowing consistent shadows over a full day of filming or to make day seem cloudy when it is not. They also protect actors from direct sun.

Materials commonly used on butterflies include: flags (black, opaque materials), nets (layers of neutral-colored bobinette), and diffusions (translucent white materials of different densities) for the purposes of blocking, dimming, and scattering light respectively. In general, butterflies are used only for very large materials (6 ft x 6 ft or greater), while smaller sizes are usually sewn onto portable frames (similar in construction to picture frames) for ease of placement and storage.