# Stpuid question for folks who know theater/movie lighting

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551>\
**Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\
**Created:** [September 10, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551 "2016-09-10T18:30:28Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551/1 "2016-09-10T18:30:28Z")

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I picked up some old DP lights off Craigslist, and the barn doors appear fairly worn. The inside surfaces are more of a burgandy than black, with some silver showing through. I’m assuming these are supposed to be a flat black so they should be repainted? I have a black high temperature engine enamel that I figured would work, but want to be 100% sure before I proceed.

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**Author:** ![48Willys](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/4/db5fbb/32.png) [@48Willys](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/48Willys)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551/2 "2016-09-10T19:25:45Z")

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That is what I used in college when I made some of those out of “reclaimed” stuff. 35 years later they are still using them. They really need to be repainted at this time.

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**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551/3 "2016-09-10T19:26:12Z")

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I doubt it’s critical. You just don’t want any reflections from the barn doors, so any hight-temp flat black paint should work.

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**Author:** ![Patch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Patch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patch)\
**Post date:** [September 10, 2016, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551/4 "2016-09-10T21:05:23Z")

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That’s what I thought. Thanks for confirming.

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**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\
**Post date:** [September 11, 2016, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/stpuid-question-for-folks-who-know-theater-movie-lighting/765551/5 "2016-09-11T20:44:16Z")

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I just saw this thread and only posted to say that yeah, **beowulff** is right: any high temp flat black paint is fine.