Film Locations Glossary
Blackout tenting
What is blackout tenting?
Also called blackout, or day-for-night tenting.
Blackout tenting is the practice of enclosing a location in opaque material so a daylight interior can be shot as night.
It buys a production night pages without night shooting, which avoids curfews, noise variances, and overtime. It also costs grip labor, adds heat and ventilation problems inside, and needs fire clearance for the material used.
Example
Four night scenes in a practical apartment are shot in daylight under blackout. It removes the noise variance, the curfew, and the night premium, and adds two grip days, ventilation, and a fire clearance for the tenting material.
Figures are illustrative, chosen to show the mechanics rather than to quote market rates.
Where you'll see it
Decided at tech scout between the DP, gaffer, and key grip, then written into the location plan.
Common mistake
Costing the grip labor and forgetting the ventilation. A sealed interior under lights in summer becomes unworkable for the crew before the scene is finished.
Related questions
- Why tent a location for night scenes?
- It buys night pages in daylight hours, which removes the curfew, the noise variance, and the night premium across the whole unit.
- What does blackout tenting cost?
- Grip labor and materials to rig and strike, ventilation and cooling inside, and a fire clearance for the material used. Weighed against a full night shoot it is often cheaper.