Chimera

Chimera

noun | Lighting

A collapsible fabric softbox manufactured by Chimera Company, used in film, television, and photography to diffuse and soften the output of a hard light source. A Chimera softbox — typically consisting of a rectangular or octagonal fabric housing with a translucent front diffusion panel — is attached to a light fixture, converting a hard, specular point source into a large, soft light source with even output and gentle shadow transitions. Like Kinoflo, the brand name has become genericised; crew members often use "chimera" to refer to any collapsible fabric softbox regardless of manufacturer.

Quick Reference

The Explanation: How & Why

A light source's softness is determined by its apparent size relative to the subject. A small, distant source (a bare tungsten bulb, a distant sun) is effectively a point source — it produces hard, well-defined shadows and specular highlights. A large, close source (an overcast sky, a large window) is a soft source — it produces gradual, diffuse shadows and wrapped illumination. A Chimera softbox converts a small, hard fixture into a large, soft source by enclosing the fixture in a reflective fabric housing and placing a translucent diffusion panel across the front, creating a large, even luminous surface.

How the softbox works physically:

The fabric housing is black on the outside (preventing light spill from the sides) and silver or white on the inside (reflecting light forward). The light fixture sits inside the housing, firing into the reflective interior. Light bounces off the silver interior surfaces and is distributed evenly across the front diffusion panel. The front panel scatters and transmits this distributed light, producing a large, even, soft source at the face of the softbox.

The inverse square law and size:

The softness of a light source depends on its apparent size relative to the subject. A 2-foot Chimera placed 2 feet from the subject is very soft — it subtends a large angle from the subject's perspective. The same Chimera placed 20 feet away is much harder — it now appears small relative to the subject. This is why close placement is important when using softboxes for soft light. Moving a softbox further away to reduce its intensity does not just reduce brightness — it also hardens the light quality.

Chimera sizes and shapes:

Chimera produces softboxes in multiple sizes and configurations:

• Standard rectangular (various sizes from XS to XL): The workhorse format; suitable for key lights, fill lights, and large soft sources for background or environmental illumination.
• Strip boxes (tall and narrow): Used to create soft edge lighting, rim lights, or to illuminate a narrow area (a door frame, a background element) with soft, controllable light.
• Octa (octagonal): An eight-sided softbox that produces a more circular catchlight than a rectangular box, preferred in portrait and beauty work.

Attachment:

Chimera softboxes attach to fixtures through a speed ring — a circular or octagonal metal ring specific to each light fixture's head diameter. The speed ring is the interface between the softbox and the light; different speed rings are required for different fixtures. This is a practical consideration on set — having the correct speed ring for each fixture in use.

The brand vs. the category:

As with Kinoflo, "chimera" has entered general use as a term for any collapsible fabric softbox. Competing products from Photoflex, Westcott, Lastolite, and others occupy the same category. On a professional set, a gaffer requesting a "chimera" may be equally satisfied with any comparable softbox from a competing manufacturer.

Historical Context & Origin

Chimera Company was founded in Boulder, Colorado, and developed the collapsible fabric softbox specifically for professional film, television, and photography lighting applications. The design solved a practical problem: rigid softbox frames were too large and fragile for professional field production, and existing solutions for softening hard sources (scrims, diffusion frames, bounced light) required more space and setup time. The collapsible fabric design allowed softboxes to fold flat for transport and to be assembled quickly on set. The product became standard professional equipment across all production contexts. The brand's dominance in the professional market is reflected in the genericisation of its name.

How It's Used in Practice

Scenario 1 -- Interview Key Light (DP): A documentary DP attaches a medium Chimera to a 650W tungsten fresnel for an interview key light. The softbox converts the hard spot of the fresnel into a soft, directional source that wraps the subject's face with gradual shadow transitions. Positioned slightly above and to the side of the subject, it produces a flattering, natural-looking light that reads as a large window rather than a studio fixture.

Scenario 2 -- Beauty Close-Up (Gaffer / DP): A product or beauty shoot requires a very soft, even close-up light. The gaffer fits an octagonal Chimera to the key light, positioned very close to the subject. The octa produces a round catchlight in the eyes and an extremely soft, enveloping light that minimises skin texture and creates the smooth, luminous quality required for beauty work.

Scenario 3 -- Set as Large Window (Gaffer / DP): A large interior set requires the effect of light coming from a window wall. The gaffer rigs multiple large Chimera softboxes side by side outside the window frames, creating a continuous large soft source that passes through the practical window glass and reads as natural daylight fill from the exterior. The individual softboxes are placed close enough together that their combined output reads as a single continuous source.

Usage Examples in Sentences

"Put the medium Chimera on the 1K. I want soft key, not a hard spot."

"The octa is better for this close-up — round catchlight, and it wraps the face more evenly."

"Do you have the speed ring for the ARRI 650? I need to get the Chimera on it before we move to the next setup."

"A softbox placed close is soft. The same softbox at ten feet is barely better than the bare bulb. Distance matters."

Common Confusions & Misuse

Chimera (softbox) vs. Diffusion Frame: A diffusion frame places a translucent diffusion material (cloth, gel, or plastic sheeting) in front of a light at a distance from the fixture, softening and scattering the light. A softbox encloses the fixture in a reflective housing with a diffusion front, converting the point source to a large luminous surface. Both soften light; the softbox provides more controlled, directional soft light while the diffusion frame is more suitable for large-area softening in fixed locations.

Chimera vs. Bounce: Bouncing a light directs it away from the subject onto a reflective surface (wall, board, ceiling) and allows the reflected light to illuminate the subject. A Chimera softbox contains the bouncing and diffusion within a portable housing. Bounce light uses the environment as the softening surface; a softbox brings its own softening surface.

Related Terms

• Diffusion -- The material and principle that the Chimera's front panel is based on; diffusion scatters light to produce soft-edged illumination
• Key Light -- Chimeras are most commonly used as key light modifiers in interview, documentary, and narrative close-up contexts
• Kinoflo -- A soft light fixture that produces soft light inherently; compared to a Chimera which converts a hard source to soft
• Soft Focus -- The aesthetic quality associated with the soft, diffuse illumination that a Chimera produces
• Three-Point Lighting -- The standard setup in which a Chimera-modified key light is one of the most common configurations

See Also / Tools

The Shot List Generator is relevant to Chimera planning — shots requiring soft key light or beauty lighting note the use of softboxes in the lighting plan, helping the gaffer prepare the correct Chimera size and speed ring combination for each setup.