Mirror Magic - Where can I find a mirror for the Schüfftan Box?

Michael Savidge

I got the Mirror Magic Tutorial on DVD for Christmas, and I am planning to make my own Schüfftan Box! I'm really excited, because I've been looking for a practical effect like this for a very long time! The only problem I'm having is finding a One-Way Mirror for the size I'm looking (I am hoping that this can be portable, so the size would have to be pretty small. ) Anybody know where I can find one at a price that's not too expensive? Thank you!

Chris Ellerby

Hi Michael,

One of the challenges with one way mirrors (aka half glass) is that the quality of the product directly translates to the quality of the effect you get.  Less expensive options will likely not pass or reflect light as cleanly.  You could get some odd distortions/refections or changes to color, brightness, etc.

One way mirrors that are made out of acrylic plastic will be less expensive than glass.  If you google search for acrylic one way mirror (or acrylic two way mirror, since it goes by both names) you should find some less expensive options. 

Another cheap option would be to try a plastic one way mirror film that you can apply to glass.  A google search for "one way mirror window film" may help you find some inexpensive results.  Though you would still have to buy glass, and apply the film.  

If you can find a local glass company you may be able to approach them to see if they have a less expensive option for you, especially since the size you need is not very large, so there is a chance you could get get what's left over after they cut off a piece for a client.

If your goal is to explore this process, the inexpensive options will work well enough, so I would not worry too much about the quality loss.  They just would not be ideal for creating a finished effect.

/Chris