Set Up a Green Screening Studio

Looking for a way to set up that fancy new green screen, but don't know how? Here's an easy step-by-step guide for all of you budding Make a Film Based off a Video Game

Steps

  1. Locate a spacious room - the bigger, the better. Although some may just be shooting something like a commercial with a small scene, it is best to give your actors and equipment enough breathing room to move around. Remember that you may need space to re-arrange the setup.
  2. Set up your green screen. You can either use a cloth, or paint a wall. For a cloth green screen, place your green screen on an even surface, like a wall, and secure it so that it does not fall in the middle of a scene. Make sure that the cloth's surface is as flat as possible by stretching out the corners and sides until there are no wrinkles in the fabric. If using paint, first sand the wall to make it smooth, and then apply a primer coat of paint. After the primer dries, paint an even final coat. Any harsh shadows will show up during post-production and may interfere with the editing process. See "Tips" below for paint formula.
  3. Set up your green screen lights. In order to light a green screening studio, you will need a number of strong lights. The best kind of lights to use are powerful work lights, as the light they give off takes up a large area. Place lights on both sides of your screen and behind your actor so that they are facing the green screen. Position them so that the entire green screen is one unanimous shade of green, and that no part is darker than the rest.
  4. Set up your subject lights. Set these lights up just like in any other movie studio. You will need a strong key light on either the left or right side and a fill light to get rid of any harsh shadows on the other side. Stand your actor in front of the green screen to test the lights and make sure that the subject lights are not casting any harsh shadows. If they are, redirect them by turning the key and fill lights around and using white cards to bounce the light at your actor.
  5. Set up your back light. Place a work light above the green screen and shine it at where your actor will stand. This is used as an aid to help green screening programs separate the actor from the green screen by making a bolder outline on your actor.
  6. Adjust the lights one final time. Play with the lights a while to make sure they are perfect. Turn on and off the lights installed in your ceiling to see if it helps or not.
  7. Position your actor. Place your actor in front of the screen to test out your lighting scheme. Make sure that he is not too close to the green screen, or his shadow will appear on your green screen. Keep him there for the next steps.
  8. Position your camera(s). Place your camera(s) where you wish to put it/them. If you are only filming one angle for a commercial or anything of the like, you only need one camera. If you are filming with multiple angles, you will have to play around with the lighting to make sure your other cameras don't interfere with your lighting scheme. Look through the view finder to place your camera(s) in the right place. It is advisable to use a tripod. Run through a few actions like jumping up and down and to the side and stepping back and forth while looking through the view finder to ensure that your actor has enough space to act comfortably. This is where space comes in. If you chose a small room for a studio, you might only have a foot or two of space that your actor can work in, while if you chose a large area, you'll be much better off.
  9. Film a test. Film a test run of your green screen studio to make sure that everything is good. If you see something wrong, fix it!



Tips

  • Mark off the location of the supports of your equipment by using masking tape. Outline the shape of work light bases, noting the direction they are facing (do this by making an arrow with masking tape), and place an "X" in the location of any tripod leg. Use a permanent marker to write down what belongs where (ie. "Key Light" or "Tripod") on the masking tape. This way, if your studio is moved for cleaning, or if a clumsy staff member trips over your key light, you can always remember where they last were.
  • You can use any green material as the backdrop. If you want to make your own backdrop using paint available at Home Depot one formula is as follows: Home Depot Behr Premium Plus No.1300, Deep Base (Pintura Interior/Mate) Interior Flat/ Acrylic Latex, Color Name: Capistrano (1b55-6), Deep Base (1300), Colorant OZ 48 96, AX Perm Yellow 4 20 0, D Thalo Green 4 8 0, KX White 3 0 0, L Raw Umber 0 12 0.
  • Make sure you can green screen first! Think of how embarrassing it'll be when you drag your crew over to set up this studio, and then you realize you don't have the right technology.
  • Always make sure that there are no shadows on the green screen. These can show up in the movie, making it look amateurish.
  • Make sure that whatever you use for a screen is even in color, or the screen behind you might be mottled and splotchy with blurs in some spots.
  • Using Photoshop pure CMYK green is #00a651. Print an image that is totally this color and take it to your local paint store. They can scan it and determine the formula to mix pigments so that the paint will match. You can also use color samples to find the closest match.

Warnings

  • Be careful to turn lights off after use and not have them point at any flammable material; strong studio lights can pose a fire hazard.
  • If painting, make sure you are allowed to paint that wall, or room.
  • Ensure that the setup is optimum; any creases or shadows will show up later and affect the final result.
  • Lead based paint is very deadly and banned in most states/countries. Do not use it.

Things You'll Need

  • A room. Make sure that you have permission to green screen in this room.
  • A green or blue cloth or paint (255 green or blue). Avoid red, as it is very close to skin tone.
  • Lights (ie. work lights). These are needed to provide even lighting for both cosmetic and editing purposes.
  • At least one video camera mounted on either a tripod or other camera stabilizing device.

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