Green screen technology is the basis of the effects seen in everything from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to the weather forecast. The idea is simple. If you shoot a video with a single coloured backdrop replacing it with any other video clip, graphic or still image.
Step One:
Get the two stands and set them up like a tripod, making sure everything is tight and secure.
Once you’ve set both the stands up, you then move on to threading the Green Screen material through the pole in order to hang the screen up. You do this by adjusting both ends of the pole to make it either longer or shorter, depending on what size you need. Make sure the Green Screen cloth has the glossy side facing towards you when threading it through the pole.
Step Two
Next step now is to lengthen out the stands to make the Screen reach its maximum height. You will do this when loosening the knobs on the stands to adjust the length. However there are three knobs, so make sure you do this from top to bottom. Doing it the other way around will be difficult to reach the top knob and lengthen it.
Once done, you need to tighten the Green Screen with some clips to get rid of creases in the Screen, which will affect the overall quality of the final product.
Step Three:
When everything is clipped properly you then can stretch out the Green Screen and tape down the three sides that is laid down on the floor. This is to stop the screen from slipping/moving about, as well as getting rid of some unwanted creases.
Step Four:
For Green Screening, you will need at least six light set up in order to get rid of the shadows that again will ruin your final end product. Like the Tripod adjust the pole to reach the height required.
The first set of lights need to shine onto the green screen. Make sure the light being reflected is off the screen and interconnected with each other, which can be adjusted by moving the barn doors. This will help reduce your chances of having shadow on the screen.
The next set of lights needs to face the actor/actress back, as a resource of back light. This will helps to lighten up the shoulder’s of the actors alongside help get rid of the green outlines in the final end product.
The final set of lights needs to be face the actors, This is to prevent shadows on the face giving you the best possible final result. In addition if you want some softer light on the actor’s face then putting on some white transparent material that is suitable of lights will achieve this.
Step Five:
Set up the tripod and the camera, see my post on camera set up for more information
Set the height of the Tripod depending on the size of the actor and what kind of shot you want, Full or Half Bodied
Make sure that you always check the spirit level on the Tripod whenever you need to change the hight of the camera
Start Filming! (Make sure you give your Actor at least five-seconds of silence. This is so that you can have some room for editing, also so that your actor can compose his or herself)
Health & Safety
- Be very careful of the cable wires on the floor as you can trip over them
- Walk around the green screen properly because the green screen is sheet is slippery
- The light equipment is very hot therefore be aware when touching equipment
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