One of the best ways to learn about green screen is to research how it’s been implemented in actual movies. You can peruse YouTube for behind-the-scenes clips or check out our round-up of the most inventive uses of green screen<\/a> throughout the years. You’ll find that really good green (and blue) screen comes in many packages, from David Fincher<\/a>‘s subtle yet detail-oriented effects to the iconic space battles in Star Wars<\/a><\/em>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The use of green screens has come a long way over the past few decades. Many of your favorite YouTubers utilize technology that was once reserved solely for Hollywood blockbusters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here, we’ll guide you through the entire process of using green screen backgrounds from start to finish. We’ll talk about lighting, cinematography, keying, editing, and common mistakes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Before we jump into how to use a green screen, let’s learn what a green screen does and familiarize ourselves with a few key terms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Green Screen<\/a><\/strong>: Technically, this term refers to the colored background you want to make transparent and remove from your shot. This is usually a single-colored backdrop, which can be any color, but is generally bright green because it’s the color furthest away from human skin tones. (Blue screens were frequently used in the early days with film and might still be used in some instances.) Sometimes the term is used as a fit-all for the entire keying process (see below).<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chroma Key:<\/strong> This popular term goes hand-in-hand with green screen<\/strong>. It’s the actual technique of layering or compositing two images based on color hues. Every color has a chroma range, hence where the terminology comes from.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keying:<\/strong> This term describes removing the green screen background in post-production using video editing software. When the green screen background has been keyed, it’ll be fully transparent. Then you can fill in that transparent area with a different image or video. The goal is to get the cleanest key possible, meaning no digital artifacts are left on your image where the green screen initially appears.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spill:<\/strong> This often refers to the colored light that reflects back onto your subject from the green screen. When a green screen is brightly lit, the light can reflect that color back onto your subject, casting unwanted green light. This can cause an issue in the keying stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You can take several steps to prevent spills, which we’ll discuss below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We know you’re busy, and we know this article is long. If you’re looking for the TLDR of green screens, we’ve picked out six essential rules that will set a good foundation for your next chroma key project.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use a non-reflective green screen material and look for colors such as “chroma key green” and “digi green.” These colors are toned to be ideal for use with green screens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Alternatively, blue screens can also be used, especially for replicating night scenes. Learn more about the green vs. blue screen debate<\/a> to determine which color is right for your shoot.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Keep your subject at least six feet away from the green screen. This helps minimize spill and unwanted shadows appearing on the green screen background.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Film with the highest bit-rate\/least compressed codec you can. 10-bit color will be superior to 8-bit. ProRes 442 and 444 are always good options and RAW is even better if you have that ability.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light your foreground and your backdrop separately. It’s also important to light your green screen backdrop evenly. Proper lighting exposure helps to avoid excess green lighting spill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Filming with a faster shutter speed reduces motion blur and helps provide a cleaner key. You can always add secondary motion blur back in during post-production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n We’ll talk about one of the better plugin options that’s available and a tutorial on using it. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Utilize chroma keying-specific software, like the Delta Keyer in DaVinci Resolve<\/a> to get the best key quickly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unless you’ve got a big ol’ budget to spend on greened-out studio space (or your own cyclorama), your options for green screen are the DIY or the all-inclusive kit route. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Your budget and your concept are the main factors determining the best fit, but we’ll break down the basics here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Just slap some fluorescent green paint on a wall, and you’re done. No, but that’s not far off from your DIY options for green screen. When you’re taking the hand-made approach, it’s all about getting the suitable material for the backdrop. There’s paint, muslin, nylon, poster board, and more. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think about factors like:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Use our DIY green screen guide<\/a> to learn more about the essential materials, lighting, and mounting equipment for building your special effects set.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Kits are the fast, easy option for those who want to skip the customization and get right to filming. There’s a variety to choose from, from small, portable screens to full-size setups for a more permanent installation. Many of these kits are made with small productions, like YouTube content. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Perfect for talking head segments, these screens have enough coverage to get a transparent background around the subject’s face. Certain kits are also handy if you plan to film on-the-go. These kits are perfect for the traveling filmmaker with easy assembly, breakdown, and streamlined storage in mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Take your pick with our list of the best green screen kits<\/a> on the market, with the pros and cons covered for each.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Planning and visualizing your final scene is crucial when shooting with a green screen. Concept art and storyboards can help with this process. But your main goal is to determine what’s real and what isn’t in your scene. This means you want to know what will physically be in the scene and what will be added later during post-production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n If your scene is particularly complex, with layers of green screen, you’ll want to establish a clear guide to everything.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In some instances, you may need real props on set that your actors can reference. In behind-the-scenes shots, you’ll often see tennis balls hanging on the green screen set. These provide the actors with visual reference points. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Lighting is another huge consideration. Think about lighting your character to match the lighting of the environment they’ll populate. This will make a drastic difference when it comes to the final chroma key composite and layering everything together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This section will cover all the steps and considerations for completing a green screen shoot. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Here’s what we’ll dive into:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Determining Scale: <\/strong>This is the time to calculate the scale of your final scene and the best lenses for filming your actors. If you’re planning on creating a wide-angle scene, it makes sense to film your subjects at the correct scale. This process primarily relies on knowing the lens’s field of view to film the background element, which is often referred to as a background plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It’s essential that you shoot both the foreground and background with the same focal length lens, or at least as close as you can guesstimate if you don’t know the lens used to film the background plate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n One thing worth noting is that the wider the background shot is, the larger the green screen will have to be to fully cover your actors. Luckily, Mark Vargo walks us through this process in this article<\/a>, which utilizes the lens field of view to calculate the final green screen size required for any shoot. The more notes you have from the original background shot (such as lens, time of day, etc.) the easier this process will be.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As a rule of thumb, wider shots that capture your actor’s entire body and action shots that require lots of movement will need a full green screen that also covers the ground, and maybe even the side of the shot. If this is the case, make sure the screen has no edges so that you can key in easily. You’ll want to use a curved screen and drops without hard edges to the floor or to side walls.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Prepping Actors and Objects:<\/strong> You’ll have to prep actors and props for use on green screen. Obviously, avoid green! Actors shouldn’t wear green or they’ll end up transparent in the key. <\/p>\n\n\n\n You should also avoid shiny objects, as these can reflect the green and cause transparent spots. If reflective objects must be used, you’ll likely have to manually mask around those objects in post-production. This can be time consuming, so plan ahead if that’s ultimately required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are three non-negotiable rules to lighting a green screen:<\/p>\n\n\n\n When lighting your green screen background, the goal is to get the lighting as even as possible. This helps ensure that the green coloring is even, with no hot spots or shadows, which will help with the chroma key process in post-production. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Think of it as needing a blank canvas. To truly have a blank canvas, you need the canvas to look the same across the whole . . . canvas. Does that make sense? <\/p>\n\n\n\n You’ll also need to light your actors and the green screen separately, preferably with the actors and the green screen background at least six feet apart. Remember to match the lighting on your actor to the scene in which they’ll appear once the green screen is composited. <\/p>\n\n\n\n For an example of what this looks like, check out the tutorial below (I’ve timestamped this part of the video).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nWhat Is Green Screen and Chroma Keying?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Shooting](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/avengers-green-screen.jpg\")
\n\n\n\nThe TLDR on Green Screens<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
1. Start with the Right Green (or Blue)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
2. Separate Your Subject from the Background<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
3. RAW Is King<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
4. Expose the Background Properly<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
5. Eliminate Motion Blur<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
6. Let the Software Do the Work<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nGreen Screen Materials \u2013 What You Need<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
DIY Green Screen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Green Screen Kits<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n\nHow to Shoot a Green Screen Scene<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Alice](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/alice-in-wonderland-green-screen.jpg\")
Step 1: Planning Your Green Screen Shoot<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Screenshot](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/green-screen-formula.jpg\")
Step 2: Lighting a Green Screen<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"Filming](\"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2019\/07\/the-hobbit-green-screen.jpg\")