Green Screen Tips, Tricks and Materials - Chromakey Tutorial

hello welcome the tube tapes chromakey tips and tricks in this video we'll show you how to set up your green screen properly how to light for indoors and out show you how to properly set up your camera and show you some common mistakes to avoid when chroma key is done properly it can open up a whole new world only limited by your imagination so let's get started [Music] to chroma key is to composite two separate images into one in photo or video production a green or blue screen is used behind a subject so that the green or blue color can be keyed out or made transparent and another background can replace it chroma key screens are usually green or blue because those colors are furthest away from human skin tone which means you get a cleaner key Green has become a more popular color over the years because sensors and digital cameras work slightly better with green than blue when setting up your green screen make sure to eliminate as many wrinkles as you can before shooting you can accomplish this by using a backdrop stand or taping the edges to the floor using gaff tape clamps and background clips also come in handy when hanging a screen because they keep it nice and tight which will help wrinkles disappear when storing your green screen it is best to roll it up to keep the wrinkles out even lighting on your backdrop is essential for getting a good key any hot spots or shadows are very difficult to key out follow these basic setups when lighting your green screen to avoid any frustrations and delays when it comes time to editing your photos or videos [Music] using three lights position your subject directly in front of the camera use one light at about a 45-degree angle from the camera on one side of your subject this will be your key light place the second light it closer to a 90-degree angle from the camera on the other side of your subject this will act as a fill light and some of this light will spill on to the background to eliminate the shadow created by your subject place your final light on the same side as the key light but have it primarily shine on to your green screen eliminating the remaining shadows and creating an even light on your chroma key screen a five point light setup is much more ideal than a three point light setup when using green screen with five lights you can let your subject separately from the backdrop which gives them more freedom to move around place your key and fill light at 45-degree angles from the camera facing your subject some slight adjustments may be necessary to get the right look use the third light as a backlight or a hair light to accent your subject then use the remaining two lights on either side of your green-screen to light it evenly and eliminate any shadows caused by your subject [Music] the Sun makes a really good natural key light most often the Sun coverage will be enough to light the green screen evenly if not try bouncing light using a reflector to even out the light now your only task is to light your subject which can be tricky with the Sun keep in mind that the Sun is constantly moving and you must plan your shoot accordingly taking studio lights onto an outdoor location is not always feasible unless you have a generator to power them the best trick is to use reflectors to manipulate the natural sunlight in order to get it right where you need it you may need to experiment another component to getting the best possible chroma key is to make sure your camera is set up correctly first off make sure you correctly set the white balance on your camera also try to use the lowest ISO setting possible higher ISO settings produce more noise in your image which makes keying more difficult finally try opening up the aperture on your camera as wide as possible the wider the aperture the more depth of field you get this will blur out the background making your green or blue screen easier to key out learning to chromakey can sometimes be a trial and error process we're going to show you what to avoid when shooting against a green screen so that you don't run into these problems in post-production the number one rule of using green screen do not let your subject wear green when you go to key them out if they're wearing a green shirt the shirt will also be keyed out the same rule applies to blue screens so if your wardrobe includes blue it's best to shoot against the green screen and vice-versa if you shoot a variety of products or models for print ads or commercials you may want to invest in a reversible flex screen this has chroma key green on one side and blue on the other making it extremely convenient for camera work on the go it flips out stands alone and folds down making it portable and easy and the best part is you never have to worry about what your subject may be wearing you can still get a perfect key never light your green screen from behind tube tape screens are meant to absorb light to keep your background looking even lighting from behind will not accomplish this properly reflective clothing eyewear and jewelry can also cause you major problems getting a nice key if it's safe to do so have your subject to remove eyeglasses before shooting also look out for any reflective surfaces like watch faces glass tables or glass props as these can sometimes cause a green glow which is hard to edit out make sure to position your subject at least 5 feet away from the green screen this will prevent what we call green spill this happens when the green color from the backdrop spills onto your subjects skin causing a greenish glow which is next to impossible to key out keeping your subject to good distance away from the backdrop will give solid definition making life easier when it comes to editing as a general guideline usually when your subject is far enough in front to where the screen looks blurred in the camera that means you have a correct distance using high quality green-screen products is essential for getting a good key as well and a tube tape comm we have everything you need to get you started creating amazing projects all tube tape comm screens are made of 100% muslin cotton which is necessary to absorb light this material is also non reflective which will help reduce green spill these screens are lightweight enough to tack onto almost any surface and also come with a built in rod pocket so you can hang it from virtually any support stand the best part about using muslin screens is that they are machine washable and fade resistant so you can use them over and over without worrying about them getting dirty or looking used a portable chroma key option is the flexible screens these screens have chroma key green on one side and blue on the other making them a perfect fit for any shooting situation they have a sturdy wire frame which keeps the material wrinkle free eliminating the need for any clamps or tape they also have built-in loops making it possible to attach to a support stand finally the flight screens fold down into a circle shape and fit snugly into its own carrying case so you can take it virtually anywhere if you have a permanent studio space specially formulated chroma key paint is a cost-effective green-screen option one gallon of tube tape paint covers up to 350 square feet it is latex based and as a matte finish which absorbs light and won't reflect onto your subjects this paint can be applied using rollers or a sprayer and is fast drying one coat is generally all it takes to provide an even chroma key backdrop tube tape offers a wide range of chroma key apparel including hoods gloves tunics pants and full-length suits chromakey apparel is ideal for puppeteering making your subject invisible creating silhouettes or motion tracking the full cover green suit as you can see here is made of breathable nylon material that will stretch for comfort and mobility there's a zipper down the back that makes it easy to slip on and off the mesh face allows your actor to breathe and see clearly without taking away from the chromakey effect a light reflector is a great tool to have on hand when shooting chromakey especially if you don't have a lot of lights to work with you can use a reflector to give you a nice fill out on your subject when perhaps a majority of your lights are being used to light your backdrop featured here is the 5 and 1 reflector the white side works nice to bounce light onto your subject in a studio setting use the gold side to add some warm light or the silver side to really make the eyes pop the black side comes in handy when you're shooting outdoors as it will absorb some of the harsh sunlight the diffusion panel also helps when you want to use the Sun as a key light but perhaps it is just too strong on the face [Music] there are many software titles for doing chroma key effects available from Adobe FX home Apple and Sony ranging in price from $50 up to $1,000 for video Adobe After Effects is the industry standard for special effects it has a steep learning but can produce mind-blowing results both editions of FX homes hitfilm software can do some of these things After Effects does the Ultimate Edition as many features you will not find in the standard version such as 3d compositing and advanced masking tools Adobe Photoshop is the standard for image editing but it does not have any built-in keying software there are some great plugins for keying such as digital anarchy prime matte chroma key they are also standalone programs like photo Keeffe which allows you to export the image into your favorite editing software with photo keith pro you get more options like batch processing shadow generation and advanced color tools remember you can download demo versions to see what works best for you thanks for watching our introduction to chroma key all the products featured in this video are available for sale at tube tape com for more tutorials and instructional videos visit our YouTube channel and remember with green-screen anything's possible

Channel: TubeTape

Views: 2,339,903

Rating: 4.8893566 out of 5

Keywords: Chroma Key, Green Screen, Tips, Tutorial, tubetape, blue screen, tubetape.com, hitfilm, photokey, after effects, chroma, greenscreen, chromakey, fxhome, 3 point lighting, lighting, green screen effects

Id: q3PZO_lCBkw

Length: 10min 48sec (648 seconds)

Published: Fri Mar 16 2012