Greenscreening on a Small Scale?

[zebracloak]

I am finding it very difficult to figure out the lighting to greenscreen on a small scale with Gregory. Any advice? Here is the video I tried to greenscreen the first time. Didn't really work out as you can tell...

 

[Brandon]

This is because the base color you are using as your green screen is also a color on the bear. That is why it is important, when green screening, to use a bright vibrant color that is well lit and solid with no sort of pattern or crease to it. I suggest going to your local Dollar General and buying 4-5 neon green poster paper and just taping it on that wall and using that. It will work just as good as an actual green screen. Remember adequate and equal lighting, however. Lighting is VERY important.

 

[bwochinski]

Of the few things I know about green-screen use the most important is probably that you need a ton of light. You need the screen to be lit behind the subject, as you can't have any shadows. Also as hailtherapture said, the screen needs to be a very bright, even, and smooth color.

 

[zebracloak]

This is because the base color you are using as your green screen is also a color on the bear. That is why it is important, when green screening, to use a bright vibrant color that is well lit and solid with no sort of pattern or crease to it. I suggest going to your local Dollar General and buying 4-5 neon green poster paper and just taping it on that wall and using that. It will work just as good as an actual green screen. Remember adequate and equal lighting, however. Lighting is VERY important.

I am using a 4-5 neon green poster paper taped to the wall just like the one you are describing. I am having the problem with the lighting. I have five lamps on it and it still ends up looking like that. It is really hard to do equal adequate lighting on a small scale like this for me because I don't have the freedom to spread out like I normally would on a real person.

 

[Brandon]

I am using a 4-5 neon green poster paper taped to the wall just like the one you are describing. I am having the problem with the lighting. I have five lamps on it and it still ends up looking like that. It is really hard to do equal adequate lighting on a small scale like this for me because I don't have the freedom to spread out like I normally would on a real person.

Go to home depot or your garage (hah) and pull out just a small flood light. Point it AWAY from the object so it bounces off of the walls and isn't so flushed out on the paper. Do that with the lamps too.

 

[ViciousCritic]

It would be helpful to see the original footage before it is keyed out, but here are a few generic tips.

1) The number of lights is less important than how even the light is. Make sure the lights are diffuse. Cover them with a piece of white cloth if necessary and don't put them too close.
2) I use the camera view finder lcd to make sure it's even. If you look at it at a sharp angle, the uneven spots will be more visible.
3) I frequently add the keying effect twice, once for the shadows and once for the well lit portions. I do this so I can keep the tolerance level low which helps keep it from keying out other similar colors.

I hope that helps.