- In this video, you will learn how to use green screen
for your video content,
and how to avoid the most common mistakes.
Green screen effects are awesome.
One minute you could be on a beach,
on the moon, or being chased by a dinosaur.
(dinosaur roaring) Ah.
Yet, mistakes with green screens are common.
But, have no fear, by following our easy four-step guide,
you will be able to build, light, shoot,
and edit your green screen content like a pro in no time.
(upbeat music)
Hi-ya, I'm Jessica.
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So let's get started with our green screen tutorial,
starting with step one, building your green screen.
When it comes to building your green screen,
it depends of course on what you are looking to get from it.
Perhaps you want a clean, sophisticated background
for your piece-to-cameras, or maybe you are looking
to get a bit creative and use a lot of special effects.
There are essentially two popular options
when it comes to building a green screen.
The first is chroma key paint.
It can be purchased online
and it's a good option for a static shot
that doesn't have any angles other than a medium shot.
But using chroma key paint is a somewhat permanent solution
because you'll have to paint a wall,
which is why it's not our preferred option.
Instead, I would recommend opting for a green sheet
made of fabric or card.
What's great about this option is that your green screen
is now portable and you can have a bigger shooting area
without sacrificing a large amount of space permanently.
If you're on the move a lot,
you can find some great green screens that are perfect
for piece-to-cameras, like portable pull-up screens
or collapsible backgrounds.
Now, you may have heard of blue screen,
and that could still be an option for you.
It's worth noting that the goal
of having a screen for chroma keying effects
is to create the most significant contrast
between the performer and the screen.
The reason why green is most commonly used
is that video cameras are most sensitive to the color green.
Out of all three primary colors, blue, green, and red,
green has the highest luminance,
therefore delivering the least amount of distortion
to your camera and the starkest contrast to most subjects.
However, in some cases,
like where your scene requires foliage or green plants,
or when your subject has light blonde or even white hair,
a blue screen might be a better pick for you.
Whichever option you choose to go with,
you'll want to make sure that you have a big enough area
for the action required to take place,
and, in the case that you're shooting
an action-filled scene,
I recommend going with a much larger green screen sheet.
If you opt to go with a sheet,
make sure there are no wrinkles
as these can be a nightmare during the editing process.
Also, if at any point the floor is going to appear
in your shot, you'll need to have your green screen
fold down to cover it.
So once you've got your screen,
you'll now need to know how to light it.
So let's move onto step two, light your green screen.
Proper lighting is critical
when it comes to using a green screen
because it creates even coloring and eliminates shadows,
making it a lot easier during the editing process.
When it comes to lighting your green screen,
the major takeaway is to avoid green spill.
This is when the color of your screen
taints everything around it with just a hint of green,
which usually results in green-looking performers.
The number one way to avoid this is to make sure
you light both the screen and the performer correctly,
which we'll now show you how to do.
When lighting the backdrop,
your goal is to not only illuminate the screen
but also reduce shadows and wrinkles.
To light the backdrop,
use two lights that are positioned from different angles,
each a couple of feet from the screen.
If you choose to go with a pull-up screen,
collapsible backdrop, or simply to paint the wall,
getting rid of wrinkles won't be a major issue,
but you'll still want to illuminate the backdrop
as much as you can.
Once your backdrop is lit, it's time to light your subject.
I recommend using three separate lights,
a key light, fill light, and backlight.
Your key light is the most prominent one
creating the most light on your subject.
Your fill light is softer
and placed at the opposite angle of the key light.
Its purpose is to fill the shadows caused by the key light.
And finally, the blacklight helps to illuminate
the edges of the performer.
This is the most important light
when it comes to using a green screen as it helps to define
a clear line between the subject and the backdrop.
Using the proper lighting
will help eliminate any editing headaches,
so I recommend investing in your lighting set up.
When you're purchasing your green screen,
there are a number of quality packages
that include lighting kits at really reasonable price.
If you want a more in-depth lighting tutorial,
then check out our video
on the three essential lighting setup
that is available on our channel.
You've nailed your lighting,
so now it's time for the fun to begin.
Step three, shooting on a green screen.
Before we delve in, I know a lot of you will want to know
the best camera settings for green screen,
so I'm gonna offer my advice based on what we use.
You'll want to set your shutter speed a tad bit higher
than you normally would, around 80 or even 100,
to avoid the blurry motion that you get at a slower speed.
This will help rid you of dealing with it
later on in post-production,
and you can always add it back in later.
A good aperture for green screen is something around 5.6,
because it's shallow enough for the background
to be out of focus helping to decrease any creases
or hot spots if they accidentally end up in the shot.
Lastly, when possible, try to avoid high ISO
as you want to get the cleanest image possible
without a lot of noise.
Now that you're set up,
here's my best advice for shooting on a green screen.
First and foremost,
and probably the most often-given advice,
make sure your subjects are not wearing any green.
You'll also want to eliminate any reflective jewelry
or glossy makeup, otherwise you might attract green spill.
Lastly, consider the soft edges of hair and clothing
and try to reduce them as much as possible,
for example, I have my hair tied back
as sometimes it can get a little too wispy.
When working with a green screen,
it's essential that you know what action will take place
and choreograph it perfectly so your performers
are interacting with elements as they are happening.
(bird chirping) (wings flapping)
Likewise, you'll want to consider camera angle.
At any point does the subject move out of the screen?
And continuously make sure
that your lighting is consistent while filming.
My last piece of advice is to try to review as you shoot.
This is where you set up an external monitor
that is live chroma keying
so that your crew and cast can see how it looks.
If you're going to pursue this,
I recommend checking out Open Broadcaster Software.
And Last but not least, step four,
edit your green screen footage.
Now that your footage has been shot
and you're happy with your scenes,
it's time to move into post-production.
My key advice when it comes to editing green screen footage
is gonna sound like a bit of a cop-out,
but it's one of the best pieces of advice out there.
Watch online tutorials on how to chroma key
for your specific software.
When it comes to editing green screen footage,
each software has its own nuances,
and sometimes when you're looking for a quick fix
for an issue, it's really important that you're getting help
from someone using your specific software.
That said, load your footage into your editing program.
Select the chroma key effect,
which will be called something different in each software.
In Premiere Pro, for example,
this it's the Ultra Key Effect,
but in Final Cut you'll be adding the foreground clip.
Then make minor tweaks to eliminate all of the green edges
of your performer before applying
any other audio and video edits.
And when you're satisfied with your project,
render and export the final product.
There you have it, you now know how to build,
light, shoot, and edit with a green screen.
I hope you've found it useful.
If so, make sure you subscribe to our channel
so you're updated every time we post one of these videos
to help with your video marketing.
If you need any further help with your video production,
you can always get in touch with us here at Spiel,
by visiting www.spielcreative.com.
Thanks for watching.