How to Get Shooting Green Screen Right
Filming subjects against a green or blue screen so the background can be replaced later.
Tomas Lindqvist
Where most projects go wrong
The usual mistakes:
- Wrinkled or patchy screens
- Subjects close to the screen
- Green reflections on hair and shoulders
- Highly compressed footage for keying
What good looks like instead
- Light the screen separately from the subject
- Keep the subject well away from the screen
- Use backlight to counter spill
- Record in the best available codec
- Test a key on set before wrapping
Why it matters
Most keying problems are created on set, and an evenly lit screen with good separation saves days in post-production.
The specs that matter
| Measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Even lighting | the screen must be lit evenly across its area |
| Separation | distance between subject and screen reduces color spill |
| Spill | green light reflecting onto the subject complicates keys |
| Codecs | higher chroma sampling keys more cleanly |
Knowing when to hand it over
Tip: Bring in help when compositing is central to a production.
Where this comes from
- Adobe Help Center — After Effects User Guide
- Blackmagic Design — DaVinci Resolve Reference Manual
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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