Canon XL-2 and Chromakey

[Don Sommers]

I've found the suggestions regarding lighting chromakey to be varied, with most based on good lighting principles, and the lighting based on anything from consumer, to semi-pro, to all out studio lighting.

 

I myself have been using blue and green for some time ... different cameras/different lighting/different situations = different results.

 

My question:

I'm now using (passed down to me so I couldn't say no) a Canon XL-2. Not the most recent for sure, but still a very good camera. What I am wondering is if anyone else has used this particular camera for chromakey in the past ... what they found the best manual settings were ... any gotcha's .... etc.?

 

Over the years, most of my work has been corporate "talking heads/bodies" and a few cool indie projects which involved some action shots. Most all work has been done on MiniDv ... which is challenging enough to key in itself due to those nasty edges.

 

Please feel free to move this to a more correct topic area if I've posted it here in error.

 

Thanks in advance for sharing any info ...

Edited May 10, 2009 by Don Sommers

[Ron Sharp]

Xl2 works fine for chroma keying, either green or blue.

 

tricks:

make full use of the zebras to light the background as even as possible.

 

set zebras to 100% for hot spots.

 

make sure objects to be keyed out are away from background

and casting no shadows on background.

 

use a rim light and/or side light to cut any spill on objects from the green/blue background.

 

use soft lights, chinaballs, softboxs, silks, to give good wrap around lighting for no shadows.

 

make sure no wardrobe or props are even close to the same color or reflect the background.