Compositing image on CRT monitor

[Diana Matos]

Hello,

 

I have a general idea of how this is done but I wanted to brush up on the specifics. I am shooting an old tube-style CRT on a dolly and would like to make sure I can composite an image onto it. Is using key-green tape sufficient? Now a days, do the markings on the TV need to be precise? Does the camera movement destabilize the image? Thank you for your help!

 

Diana Matos

[Gwell Riley]

Hello Diana, take a look @ a company in england that has an application for adding images to screens in a shot, the examples should give you an idea of how to shot and enhance in Post, good luck http://www.imagineersystems.com/products/monet/

[Kevin W Wilson]

The best way I've ever seen it done was on Charlie Wilson's War. They replaced so many television screens in the film with archival footage and news reports, all of it seamless. All the screens in the film were removed from their housings and green/blue chroma was placed inside behind the glass of the tube. This allowed for realistic reflections and highlights from the on set lighting to be seen on the screen and did not have to be added in post. Really sold the keys I thought, it's a simple thing but it made all the difference. They also placed a track marker on each TV to make moving shots easier to fix.

 

Pulling the effect off really lies in the skill of the compositor who is replacing the screen. I've seen horrendous hand held shots replaced really well and static shots that weren't so hot. If you really want to take the easy route, lock off your camera and don't have anything crossing the screen, but if you want to move your camera or have actors in the shot the difficulty in pulling the key will go up.

 

Good luck.