Green Screen for Wide Shot of Multiple Subjects

[Taina Galis]

Hello

 

I would value your advice about how to light a green screen shot on HD where the floor and wall are visible. The subject is 7 actors seen from head to toe, all walking in circles.

 

I am particularly looking for advice about how to keep the actors' feet separated from the floor.

 

Also, how far away from the screen should the subjects be at a minimum? Their bodies must be fully visible and they are moving quite close to each other.

 

As the subject area is large, I'm expecting it to be very tricky to separate them fully from the background. I thought to light them predominantly from the sides. Any other ideas?

 

Thank you.

 

Taina

[Michael Nash]

Try to softlight the whole area as much as possible, from all sides and top. The idea is to get a basic soft, shadowless "fill" over the whole area to light the screen and floor so that the actors' shadows are as light and soft as possible. Depending on the space, try hanging a couple large frames of silk to push light through or bounce material to bounce light from above.

 

Then, you can light your subjects more strategically from side angles (that is, the lights not too high up), taking care to flag this light off the floor and back wall. Be prepared to have lots of flags and stands to "box" your lights in to contain the spill. The actor's feet and ankles will naturally go a little dark, but if the light is cut softly it doesn't have to look objectionable.

 

As for the distance from the back wall, give yourself as much room as possible for lighting. The farther away the wall is from your subject, the more frontal you can get with your lighting without it throwing shadows on the background.

 

Don't worry about green spill on your actors. You generally want to underexpose a green screen a little bit anyway, so the green ambience shouldn't be a problem unless there is a lot of white wardrobe.

[Taina Galis]

Thanks Michael. That's really helpful.

[jed read]

for the wall try licra because it doesent wrinkle and there will be a faint line were the wall and floor meets.get some light lime green sheets (note the licra has to be light lime green as well) and tape the sheet to the licra and put it along the floor.make the sheet curve were it meets the floor and wall,so there is no line. B)

[Jonathan Bowerbank]

I too have a greenscreen project comin' up. I've never done it with 16mm, which is what I'll be doing.

 

My only question is, will there be any problem if I add a kicker to backlight my subject?

[Alex Haspel]

I too have a greenscreen project comin' up. I've never done it with 16mm, which is what I'll be doing.

 

My only question is, will there be any problem if I add a kicker to backlight my subject?

 

i'd say no, unless it's a green kicker.

[Taina Galis]

A back light helps separate subject from green screen. If acceptable to your colour scheme, it also helps if you use a gel of opposite colour- magenta for greenscreen, or orange/yellow for bluecreen.