Green screen location shooting

Green screening, also known as Chroma Keying, is a special effect technique for placing people or objects in otherwise impossible locations. Production studios are truly the best places to capture this effect, but it’s not always feasible. Location green screening can be done with proper planning and equipment. If we’re shooting small items or just a head-and-shoulders shot, it’s a relatively easy process. The challenges come when clients want full-body head-to-toe shots, or require a wide walking area.

Creating quality green screen results requires a significant amount of extra equipment and crew. Our ultimate location would have plenty of room for light stands, high ceilings, no windows, elevator access, and lots of electrical circuits. If we’re also recording audio, you’ll have to add a quiet, echo-free area to our wish list. If any of these requirements can’t be met, we need to fix them. Adding a “pre-light day” to the shooting schedule is one of the best things clients can do. This is simply pre-setting everything the day before so we can have everything looking perfect when the talent arrives.

A common misconception is that we just throw up a green sheet and go, but something as benign as wrinkles in the green cloth can render an entire shoot useless. Great care needs to be taken so that everything is evenly lit and at the proper levels to ensure a quality product for the post-production team.

As with any production, proper planning is critical. Taking the time to calculate electrical need and walking a load-in path helps ensure success with every production. Want to know more? Send us an email or call us and we’ll be happy to talk about the world of green.