my cheapo greenscreen

[Policar]

This probably isn't the right place to post this, but I couldn't find anywhere better.

Anyhow, I've had some people ask me about my "100 dollar greenscreen." Well, I added it up and it was actually considerably more than 100 bucks, but still cheap in the scheme of things. It currently lives in my garage and is going to get a lot of use in the next couple weeks.

Here are some screen captures(I cranked the chroma level way up to make it easier to key later):
http://home.comcast.net/~pfhorwitz/jon.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~pfhorwitz/jon2.jpg
http://home.comcast.net/~pfhorwitz/jon3.jpg

Anyhow, I built this thing with:
2 8X4's (10 bucks each)
Rosco Chroma Key Green Paint (40 bucks, but I have a ton left)
Primer (not really needed--10 bucks)

Then I propped the two boards up in my garage.

I lit the it with 3 $20 lights I bought at sears. They can be switched from 300w to 500w to 150w, which is really nice and they are round so they don't have as sharp edges as most. I put rosco diffuse gels (another 6 bucks or something) in front of the two which lit the greenscreen. Then I used one to light the subject (with a piece of cardboard attatched to it to block it from lighting the greenscreen.) I also used a 200w standard bulb to fill the other side of the subject. I don't expect to use this greenscreen for anything too professional, but I have a short film I'm working on (mostly as a vanity project) and since I have no budget but need a lot of greenscreened shots, I built this.

http://home.comcast.net/~pfhorwitz/fullsetup.jpg
(Don't even ask how this image was made and compressed. I don't want to get into it.) And yes, I know there are hotspots here...I have to move the diffuse filters forward or the lights back before I shoot next.

Btw, it's worked a lot better for me than cloth greenscreens, but I've never used a well lit cloth greenscreen. Although I was advised to raise the detail level for greenscreening, I prefer to keep it at -3 so that the imperfections in the wood don't show up.

[TC]

Sweet. If I ever get out of this damn apartment and into a house I'm gonna build one.

[David Jimerson]

What are you going to do about that big black line in the middle of it?

[Terry_Lasater]

You can buy a roll of green paper tape at Home Depot known as "Lacquer Tape" to cover the seam.

Or, at the very least, you could use some wide masking tape and paint over it with the chroma key paint.

I've done this successfully at a production house I used to work for.

[Policar]

Believe it or not, the been black seam doesn't get in the way of pulling a good key 90% of the time, because for some reason After Effects just gets rid of it (I think it has to do with the matte choker or something, but I still don't know exactly why). I mostly just haven't gotten rid of it because I haven't had to use the greenscreen much so far.

Anyhow, that idea about using masking tape then painting over it with the chroma key paint is really smart. I'm definitely going to give that a try before I shoot anything important. Thanks for the tip.

[SirAllen]

"Although I was advised to raise the detail level for greenscreening"

Why would someone advise raising the detail? That'll just cause false outlines that'll be much harder to key out. Keep it at -3 or -4 for greenscreens.

[Harry_Destin]

I've been considering building one in my basement for some time now, will I be able to find that bright green color paint at Home Depot?

[Terry_Lasater]

Probably not. But, they could mix it for you if you took in a Rosco catalog or something where they could see it to match.

It's basically the same green that is in the color bars of your camera.

FYI, some people overconcern themselves with the actual lighting of the greenscreen (trying to make it even, etc.) to the point they tend to wash it out in ratio to the light on their subject.

When you look on the monitor at your set up you should have a well-lit subject and good saturation on the chroma key wall (greenscreen).

If you overlight (or overexpose) the greenscreen it will not have enough *chroma* information to do a proper *chromakey*.

Bottom line: The wall should look evenly lit with good, saturated color. NOT washed out.

[Policar]

Should I set the two spotlights that light the greenscreen to a lower wattage, then? I'm afraid that if I do, there won't be enough light and I'll get grain like crazy.

[Terry_Lasater]

From what I can see, your greenscreen has pretty good color saturation... perhaps, a little too hot and uneven on the sides.

Maybe you could move the lights and diffusion material back to spread the umbra of the light out to fill a larger area and, thereby, evening out the spread.

Are your diffusion gels hanging from ropes and pulleys?!!!

"Set the sails, we're going chromakeying!".

They would be infinitely more adjustable and controllable if supported by a stand... preferably a C-stand.

Maybe you could make a frame for the gels with an old garage sale large picture frame. Or make one out of PVC pipe or 1"x2" wood.

[Gregi_23]

LOW BUDGET CHROMA GREEN PAINT

Mixed by Lowe's Hardware, it is a very close match to the original chroma green and about half the price. Lowes will mix it if you give them the following numbers: 103-4Y 113-1Y 1145Y32
And I guess HOme Depot too............ :P


Thanks
http://www.detonationfilms.com/low_budget_chroma_green_paint.htm

Gregor

[J.R. Hudson]

Nice!

[Policar]

Good call on getting paint mixed. *Since chroma key paint is really thin, it needs primer, but regular paint is a little thicker so

-10 bucks for primer
-20 bucks because it's regular paint...

30 dollars in savings! *Cheap just got cheaper.


As for moving the lights back, I would, except that i'm greenscreening a table with two people sitting at it and the table is so big that I have to place it pretty close to the greenscreen or the edges of it pop out at the sides. *If the lights were any further back, the table would cast shadows and really screw stuff up.

The idea of making stands for the gels is a good one, though, since I also didn't bother moving the lights because they're hung by tacks, toy arrows from a bow and arrow set, and blue masking tape. *Perhaps I cheaped out a bit too much there....

[Terry_Lasater]

LOL... "toy arrows"?!

What type of surface does the table have? I'm assuming if it is wood it might be fairly reflective. In which case you'll need to be careful about camera height when shooting so that you don't get the green wall reflecting on the surface of the table.

You may be forced to put the camera in a lower position to avoid seeing the greenscreen reflecting on the tabletop.

[Policar]

I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but it's true. Thankfully the table, though wooden, is painted with a matte finish so it is pretty much non-reflective. If it were, I'd probably just take the lazy way out and mask it in as 100% opaque in post then color correct out the green from it.

[Harry_Destin]

Thanks Gregi.

HD

[Zoomforce]

wow very good guys.. Love the paint breakdown for mixing. Good stuff.

[Gregi_23]

I went from a BRONZE MEMBER back to a TRAINEE...........

Thanks a lot whoever pulled that on me............. darnit.........




Just kidding guys........hahahahahahahah
;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D :D :D :D :D :D :D :-[ :-[ :-[

[Gregi_23]

and btw.............
who the f....... took my second star??? hmm??????????

lord....... ain't getting any better around here.... back to the bottom


hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha

[Reginald T. Miller]

Policar, canyou post your captures again? for some reason, I can't see them.

[Kdawg]

wow, this thread is over 2 years old. Digging up a dinosaur like this usually doesnt have good results.

[bilgami]

i was wondering if i took those color numbers 103-4Y 113-1Y 1145Y32 and got the paint mixed how well will the paint stick to lets say cardboard or maybe you can suggest something else? what id like to do is come up with some sort of chroma key painted cards so i can place photos on top of them and shoot them and then key in generic background video so i can edit them behind the photos.

i did a search for chroma key on the b&h site and found this
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=NavBar&A=search&Q=