Seamless Background Paper (Music Video)

I founded paper to break and not last the full production shoot and very expensive , so I bought damaged 2mm Masonite templered sheets 2.7 meter x 1.8m from a wood merchant or you also can get a very thin chip board call ultra board and make your backdrop , then just paint it what colour you want with cheap pva. this back drop costed me about 40usd in total and I am still using 8yrs done the line . just a fresh coat of paint and there you go.
 
An idea I had was to paint the wall, but what about the floor as I will probably get some wide shots? Also I fully understand that the paper can easily tear and not last the full production, which is why we planned on using different colors.


$60 a roll of paper is not really cheap once you start adding a bunch of colors.... Maybe finding a way to paint a wall red and the floor in at least a 12x12 area might work?


Any help is appreciated, Thanks
 
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I have a studio which is 6 or 7 meters wide, at the back with white walls and floors

I would be concerned about getting 6 people in that space - I consider it to be big enough for 2 models

If I were you I would do some tests - get six chairs in front of a wall and note the size of BG required

The closer they are to the wall the smaller the BG needs to be (and the more lighting shadow issues you will have)

the further away the simpler to light but larger BG

As you use a more tele lens you need a smaller background, but need more space to move back (ie a deeper room)

If you are hoping to shoot cutaways from the side it will become even harder, requiring a larger space - or doing a seperate take(s) and cheating the lights

TEST TEST TEST

Too small for 6? .. the lights from the roof illuminate the BG and keep the floor free of stands..

_MG_0229.jpg


S
 
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Depends on how much of the body you want to show. At 5:50 of this test I did I fit like 8 people on the 9 ft wide savage backdrop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2dlWUesfumg As far as the example video goes it wasn't shot with anything much bigger either. Heres the behind the scenes footage http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAuonLV9ZR4 start looking at 2:58. I think everything but the white backdrop was shot on the 9 ft wide savage backgrounds. If you look at the monitor while they are filming they let the sides show and I guess they resized it or digitally painted the background back in in post. At 1:09 you can tell something weird is going on and that's not all in camera footage for the wide shots. Also take note that they didnt have any widescreen bars or anything in the final video so you get a bit more of the image.
 
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Efexone said:
looks big enough for 6 people.
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Absolutely.. with a tele lens straight on but its easy to hit the side walls - its not coved so have to light the corners - its not too easy - of course that a pic with a very wide lens

I like to have the subject off the background so that the lighting can not bleed from one to the other

I think out OP needs to do some tests with different lenses and different distances

I have a BG for use on location that is proably 4 meters and have got a heap of people onto it..

TO be exact its 3.7 meters.. http://www.colorama-photo.com/vinyl-backgrounds.php

You may see that I have left a little space from subject to BG to light the BG to enable simplify cut out in post.. it worked perfectly on 2/3 shots with no floor in, but there is still bleed fo the white onto the subject in this frame

(nice snap! .. not)

_MG_1715.JPG


S
 
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Superior goods are 9' or 12' wide. Shipping becomes a freight-only option over 9' lengths, which is why it is harder to find wider goods. I highly recommend looking at your local flooring store for wide bolts of short-end linoleum, which can be purchased by linear foot or linear yard. Put the face down on the ground and paint-out the gray foam backing, which is very durable.
 
Erik Olson said:
Superior goods are 9' or 12' wide. Shipping becomes a freight-only option over 9' lengths, which is why it is harder to find wider goods. I highly recommend looking at your local flooring store for wide bolts of short-end linoleum, which can be purchased by linear foot or linear yard. Put the face down on the ground and paint-out the gray foam backing, which is very durable.
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Yep, you don't really want to pay to ship this stuff. Luckily my local pro photography store stocks the 140".
 
In a pinch... with an assistant... you can hang seamless the "wrong" way - IE, the roll end would be, say, on the left, standing upright. You can make a 9' x 50' back wall this way (something like 9 x 15 being more manageable). You have to roll it out, cut it, have some sort of hanging setup ready, and carefully get it up. It helps to roll it gently in the new direction - just enough to "train" it that it's now vertical and not horizontal, can keep it from buckling. Just roll it loosely (have two or three people on that), slide the roll up to the wall, and gently pull the edge up to the height you need.

Of course, you won't get a "sweep" from wall to floor this way, but you can lay another piece on the floor and butt it against the wall. The whole thing is sort of a "night before" deal.

Most cyc's I've worked on, in large photo or rental studios, are linoleum, which can be repainted for years. That's really only useful in a permanent install - not very practical stuff for a temporary or location job.
 
i have rolls and rolls of the savage paper in a variety of colors. and its pretty good. but setting stuff on it (especially PEOPLE!), you'll go through it pretty quickly. and if you have a buncha hip-hop folks jumping around on it. it wouldnt last one take.

anyone ever thought about the raw rolls of vinyl they use in the sign/awning bizs?

id bet they would sell bulk rolls of smooth, white vinyl...
 
wgzn said:
i have rolls and rolls of the savage paper in a variety of colors. and its pretty good. but setting stuff on it (especially PEOPLE!), you'll go through it pretty quickly.
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Use the paper primarily for your wall. For the floor, go buy Thrifty White Panel Board from Home Depot. Each 4' x 8' panel cost $12. If you need more than one panel, lay them down with the front one (toward the camera) overlapping the back one (toward the back/white wall) slightly. Then place the back panel board so it overlaps the paper slightly so as to form a nice curve but not have anyone stand on the paper itself. The seams won't show up at all.

I'm not sure if this solution would work if you need it to be wider than 8'. You could overlap the panel board side to side but the seam might show up. But perhaps you could hide it if you play around with the lighting enough.

And, of course, this only works if you're using white paper.
 
I'm starting to think if would be better if I just green screen the entire project? All I would do is change the green to Red, Black, White and I guess find the best way to make it look natural or should I just stick to using the seamless paper?
 
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