Super White Background - High Key Video

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donjohannes

Member
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking into doing some video sessions for a larger project in which I would like to achieve a super white background, somewhat similar to the popular apple vs. pc clips ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgzbhEc6VVo ) though full body shots are not a must.

Now, as I understand, there are different options:

1) use a green screen and then key it out. Disadvantage: you need a large studio (which I don't have) to get the right distance between screen and talent + work hard to get a good key.

2) so maybe use a white screen: roll of seamless paper, I guess, or vinyl. Disadvantage: you still need a large studio to get the right distance between screen and talent. Great tutorial (photography: http://www.zarias.com/?p=71)

3) Use a Lastolite HiLite. Question? anyone ever tried putting a permanent light source inside and use this for video? Naturally it would have to be something that doesn't get too hot, like those energy saving light bulbs, whatever their abbreviation is... Here is the Lastolite for those that don't know it: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/produ...e_LL_LB8867_HiLite_Chromakey_Background_.html
Advantage: You could place the talent right before the screen shrinking the space needed in the studio. It would be your back light. Technically I can imagine that the setup could even be used as a green screen substitute if you fill it with a colored light. Then it would beat the Reflecmedia solution in some respects, because you no longer have to worry about the reflection on things like glasses. There might be some color spill, so...ok...

4) go a little DIY on this one, i.e. by using fabric that is used in softboxes and creating a screen (eg. 10 by 10 feet) that is then lit from the back. Maybe get something like this: http://www.photoflex.com/Photoflex_Products/LitePanel_Fabric_Translucent_77_x77_/index.html . Same advantage as the Lastolite but maybe that would solve the heat problem. Do you think such a large area could be lit evenly from the back?


Has anyone experimented with any of this and can share experiences or has an advice?

Thanks,
Johannes
 
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I've done a cowboy shot version of this very easily in my living room with stands and crossbeam and two width's of white paper. Distance isn't quite the issue it is with greenscreen since any spill is white and can work to your advantage. Green screen for a white background is a pain IMO because in most cases with the white paper, you can blow out the background in cam and garbage matte the edges if needed - voila, no keying issues to worry about.

Ideally I'd like to use a cyc, but in a pinch the white paper works just fine for most situations where you're not full body.

cheno
 
Hi Chenopup,

thanks for the quick reply. Would there not be the issue of shadows when doing this with the talent too close to the paper?

Johannes
 
I DP'd a quick (and admittedly dirty) music video where I had to create a totally white area. I basically set up 10 x 2k banks to totally blow out the walls. Fortunately the walls turned white. Unfortunately I was monitoring the image straight from the HD-SDI out on the EX1, but we recorded in HDV so there was quite a difference from what I was seeing and what we had to work with.

You can see the video here: http://vimeo.com/1989892

All that to say - what I did was light my background first, then light the talent. I made the background lighting independent of the talent (save for spill from the walls), so I could fine tune it later (which works great in theory, but only when the director/producer alots time for adjustments!).
 
Hey trudd,

thanks for your reply. thumbs up for your nice video. The setup would be, I guess, like the one I listed under (2) in my initial post. The separated lighting is key for a success here but it in order to avoid too much spill from the back, I need space, right? In a music video the (white/light) spill could even be desired, since it can be sort of art-sy, but I really have to avoid it, so I'm reluctant to blow the wall out totally with the talent too close. What distance did you have to the wall (the drummer for example)?

And distance is exactly where my problem is. I would prefer to shoot in my basement, because I could leave all my setup and equipment there over a long period of time and not worry. But if I need at least 10 feet between the wall and the talent, then the basement is an unsuitable solution and I have to move out. But since, where I live, I could only use places for a day at a time, that would mean I have to set things up and take them down again and again and move all things....

I will do exactly that, if that is what needs to be done. I'm hoping somehow that people with similar space restrictions have played around with options (3) or (4)
 
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There was about 7 or 8 feet between the drummer and the wall. The drummer could have been a foot from the wall, though, and had no shadow show up because it was lit from above. The 2k bank was about 3 feet from the wall and angled so the light covered from wall to floor.

Of course, this setup is easier in a studio than it is in a basement! But if you light the background from above, distance will not be as much an issue as you imagine :)
 
Thanks man.

So it's "light from above" that suffices :-)
Now how to make my basement just a little higher...or me a little shorter.... I guess I should start looking for a more adequate space.

Fr. Johannes
 
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