using green screen for close ups

L

Lynos

Well-known member
I have a dialogue scene in a coffee shop and I found a great location, but I can't shoot the entire scene there. I can shoot there for only an hour maybe. I was thinking of shooting long shot, to establish the space, maybe show the actors sitting in the background, and then when we go to the actual close ups and medium shots, use a green screen. That is, shoot plates at the coffee shop from the correct angles and use them later.

Just go to some big room, create a green screen, and do it like that.

Do you think that could work? I won't have access to real professional green screens, I'll have to make do with what I find. I have 5 set-ups, five angles, not including the establishing shot.

Thanks.
 
> I won't have access to real professional green screens,
> I'll have to make do with what I find.

I'd work fast or find another coffee shop.
 
5 set-ups in an hour?
If they're only giving you an hour it might be best to find another place alltogether, or use a place that can sub as a coffess shop?

You could find a place with a close enough wall to match or hang a poster on the coffee shop wall behind each principle, then hand the posters elsewhere and shot your close ups.

Greenscreen might be hard if you only have an hour to shoot nevermind take light level readings, and get enough background plates.
 
Gorilla shooting 101.

Practice the dialog, get it down, and get it down well.

Storyboard it. Know where the shots are, and how to set up for it.
Have your DP know what you want.
Have a crew ready to set up lights and everything.

Schedule the shoot well. Compress it down so you don't have to keep moving the camera back and forth.

An hour should be fine depending on how much dialog you have. And how experienced your crew is. If everyone shows up on time and you can set up and strike fast and still get the shot. Go for it.

If you don't think you can do it. Get another location stat.
 
I had the same experience last summer. I went through 4 coffee shops trying nail down a day we could shoot- The morning of the shoot the last shop backed out. My producer opened up the phone book and four hours later we had a restaurant that looked 100X better than any shot I would have gotten in any of the coffee shops. Be flexible and work with what you can get. Green screen can be a nightmare if you are not experienced in lighting the key, matching lighting set-ups on actors ect...
 
Keep in mind as long as you have atleast one establishing shot in your desired location theirs a chance you could film the scene in different locations just shoot all your establishing shots and then do shot reverse shot in different locations but keep cutting to your establishing shots. And make sure to not show whats behind them in the establishing shots you can always re create this kind of stuff.
 
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