I just sold my XL2 and am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my XL H1. I have a green screen shoot to do in a couple of weeks. I was wondering if anyone could recommend a Chroma Key preset or perhaps just some tips. I've been reading over the manual for the HL H1. It sure is a lot more involved than the XL2.

I will be shooting in DV not via SDI.

A preset of some type would sure come in handy.

Thanks

Hey Tim I've had good luck with my DSC presets they seem to give the most natural color. I would (if I were you) make sure I have some minus green gel on hand for an edge light and, you know, an evenly lit green screen. THis si the way i've done it for my past 5 and have had excellent results.

Nick-

Thanks... I'll check it out. I really appreciate the feedback!

Tim

Tim;
Use even light on the green screen and keep it 1/2 stop under your foreground. I have had excellent results with my XL-H1. We shoot green screen all the time.
Barry

I suggest turning sharpening down to -9 (if you don't have it there already) for HDV recording. That will cut down on compression, sharpening, and keying artifacts.

Thanks again! This is all very helpful.

Nick, where do I find the DSC preset?

Tim, you'll find Nick's preset here:
http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showpost.php?p=817038&postcount=66

Thanks again!

What exactly was this preset created for?

Tim

The preset was created as a request, it's intended to maximize the accuracy in color so that someone could have the most versatility in post. It's not so much of a "look" as it is a really good starting point (after white balance of course)

I hope they work out well for you, please note that the 60i and 24f are different!

Nick-

Thanks again!

In which way do 60i and 24f differ than the XL2? Also... would you recommend 60i or 24f for green screen?

Don't have an XL2 so I'm not sure, I know there is a slight red shift (I think) between the 60i and the 24f. If it's solely a green screen thing I believe that 60i yields a sharper moving image, but I think 24f looks better.

(sorry I can't be of more help, more or less I'd say it's pretty much an aesthetic choice)

I am working on a spoof of American Idol. The actors are all in some pretty colorful costumes. I really want to give it the look and feel of American Idol. I was thinking anything 24P/F would give it a more cinematic look. Perhaps I should shoot 60i for more of a video look. However, if the chroma keying is going to work best in 24f I may go that way.

I will be getting my XL H1 before the end of the week. I don't even have the camera yet and I feel overwhelmed.

Thanks again!

if you're spoofing american idol (or just about anything in reality TV) I would say go with the 60i I don't think that the 24f or 60i is inherently better or worse for green screen. The other plus in this case is if you decide you want a progressive look you can deinterlace in post.

Thanks again Nick! When the project is complete I'll post a link from this post with my final settings.

No problem Tim, enjoy your new camera!

In which way do 60i and 24f differ than the XL2? Also... would you recommend 60i or 24f for green screen?

The XL-H1 has less perceived resolution in 24f mode since it is creating the 24frames per second by processing an interlaced CCD block. I think the XL2 circuit looked higher res in progressive mode than interlaced which is a total flip/flop for the H1. Now don't worry that fact as it is still a higher rez image than most HD cameras in it's class anyway with the EX1 being the possible exception.

I just thought you should be aware of this as I still find when I am viewing 60i material shot on the H1 I am blown away at how crystal clear it is. It looks like looking through a window!

Good Luck.

On a side note I recently did a 10 minute short film for a local church that is a parody of Extreme Makeover Home Edition. Despite knowing that 60i was the best choice to emulate the actual reality TV show, I still shot it in 24P because I am a sucker for the look and feel of film. Nobody noticed or said anything because overall it looked more historical and less "live" to me than the real program does.

They loved it.

Good Luck again!

Hey Tim I've had good luck with my DSC presets they seem to give the most natural color. I would (if I were you) make sure I have some minus green gel on hand for an edge light and, you know, an evenly lit green screen. THis si the way i've done it for my past 5 and have had excellent results.

Tim,

Couple of suggestions as well... Minus green / Magenta gels have been used for backlight to reduce spill in the past. It really depends on what you're using to key your scene as to whether or not you want to do this. Shake, dvMatte and even After Effects can use the information in the green spill in a few different ways, most popular is light wrap. The warm tint you can get using minus green on edge light can pose problems in this case as the keying software is looking for the same color as the background. If you're keying in an NLE keyer, the minus green can help. If you're not sure how it's going to be keyed, I'd not use the minus green.

Another suggestion is 1/2 stop hotter on your foreground (talent) over your background. If you're doing interactive / custom lighting to your background (dimly lit bar / room) and you need your subject to match, 1/2 stop hotter may not work. The big trick is to get your screen lit evenly (65 - 70 ire) and then light your subject separately. If the screen is lit evenly, you can underlight your subject and still have a clean key.