On Location Green Screen at DVinfo.net

Lalo Alvidrez · November 29th, 2010, 03:58 PM

I was looking at getting a green screen set up
Green Screen Kit – 5 Lighting Head PC Lighting Systems
and was wondering if this system would be good for shooting on location? Is the set up pretty quick? More than likely will be shot in a conference room at customers location. Would you recommend another set up that's more portable? I see they have different light set ups but what is your opinion on the $750 set up? the video is mainly for web footage. I'm new to green screen so kinda want to get something ordered so I can start playing with it.

Guy Cochran · December 2nd, 2010, 02:41 PM

The video on the site you link to shows a pretty simple set-up. It is a bit large for say a small office/conference room.
The size of the location will be the deciding factor on how big of a kit you can bring in. It will also depend on if you're going for full body or just head and shoulder. A simple pop-up type chroma key screen might work, it will depend on a number of factors, those small pop-up screens sometimes will not allow enough separation to keep the green/blue from spilling on to the talent's head/shoulders. This spill can cause issues in post.
Before making any purchases, I'd consider getting a book such as The Green Screen Handbook | Jeff Foster - the PixelPainter Maybe even find some footage to play with and practice keying in your NLE before "going for it"
A great resource for free green footage to experiment with is Hollywood Camera Work - Downloads - Free HD Green Screen Plates and Footage to experiment with

Brian Drysdale · December 3rd, 2010, 04:43 AM

The Lastolite backgrounds are handy for head, upper body type stuff when hung from a goal post arrangement.

Lastolite Limited, Manufacturer of Chromakey Backgrounds for Film and Video.

The problem is folding them again.

Robert Turchick · December 3rd, 2010, 05:14 AM

Oddly, I just shot a video on a setup just like the one on the PC lighting web site. (it was my clients permanent setup in their office, they just wanted the quality of the XF300) gotta say it worked pretty darn well. The room they have setup is quite small though it was pretty easy to do a full body with how wide the xf's lens is. Talent was about 6 feet from the screen and i was about 6 feet from the talent up against the back wall. It keyed with great ease...very minor spill suppression.
I say go for it!

Keep in mind the time to set up something like that. I have a similar rig I use with a couple of different fabric BGs for portraits photography. First time I set it up it took almost 2 hours. Now I can do it in one. Thats cause I leave the softboxes built and the BGs are on cardboard tubes rather than folded fabric.

I'll be using a friends lastolite 6x9 on Saturday and though I've used it before, not with the XF. Should be a breeze. Screen is very nice. Easier to set up than the draped fabric screens. No wrinkles! They are a pain to get folded back down though!

November 29th, 2010, 03:58 PM	#1
Lalo Alvidrez Major Player Join Date: May 2006 Location: Longview, Tx. Posts: 227	On Location Green Screen I was looking at getting a green screen set up Green Screen Kit – 5 Lighting Head PC Lighting Systems and was wondering if this system would be good for shooting on location? Is the set up pretty quick? More than likely will be shot in a conference room at customers location. Would you recommend another set up that's more portable? I see they have different light set ups but what is your opinion on the $750 set up? the video is mainly for web footage. I'm new to green screen so kinda want to get something ordered so I can start playing with it.

December 2nd, 2010, 02:41 PM	#2
Guy Cochran DVCreators.Net Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Seattle, WA Posts: 892	The video on the site you link to shows a pretty simple set-up. It is a bit large for say a small office/conference room. The size of the location will be the deciding factor on how big of a kit you can bring in. It will also depend on if you're going for full body or just head and shoulder. A simple pop-up type chroma key screen might work, it will depend on a number of factors, those small pop-up screens sometimes will not allow enough separation to keep the green/blue from spilling on to the talent's head/shoulders. This spill can cause issues in post. Before making any purchases, I'd consider getting a book such as The Green Screen Handbook \| Jeff Foster - the PixelPainter Maybe even find some footage to play with and practice keying in your NLE before "going for it" A great resource for free green footage to experiment with is Hollywood Camera Work - Downloads - Free HD Green Screen Plates and Footage to experiment with __________________ Guy Cochran DVinfo Sponsor, Cool Gear - DVeStore!

December 3rd, 2010, 05:14 AM	#4
Robert Turchick Trustee Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Mesa, AZ Posts: 1,389	Oddly, I just shot a video on a setup just like the one on the PC lighting web site. (it was my clients permanent setup in their office, they just wanted the quality of the XF300) gotta say it worked pretty darn well. The room they have setup is quite small though it was pretty easy to do a full body with how wide the xf's lens is. Talent was about 6 feet from the screen and i was about 6 feet from the talent up against the back wall. It keyed with great ease...very minor spill suppression. I say go for it! Keep in mind the time to set up something like that. I have a similar rig I use with a couple of different fabric BGs for portraits photography. First time I set it up it took almost 2 hours. Now I can do it in one. Thats cause I leave the softboxes built and the BGs are on cardboard tubes rather than folded fabric. I'll be using a friends lastolite 6x9 on Saturday and though I've used it before, not with the XF. Should be a breeze. Screen is very nice. Easier to set up than the draped fabric screens. No wrinkles! They are a pain to get folded back down though! __________________ The older I get, the better I was!

December 3rd, 2010, 04:43 AM	#3
Brian Drysdale Inner Circle Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Belfast, UK Posts: 6,143	The Lastolite backgrounds are handy for head, upper body type stuff when hung from a goal post arrangement. Lastolite Limited, Manufacturer of Chromakey Backgrounds for Film and Video. The problem is folding them again.