Thinking of using a green screen for your upcoming project? Ready to take your production value to the next level?In this article, we’ll be breaking down the basics of green screens, how they work, when they’re used, and how using one could seriously improve your production.
How Green Screens Work
Green screening - or chroma keying to use the technical term - is a technique that has been commonplace in film and television for decades now allowing various elements of a scene to be composited together in post-production.The way it works is quite simple to understand. The colour of the backdrop - which usually, though not always green - is digitally removed from a shot, allowing it to be placed on top of another shot to create the illusion of a backdrop.In modern productions it’s quite common for VFX teams to shoot and combine multiple ‘plates’, bringing many layers together to create a final, realistic shot.
When to Use a Green Screen
When most people think of green screens, they think of big-budget Hollywood movies, and actors walking through seamless digitally generated environments. That being said, green screens are just as common on studio broadcasts such as the morning news and even small-budget YouTube productions.Another common misconception is that green screens are only used to generate environments that couldn’t be filmed traditionally. This is not true at all. Many scenes in film and television that take place in dense urban environments are shot on green screens to reduce production costs and the end result is usually indistinguishable from reality.But it’s not just about reducing the costs of filming. Studio environments give directors an incredible amount of freedom over the lighting and staging of a scene without having to worry about the backdrop. This lets them really focus on an actor’s performance with far less time pressure and very little to distract them. Meanwhile, the backdrop itself can be constructed after the fact and altered to suit the final tone and mood of the shot.
Why You Should Use a Green Screen
Whether you’re shooting an advert for a product, a documentary, or even a short film, working in a studio with a green screen is the single most freeing decision you can make. Location shooting is famous for its many logistical problems, from simply getting all your cast and crew to the right place, to ensuring that the shoot is completed while lighting conditions are still favourable.By contrast, green screens make for a simple and easy shooting environment that’s highly conducive to a fast and iterative process.If you’d like to enhance your production value with a green screen studio then contact Mount Pleasant today by calling 020 7837 1957 or emailing simon@mountpleasantstudio.com.
