Lighting is one of the most crucial elements of shooting on a Green Screen. Doing this correctly will save you both time and money during the post-production process. Here’s how you can properly light a green screen studio space for the best possible results:
Keying The Green Screen Effectively
The most critical part of keying is having the screen evenly lit up. Big, soft light sources are the most sensible choice to achieve this. Hard light sources tend to cause issues with hot spots on the green screen, which will cause problems when attempting to key the screen out. The texture on the screen will be exaggerated which will also cause problems when keying.
Shadows Will Equal Uneven Lighting
The light must be even across the entire green screen. If it isn’t, you will experience problems with the key, as they are less saturated with green and may even begin to approach a similar tone to any clothing that the subject(s) of the video could be wearing. Areas of clothing will then disappear on screen.
A Way Of Measuring Lighting
A light meter can clue you in on which parts of the green screen may need additional light. Another way you can figure this out is by turning on the zebra on the camera and slowly open up the aperture. It should pick the zebra stripes up at the same time, and if it doesn’t, you’ll know exactly where your problem areas of lighting are.
Using Space Lights When Starting Out
Space lights are an ideal starter light when lighting green screen studios. They are a soft light source and will do the majority of the work for you. For additional lighting, you can use something like tube boxes to assist. They have a large lighting area that can give excellent results.
Properly Lighting The Subject(s)
Lighting the subject(s) is another crucial thing to consider once you’ve lit your green screen studio space. You should continue to light them as you usually would any other time, but also consider a few things. You should avoid creating shadows as they can cause problems with the key, and avoid creating hot spots on the green screen. A rim light can be useful for helping to separate the subject(s) from the background, and can also bleach out any green spill that might be coming from the background. If you don’t do this, you’ll add more time on to the post-production as you’ll have to colour correct it out.
The most important things to remember about lighting your green screen studio space is that it must be evenly lit with vast, soft lighting. Avoid creating any shadows when lighting the subject and control green spill using negative fill and rim lighting. Getting the best possible result as early on in the production as possible will save you time and money, which are extremely valuable when shooting. You’ll also get better results, so make sure you use these tips vigilantly.
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