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Green screen in small space
  • tonalttonalt

    I'm building studio to small room (size about 3m x 3m).

    I need 3 backdrops: green (for chroma key), black and white.

    For this I already have 3-roller background paper support system (similar to this http://www.ebay.com/itm/400373022462 ).

    The background paper will be about 2m wide. Haven't found any place where to get this custom size though. Any ideas?

    I will put this in between cheap man's Manfrotto Autopoles: http://www.biltema.fi/fi/Rakentaminen/Vari-ja-Saumaus/Tyokalut/Kattotuki-86034/ . That's the best version in Finland, in US I guess it's this one: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000067S12/ref=asc_df_B000067S122575981 . Reason for "autopole" is that I don't want to drill extra holes to the wall and the "autopole" provides attachment point for lights etc.

    I attach the 3-roller to the "autopoles" using these Manfrotto super clamp replicas: http://www.ebay.com/itm/Articulating-Small-Super-Clamp-Crab-DSLR-Rig-LCD-Monitor-Studio-Light-Magic-Arm-/200926374880 . If I find them to be bad quality, I will buy original super clamps instead.

    And then the biggest problem. How to light green screen in limited space? I don't want any extra tripods / softboxes to the studio. I'm thinkg using led lights something like this http://www.ebay.com/itm/Portable-500-LED-Light-Panel-Photo-Video-Studio-Portrait-Dimmer-Lighting-Filter-/290900481579 on both sides. Hope them will be enough. I would attach them using super clamps and Manfrotto extension arms http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546373-REG/Manfrotto_by_Bogen_Imaging_042_042_Extension_Arm_with.html to the "autopoles". This way I would not have any extra tripods on the floor for the green screen lights.

    It would be also cool to have head light attached also to the "autopoles", with something like this: http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/546560-REG/Manfrotto_024B_Boom_Assembly_Black.html . The Manfrotto is pretty expensive though so I'm looking for alternative.

    I have seen many DIY green screen light projects like this

    but those don't get me too excited.

    Main purpose for the studio is basic "interview setup" and I aim to get everything as cheap as possible.

    Any ideas would be appreciated!

  • 8 Replies sorted by
  • shianshian

    considering you want a screen that reads around f4 to get a clean key, and you need your subject to be 6 feet away to avoid spill - this will be an adventure.

  • tonalttonalt

    6 feet? Hmm.. forgot to mention that I can get camera further away to hallway, because there's door just in front of the screen. So it might be just enough.

  • tosvustosvus

    Lighting will be tough, I have a room that is 4wide×7deep meters and it is extremely tight to get enough and even light due to space constraints.

  • shianshian

    You're gonna need nail-on plates with baby pins on them. Figure out where you get the best coverage while the soft sources are on a stand to figure out where the plate needs to go. Nail them to the studs in the ceiling. You're gonna have falloff problems no matter what. Unless you put a flo kickers on the floor off camera to compensate.

    THEN you'll have hot spot problems - but with garbage mattes, and keylight you should be fine, except the GH2 really sucks for greenscreen work.

    http://www.filmtools.com/mat3babnailp.html

  • kavadnikavadni

    @tonalt,
    How high is your ceiling?

  • tonalttonalt

    @kavadni Ceiling is at 2,4m. But it's concrete so I'm not willing to make holes to it :)

    GH2 probably sucks for green screen but I'm going to get BMPCC anyway.

    Hmmh didn't get any suggestions for green screen lights that are physically small as possible. I guess omething like this would be ideal: http://cheesycam.com/diy-flexible-led-strip-lighting/

    But again, DIY stuff.

    In this video the studio seems to be relatively small, but the result is acceptable to me!

  • kavadnikavadni

    @tonalt: This is a guess at what might work in that space, considering what you have indicated as preferences and restrictions.

    Most background paper I have found/seen is either 2.4m or 2.7m, so that should fit across a 3m wall.
    Assuming your paper is on one wall between two of the 'autopoles'.

    Get another two 'autopoles' and position them 1.2m away from the screen (based on the 2.4m background height and 2.4m width) at the edge of the room. Attach your lights to these.

    As far as lights go, your on the right track with the tubes, I think you'll find at that distance that 4 x 2 tube fittings will work. Attach them to the auto poles left and right ... you'll basically have 2 x 8 foot towers (4 x 36 watts each) either side. Get a roll of 2 foot black wrap and make a floor to ceiling cutter for each side to keep the light off your subject. This should allow to have your subject the same 1.2m from the BG, but in the centre.

    A rule of thumb to light screens evenly with tube fittings. Thinking horizontally ... half the width away, both side angled at 45degrees. With wide screens you light top to bottom with a raised floor.

    This is 4 tubes a side, if you want another stop use 8 tubes per side.

    The four 'autopoles' should allow to add cross beams ... and get a few lights off the floor too.

    Hope it helps.

    Here is an image of my set up 2.7m wide paper, I haven't got tube fittings yet ... it show the principals .. and the cutters ... those CFL take up too much space.

    The distance is 2m and the power per side is 4 x 55wats

    image

    c4094840709a9f3b1c75f65d71bc33.jpg
    960 x 720 - 71K
  • DouglasHornDouglasHorn

    I'm just going to say it: that amount of space is too small for you to set up a workable green screen stage. You need to have your subject at least 2m from the green screen for spill suppression and then you'll want your lights that light the subject another 2m away for pleasing lighting. All of these are minimums. Is it possible? Probably. Will you get satisfying results? Unlikely.

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