How do you select and use a Green Screen Chroma Key Backdrop?

What is a Green Screen?

Green Screens are used by photographers and videographers to allow them to place any image they choose behind a presenter or foreground object using the Chroma Key process. The screen is supplied as a solid green colour, and when the screen is installed correctly, the background colour can be digitally removed and replaced with an image.

Why are Green Screens green

The colour green is typically selected for green screens as they are a vastly different colour to the colour found in skin tones and most clothing that would be worn by a presenter. This means that the colour green can easily be removed from a video or image and replaced with any background of choice, without affecting the other colours in front of it.

What are the features of the best Green Screens?

A quality green screen should absorb light, be completely smooth and without wrinkles, and freestanding.

Lighting is one of the most critical elements of a great green screen background to ensure perfect results in the chroma key process. Some films can reflect light, so using a matte fabric allows the studio lighting to be absorbed, so you get an even light for that perfect result.

Having a wrinkle free green screen is critical to ensure that no shadows or darker areas appear in the background of your green screen. Most green screens will have some way of tensioning the screen to remove wrinkles; however, using a stretched fabric over an even and stable frame is the best way of ensuring a great wrinkle free background.

A great freestanding screen that is sturdy should allow you to set up your screen in any location while ensuring that it is portable, so it can be reused over and over again. Easy Signs ensures that their Green Screens absorb light, are freestanding, and are wrinkle free.

You can get an instant price and order your Green Screen here.

What software can you use with a Green Screen?

As long as a green screen has a consistent finish and is evenly lit, our screens are compatible with all leading brands of Chroma Key Software - including Filmora, Adobe Premier Pro, iMovie, Magix Vegas Pro, Lightworks, DaVinci, VSDC, Zoom and Camtasia.

Please note that we do not sell these programs, meaning you would need to source the software yourself through a licensed retailer.

What is the key to creating a successful Chroma Key background?

Knowing what will be shown in the background is critical to a great Chroma Key result. For a professional result always ensure that the Green Screen is evenly and thoroughly lit, using different lighting to the lighting used for the foreground subject. Then, based on the background you intend to add into your video or photo, you should look to light the presenter or object in the foreground using a similar lighting situation. An example may be that if you intended to show an evening image in the background, then you should use dim lights in the foreground so that it looks like the subject is being filmed in the evening. Several online tutorials explain how you can do this.

Knowing what will be shown in the background is critical to a great Chroma Key result. For a professional result, always ensure that the Green Screen is evenly and thoroughly lit, using a different lighting source to that used for the foreground subject. Then, based on the background you intend to add into your video or photo, you should look to light the presenter or object in the foreground using a similar lighting situation. An example may be that if you intended to show an evening image in the background, then you should use dim lights in the foreground so that it looks like the subject is being filmed in the evening. Several online tutorials explain how you can do this.