Reflecmedia vs. Traditional GreenScreen at DVinfo.net

November 23rd, 2005, 01:58 PM

Within the next month I'll be doing some greenscreen work. I just learned about Reflecmedia's products and like the concept.

Has anyone here used their system or heard any pro's or con's about it?

What appeals to me is how it reduces the needs for all the light that would need to be used to correctly light a greenscreen. I like the idea of having less lights, less cords and less heat (with less AC used for proper cooling) in a studio environment. Not to mention the fact that the talent being filmed would not have so much heat on them.

This is a quote from their site -

"We have taken the blue or green colour away from the fabric and completely removed the need to separately light the background. The ability to change the background keying colour in seconds cannot be achieved any quicker - no need to hang a different drape or repaint the studio walls! Tungsten, HMI and Fluorescent lights can be large in size, expensive to power and uncomfortable to work under. Typically you require thousands of watts to light absorbent chroma key fabrics, whereas the LiteRing output of around 10 watts provides all the light required by Chromatte."

Here's a link to their site: http://www.reflecmedia.com

Mike Medlock · November 23rd, 2005, 02:47 PM

Derek, I purchased the Reflecmedia system just over a year ago and used it on about a dozen location shoots with the ChromaFlex green background. It paid for itself in less than a month. Please note the system isn't perfect -shadows can be a problem, and you do have to be mindful of reflections of the green (or blue) LED ring showing up in talent's glasses, etc. (For reference all my shoots were done with a Sony HDR-FX1/HDV format, using a variety of keyers including Keylight. I think some of the newer keyers that remove DV/HDV artifacts would be of great help - I've demoed a couple and they are pretty amazing.)

The system is perfect for me as I often have to shoot corporate talent in their offices with very little room and NO time for setup. Within those parameters, it is a miracle and worth every penny.

For a dedicated studio setup it would certainly work, although you could probably save a boatload of $$ by using more traditional methods, and you would not have to work around the shadow and reflection issues.

Hope this info helps.

November 23rd, 2005, 02:55 PM

It helps a LOT. I like what I've read about them on their web site, and what you just wrote confirms what they've said.

I appreciate you letting me know what camera you are using as well. I am using an XL2 for now but may be adding a HDV camera as time goes on, so knowing that you are using it effectively with a FX1 is a great help as well.

Thank you for your time. Hopefully your information will help others in the future.

November 23rd, 2005, 01:58 PM	#1
Guest Posts: n/a	Reflecmedia vs. Traditional GreenScreen Within the next month I'll be doing some greenscreen work. I just learned about Reflecmedia's products and like the concept. Has anyone here used their system or heard any pro's or con's about it? What appeals to me is how it reduces the needs for all the light that would need to be used to correctly light a greenscreen. I like the idea of having less lights, less cords and less heat (with less AC used for proper cooling) in a studio environment. Not to mention the fact that the talent being filmed would not have so much heat on them. This is a quote from their site - "We have taken the blue or green colour away from the fabric and completely removed the need to separately light the background. The ability to change the background keying colour in seconds cannot be achieved any quicker - no need to hang a different drape or repaint the studio walls! Tungsten, HMI and Fluorescent lights can be large in size, expensive to power and uncomfortable to work under. Typically you require thousands of watts to light absorbent chroma key fabrics, whereas the LiteRing output of around 10 watts provides all the light required by Chromatte." Here's a link to their site: http://www.reflecmedia.com

November 23rd, 2005, 02:55 PM	#3
Guest Posts: n/a	Thanks Mike It helps a LOT. I like what I've read about them on their web site, and what you just wrote confirms what they've said. I appreciate you letting me know what camera you are using as well. I am using an XL2 for now but may be adding a HDV camera as time goes on, so knowing that you are using it effectively with a FX1 is a great help as well. Thank you for your time. Hopefully your information will help others in the future.

November 23rd, 2005, 02:47 PM	#2
Mike Medlock New Boot Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 15	Derek, I purchased the Reflecmedia system just over a year ago and used it on about a dozen location shoots with the ChromaFlex green background. It paid for itself in less than a month. Please note the system isn't perfect -shadows can be a problem, and you do have to be mindful of reflections of the green (or blue) LED ring showing up in talent's glasses, etc. (For reference all my shoots were done with a Sony HDR-FX1/HDV format, using a variety of keyers including Keylight. I think some of the newer keyers that remove DV/HDV artifacts would be of great help - I've demoed a couple and they are pretty amazing.) The system is perfect for me as I often have to shoot corporate talent in their offices with very little room and NO time for setup. Within those parameters, it is a miracle and worth every penny. For a dedicated studio setup it would certainly work, although you could probably save a boatload of $$ by using more traditional methods, and you would not have to work around the shadow and reflection issues. Hope this info helps.