Studio Green Screen Lighting Advice

[Rob Knoll]

Hello all,
Question: If you had to light a green screen (or more likely a green wall, painted with chroma paint) in a permanent/studio setup, how would you light it?

I don't have exact figuires on wall size, but a large wall. (10' high x 40' long)

There are many videos and how-to articles on the web for a simple green screen setup, but this setup would be professional and the quality should be high. (a green sheet and some halogen work lights will not cut it this time. :)

Quality over cost at this point, but please try to keep the total cost reasonable.

Thank you in advace for your guidance!

[Steve Kalle]

Budget at least $10,000 for just the lighting and then $1,000-2,000 for the support system. I can't recall the name but there are lights designed to sit above the screen and reflect light evenly downwards. Or get 10-12 Kino 2 bank 4 footers for above and below. However, you probably will need a DMX setup so add another $5k.

[Paul R Johnson]

If you need to top light evenly, then search for asymmetrical floods - these have a reflector that has an uneven dispersion, so it focusses light downwards - helps light cloths/walls evenly - Bigger studios use them - but they're hot - and you need quite a few for evenness. If you try to use top light close in for distance reasons, the top of the screen is too bright - So much depends on finding them - here in the UK we can still find these, but as yet, nobody has made (that I'm aware of) LED cool versions.

Selecon Lighting - Aurora Flood

This kind of product. Space a load of these around 2 to 3 feet apart, around 3 ft away from the top, and they work pretty well - plenty of different wattage versions

[Mike Watson]

I used to light mine with
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/273606-REG/Mole_Richardson_3211_1000_Watt_Broad_Light.htmland
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/273693-REG/Mole_Richardson_3221_2000_Watt_Molequartz_Double_Broad.html
If I were doing it again today I would seriously look at 1000 LED units - but I'm not sure how that would work.

Generally, when placing an order the size of yours - anywhere that sells these lights will have lighting guys in their pocket that you can ask advice from - I'd do that regardless of what you buy.

[Jacques Mersereau]

Steve gives some good advice.
We use Six 4x4 Bank Kinoflos on a 20x50', but EIGHT would be much better and another eight for the floor in front of the screen.
Having lights above and on the floor is okay if you can hide them, but 10' x 40' is sort of a strange size as you will have to get the talent pretty close to the wall depending on your shot, and floor instruments might well be in the way. They still have tendency to hot spot even with diffusion. Personally, I would hang from above and not bother with the floor lights with a 10' tall wall. Kinos with green lamps? They can also wash the talent with green light and that is not good. It will be hard to get enough back and side light at the proper angles with your screen dimensions to overcome green spill light.

As always, YMMV.

J.

[Dean Sensui]

In your calculations on cost, figure in the software to do the compositing.

That's often overlooked, yet it plays a "key" role!

I use Primatte with After Effects. And it will extract a matte with almost ANYTHING.

Also, the camera, how it's set up, and the recording format counts, too.

[Charles Papert]

Kinos are indeed the way to go. They run cool, light evenly and are relatively inexpensive. I'm sure there are knockoffs that will do the job but you can search here for information for those, I don't use them myself.

[David Aronson]

Kinos are your best option. A slightly cheaper option(up front) would be getting a 14-16 cyc lights.

This is a good one.
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/671492-REG/Strand_Lighting_10AUCYC1US_Aurora_Cyc_Single_Light.html

[Rob Knoll]

I have used Kino Image 45's in the past for the same kind of thing. Even with the standard 3200k bulbs, the result was fantastic. They are expensive units, but in the long run the light quality is worth it.
Has anyone tried the bulbs they make specificly for Chroma key work? Is it worth it?

[Jacques Mersereau]

A client brought in some kino's bulbed with the greens.
They do make the already green background pop nice,
BUT there was lots of space between the single interviewed talent
and the screen. You have to make sure that they only hit the screen and not the talent.

Therefore, green lamps would never work with our 'full body' stage
as the last thing you want is the talent rimmed with green light more than already happens.