Getting a high-quality green screen video can be tricky, but we've got some pro tips to help. While having recently exploded on TikTok, green screens have actually been around since 1930, using nearly the exact same method. When a color appears completely solid on film, it can be extracted in post, then layered with a different captured image/film strip. It's the perfect technique to make a "virtual set" when filming. Keep reading for our top three tips on how to get a clean green screen video.
1) Use a Clean, Green Background
To get the highest quality green screen video, we suggest using a wall, cloth, or vinyl backdrop. Whatever you use, it needs to be flat, even, and smooth. Uniformity is the name of the game for clean green screen video. Any amount of slight shadow, wrinkle, blemish, etc on your backdrop will slightly change its shade. The tiniest inconsistency in a backdrop’s chroma range (any slight color difference) can easily be detected by the camera. That means in post you need to expand the range of pixels you are removing - which then will start to encroach on your subject. Think about it like when you're on a Zoom call and your arm disappears from the shot. Both green and blue screens are used in this technique because they create a stark contrast with human skin tones (which contain more yellows and oranges). However, we highly recommend sticking to a literal green screen. Cameras have more green pixel sensors than red or blue, making for a more precise edit.
2) Use Even Lighting
Even lighting is crucial to maintaining the integrity of the green screen's uniformity. Uneven lighting creates shadows, light spots, and a plethora of chroma ranges. When setting up lighting for your green screen video, make sure to have separate lights for the backdrop, in addition to the lights for your subject. Lighting the green screen itself eliminates shadows created by the subject's lighting. Use large, soft, diffused light around the sides of the green screen so as not to create bright spots. Additionally, be careful not to overexpose your image. Bumping up the exposure on your camera causes it to pick up additional chroma ranges, lowering the quality of the green screen video. We also highly recommend determining the lighting that will be in the background of the finished edit first, and then lighting your subject accordingly. This creates a much more natural visual effect.
3) Use Editing Software to Key Out the Background
Make no mistake--we're not suggesting you shrug off a sloppy set up with the "we'll fix it in post" approach. However, unless you plan on hand-cutting film strips, you will need to use an editing software to achieve the green screen effect. The higher your production value, the easier it is to remove the background. If you have very clean, evenly-lit green screen footage, you can use a simple program like CapCut or a social media app's post-editing suite. On the other hand, if your filming setup was less than ideal, you may need to utilize a more powerful tool like Adobe Premiere or Adobe After Effects. Just be sure not to completely rely on fixing colors in post when using a green screen. Finally, once the background has been removed, you're free to layer photos or clips under your original video.
Looking for a green screen? Check out the Angela Wolf Video studio here!
Do you have a specific video question? Schedule a free video analysis call at bit.ly/callawv