Have you ever wanted to make it look like you’re at someplace else in your videos? With a green screen, you’ll be able to give your viewers that illusion! One of the most famous visual effects techniques used by filmmakers. The green screen has been around for ages and you’ll commonly find them used for action movies, news channels and so much more! Green screens are your access to locations all around the globe but from the comfort of your own studio, or even your home.
Table of contents
- What is a green screen for?
- Why is it green?
- How does the background get added in?
- Can I use a green screen for a live stream?
- Tips if you’re using a green screen
What is a green screen for?
Whether you’re filming in a studio or even your own room, there’s one quick and easy way to make it look like you’re anywhere else. This is also one of the best ways to make the background of your video much neater and nicer for your video as well.
To give your viewers this illusion, the key equipment you need is a green screen. You’ve probably already heard all about a green screen and it’s magical properties. This visual effects technique is commonly used in both big and small scale productions.
Whether it’s for a scene in an action movie or for convenient location changes in YouTube films, green scenes can level up your production. While it’s not so much about the production budget, the usage of a green screen and a seamless backdrop can really give your video that extra spark.
Why is it green?
Green screens are more commonly used because green is the colour furthest away from our skin tone. In other words, green isn’t a common colour for our skin or hair. As such, try not to wear green when you know you’ll be using a green screen for the shoot. Unless of course, you want to really blend in with the background. Another thing you should avoid when working with a green screen, is anything shiny or reflective.
Technically speaking, it doesn’t have to be a green screen. Any solid bright and vibrant colour will do the trick, as long as the colour doesn’t clash with your clothes. You can also use a blue or red screen instead!
How does the background get added in?
The green screen is chroma keyed and then transformed into your desired background. Chroma keying is the visual effects technique used to layer two images or videos together. In essence, it replaces a selected colour with another image or video. The selected colour is basically made transparent and your background image will take up that selected space. Cool right?
Can I use a green screen for a live stream?
Since the background is often edited in post production, is it possible to use a green screen during a live stream? The answer is YES!
To chroma key the background for your live stream, you’ll need a software encoder such as vMix, OBS and XSplit. With the software, you’ll be able to select the green colour and insert your customised background in the live stream.
Using a green screen for your live stream is great because you can add your preferred visuals and even switch them throughout the stream! Best of all, if you’re a business, you can use the backdrop as advertisement space and promote your platform.
If you’re still new to chroma keying and live streaming, there’s one way to make sure our live stream runs smoothly and your backdrop is consistent!
You can reach out to a local live stream service provider such as Vivid Snaps to help you out!
Tips if you’re using a green screen
- Don’t wear green. unless you want to be one with your background
- Instead, wear neutral colours like beige or peach
- Don’t wear anything reflective (if possible, avoid white as well!)
- Small jewellery is fine to wear
2. Ensure that the lighting for the green screen is set up evenly.
- Having consistent lighting on your green screen is necessary for your chroma key to accurately remove the green screen.
- Light up your subject and green screen separately
3. Have your subject stand a few feet away from the backdrop
- This ensures that there won’t be any shadows casted.
We hope that you’ve learnt about green screens an chroma keys! With this knowledge, we hope that you’re more confident about using a green screen for your (live) video production!
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