This is how to green screen. Within this video, I explain all green screen procedures from lighting to editing. Learning how to green screen may seem difficult at first but after purchasing the appropriate equipment and practicing in your green screen location, chroma keying (“green screening”) is an easy skill to master. Consistent lighting and consistent camera placement are both of extreme importance. High-quality audio without “room echo” is also super important, for achieving a convincing green screen effect. #ChromaKey #GreenScreen

GREEN SCREEN PAINT
I recommend painting a wall with green screen paint if it’s an option. If a wall cannot be painted at your location, consider painting a rigid piece of plywood or other material that can be placed temporarily in front of a wall. If that is not an option, consider a fabric green screen as a “plan b.” I personally dislike fabric green screens because they take up additional space and sometimes the fabric slightly blows and degrades the chroma key effect.

GREEN SCREEN LIGHTING
Aside from the green screen itself, appropriate lighting is one of the most important elements required to create a convincing green screen effect. For my setup, I use two soft box lights to light the green screen itself. In front of me, I use an LED light panel with diffuser attached. Overhead (optional) I hired an electrician to install a row of LED lights in the ceiling. If your studio has a window, blackout curtains may help to eliminate inconsistent lighting.

GREEN SCREEN CAMERA & LENS
Camcorders tend to be of inferior quality. For optimal green screen results, I use this camera body and this prime lens. I occasionally use other lenses as well but to green screen on a budget, this is the single lens that I would purchase. It can be placed close to the subject if needed and that’s optimal for smaller studios where a lens with more reach would not work. Also, capturing “bokeh” while green screening is not necessary.  Since this camera does not have a front-facing display, I utilize this field monitor and attached it to my camera via this camera cage.

GREEN SCREEN AUDIO
Shotgun microphones typically capture room echo. For that reason, I utilize a high-quality lavalier microphone and digital audio recorder that is easy for video talent to conceal inside their shirt and pocket. For multiple subjects, purchase multiple lavalier microphones and digital audio recordersBe sure to purchase the adapter cable.

GREEN SCREEN VIDEO EDITING
Video editing is one of the primary reasons that I made the switch from PC to Mac. Final Cut Pro X is my green screen editing software of choice and it only runs on a Mac computer. A well-equipped iMac Pro or MacBook Pro is an excellent choice for 4K green screen video editing. If your green screen workflow does not involve 4K video, a lesser-equipped Mac computer may be an option to consider.

GREEN SCREEN AUTOMATION
To avoid touching my green screen’s lightning and avoid disrupting their optimal placement, I utilize voice controls to turn my green screen lights on and off. This is accomplished via an Amazon Echo and Belkin Wemos. This is optional but is a major convenience in my opinion.

GREEN SCREEN EQUIPMENT PLACEMENT
Every green screen studio is different. If your green screen studio space is shared or you use your green screen equipment elsewhere, you should consider marking the placement of the camera’s tripod and green screen lights with gaffer’s tape. Consistency is key for green screening and having to tweak the placement of the camera and lights prior to every green screen shoot is not optimal.

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