Student Name:
DVA 1 – GREEN SCREEN
GREEN SCREENS IN MOTION PICTURES
Resource site:
http://filmmakeriq.com/lessons/5-elements-of-a-great-chromakey/
The first question you’re going to ask is green or blue? Blue screen was a traditional color in the film days and is
still used today for many productions, but green is the preferred color for digital keying. Why? Because many
digital cameras use a Bayer pattern of Red Green Blue photo sites where there are twice as many green photo
sites as there are red and blue. This makes digital cameras much more sensitive to green coloring. Green screen
also requires a lot less light than blue screen and is less likely to match the clothing of your actors.
Still you may want to use blue screen in certain cases – say you’re shooting a green monster. In fact, on the Sam
Raimi’s Spiderman, The Green Goblin had to be photographed on a bluescreen because the suit would have been
lost on a green screen. Spiderman on the other hand had to be shot on a Green screen, because his suit was red
and blue.
When it comes to the material of your screen you have several options. The first is to paint your background
using a Chroma key paint. This is the most permanent although labor intensive way to create a Chroma key
background though certainly necessary if you are planning on installing a cyclorama.
SAMPLE SHOT OF AGREEN CYCLORMA ALSO CALLED AN “INFINITY CYC”
The other option is to hang your screen You’ll need background stands and clamps to hang your screen on. The
screen itself can be made out of paper, or muslin background clothe, but I prefer foam backed cloth because it
scatters the light more evenly so you can avoid hotspots and the foam keeps the screen from wrinkling when not
in use.
For small setups, foldable chrome key screens are available. These kits are really handy for quick portable setups
or outdoor use and built in frame keeps the screen from getting too wrinkled.
LIGHTING
When lighting for Chroma key you have to think of lighting first for the screen itself and then for the subject. In
tight situations, you can combine the lighting but you could end up with shadows on your screen and that will
make for a much more difficult task of pulling a good key.
Once you have a good clean key, it’s a matter of compositing the subject into your background plate
adjusting the color to match, and compositing foreground elements to really sell the effect.
Assignment: Select two films which employ green screening and review how
the effect is used in three specific scenes. Your work will be due buy the next
class and graded as classwork.
FLM #1:
Name of Film
Director
Genre (use your judgment)
Scene
Introduce the scene in which you suspect the use of green-screening has been applied to. How does this
technique enhance the movie? Could this scene have been filmed without the application of this effect. If so
how? If not Why?
Application
Provide a BRIEF description of how you think the use of green screening was implemented in this film.
(You may research the scene on the internet if you wish.) Try to picture this film without the scene. Would
it make that much of a difference? Why?
Visual Elements
How did the film’s use of green screening add to the visual appearance of the story content? Is there
anything interesting about the camera work (angles, shots, etc.) or the set designs (costumes, locations) or
the lighting (light/dark) that are absolutely dependent on the use of green screening? Do you feel the film is
balanced between effects and content or do you feel there is an imbalance in which too much or too little of
effects or story content?
Conclusion
Conclude the review with your opinion of the film. Be creative and try to persuade the reader to either see
or not see the film based on your review. Also, rate the film. You can do this with thumbs up/down, a
scale of 1-10 or any other of a million possibilities.
FILM REVIEW RUBRIC
Rubric for self - assessment of film viewed: Please employ the rubric below in order to guide
and assess the film(s) you reviewed.
Criteria
%
Exemplary (4)
Satisfactory (3)
100 - 89
88 - 79
The plot is not
The plot is original
Creativity of copied from any
on its own, though
Storyline
other storyline, thus, adapted in a way
making it original on from another
Needs Improvement
(1)
78 - 66
65 - 0
Many of the scenes or
Majority of the plot is
parts of the plot are
copied from another
copied from another
storyline; there is no
storyline; the film makes symbolism used and
Fair (2)
Plot
Synopsis
Music and
Sound
Effects
Visual
Elements
(Camera
work)
Video and
Editing
Quality
its own; the film
makes use of
symbols for
creativity.
The film is easy
/interesting to the
audience and
presents a unique
story.
The music and
sound effects used
are suitable in every
scene establishing
strong viewing
experience.
There are
interesting camera
angles and
techniques which
show excellent
technical skills.
Transitions are
perfectly well and
the video quality is
intensely clear.
CRITERIA
storyline; the film
has unique
elements.
Majority of the film
The film is moderately The film does not make
is ok but the plot is
entertaining but hard to sense or relates any
weak and not very
understand.
story.
entertaining.
The music and
sound effects used
add up to the
understanding of
the film.
Music and Sound
Effects
Visual Elements
(Camera work)
Video and Editing
Quality
FLM #2:
Name of Film
Director
Genre (use your judgment)
There is music used,
There are some sound
but sound effects are
effects used; music is
rarely used. The music
somehow present in the
and sound effects are
film.
all over the place.
Camera work is
good but could use Most of the scenes are
more variety of
uninteresting and static
shots and
with very little variety.
sequences.
There is no evident
creativity in camera
work (security
camera)
Transitions are
Transitions are
smooth and the
somehow smooth and
video quality is clear
the video quality is not
enough to be
clear but viewable.
viewed.
Transitions are modest
and the video quality is
not clear enough to be
viewed.
Exemplary (4)
Creativity of
Storyline
Plot Synopsis
use of little symbolism, if there are no unique
there is any.
elements.
Satisfactory (3)
Fair (2)
Needs Improvement
(1)
Scene
Introduce the scene in which you suspect the use of green-screening has been applied to. How does this
technique enhance the movie? Could this scene have been filmed without the application of this effect. If so
how? If not Why?
Application
Provide a BRIEF description of how you think the use of green screening was implemented in this film.
(You may research the scene on the internet if you wish.) Try to picture this film without the scene. Would
it make that much of a difference? Why?
Visual Elements
How did the film’s use of green screening add to the visual appearance of the story content? Is there
anything interesting about the camera work (angles, shots, etc.) or the set designs (costumes, locations) or
the lighting (light/dark) that are absolutely dependent on the use of green screening? Do you feel the film is
balanced between effects and content or do you feel there is an imbalance in which too much or too little of
effects or story content?
Conclusion
Conclude the review with your opinion of the film. Be creative and try to persuade the reader to either see
or not see the film based on your review. Also, rate the film. You can do this with thumbs up/down, a
scale of 1-10 or any other of a million possibilities.
FILM REVIEW RUBRIC
Rubric for self - assessment of film viewed: Please employ the rubric below in order to guide
and assess the film(s) you reviewed.
Criteria
%
Exemplary (4)
Satisfactory (3)
100 - 89
88 - 79
The plot is not
The plot is original
copied from any
on its own, though
other storyline, thus,
adapted in a way
Creativity of making it original on
from another
Storyline
its own; the film
storyline; the film
makes use of
has unique
symbols for
elements.
creativity.
The film is easy
Plot
Majority of the film
/interesting to the
Synopsis
is ok but the plot is
audience and
weak and not very
presents a unique
entertaining.
story.
The music and
The music and
sound effects used
Music and
sound effects used
are suitable in every
Sound
add up to the
scene establishing
Effects
understanding of
strong viewing
the film.
experience.
Visual
There are
Camera work is
Elements
interesting camera good but could use
Fair (2)
78 - 66
Needs Improvement
(1)
65 - 0
Many of the scenes or
Majority of the plot is
parts of the plot are
copied from another
copied from another
storyline; there is no
storyline; the film makes symbolism used and
use of little symbolism, if there are no unique
there is any.
elements.
The film is moderately The film does not make
entertaining but hard to sense or relates any
understand.
story.
There is music used,
There are some sound
but sound effects are
effects used; music is
rarely used. The music
somehow present in the
and sound effects are
film.
all over the place.
Most of the scenes are There is no evident
uninteresting and static creativity in camera
(Camera
work)
Video and
Editing
Quality
angles and
techniques which
show excellent
technical skills.
Transitions are
perfectly well and
the video quality is
intensely clear.
CRITERIA
Creativity of
Storyline
Plot Synopsis
Music and Sound
Effects
Visual Elements
(Camera work)
Video and Editing
Quality
more variety of
shots and
sequences.
with very little variety.
Transitions are
Transitions are
smooth and the
somehow smooth and
video quality is clear
the video quality is not
enough to be
clear but viewable.
viewed.
Exemplary (4)
Satisfactory (3)
Fair (2)
work (security
camera)
Transitions are modest
and the video quality is
not clear enough to be
viewed.
Needs Improvement
(1)