For my short film I need desert for the plot, but there is none around where I live. Is there a good way to fake it or green screen it convincingly?
There's your answer.The nearest desert (if it even counts as a desert), is about a days drive away from me, so once I make a casting call, I can advertise that we need to travel when we shoot, if that works.
Okay thanks. What's the difference between set extensions and green screening? I mean the methods are different but how does one look more convincing than the other?
In a set extension, the actor is in front of an actual set, then you shrink that down or move it sideways or what not and "extend" the set digitally.
It can also apply when there's a lot of real set pieces in front of the green screen or only a window or something is chromakey, the rest is real.
Actually just click the link chili pie included, it explained everything I just typed :/
But like indietalk said, the real location is your best bet.
Drive to a sandy beach.
I checked out the real location, and it's not the desert I need. There is a lot of shrub, with the sand, and it's not the type of shrub that looks at all like the middle eastern type deserts.