I am shooting a commercial. What is the best way to achieve a solid white background?
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- Thread starter wparrish24
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yes, I have AE. What do you think about using a white sheet vs green screen
Use a solid white background.
Is there more to this than meets the eye? Any details left out which make this question trickier?
The guy just wants to walk on camera and speak about his product. He wants a white background. I have a green screen, but have never used it. What is the difference between using a green screen vs a white background?
One's green and one's white? Bright green is good for keying, because it's a colour that's otherwise not found very often, usually making the removal of the background a (relatively) straightforward process. If you want a solid white background in the final shot, shoot a solid white background in the first place. Replacing a solid green screen with a solid white one is a lot of extra work, and just asking for trouble with the colour of the light spill.
Okay, based on the OP's question, both chilipie's and Zensteve's answers are straightforward and correct. Follow the K.I.S.S. method -- Keep It Simple, Stupid.
However, I'm gonna play devil's advocate, only because I'm wondering if the OP hasn't quite properly verbalized what he is visualizing. I mean, a white background is simple enough -- just walk in front of a white background. But, let's say you're standing in front of a white wall -- the audience will see, of course, that you're standing in front of a white wall.
What I'm wondering is if maybe what the OP visualizes is more than just a white wall. wparrish, were you thinking something more along the lines of "The Matrix", where the actor is standing on a white floor, that extends forever, into nothingness? I dunno, I'm just speculating. Cuz that would look different than just a white wall.
However, I'm gonna play devil's advocate, only because I'm wondering if the OP hasn't quite properly verbalized what he is visualizing. I mean, a white background is simple enough -- just walk in front of a white background. But, let's say you're standing in front of a white wall -- the audience will see, of course, that you're standing in front of a white wall.
What I'm wondering is if maybe what the OP visualizes is more than just a white wall. wparrish, were you thinking something more along the lines of "The Matrix", where the actor is standing on a white floor, that extends forever, into nothingness? I dunno, I'm just speculating. Cuz that would look different than just a white wall.
That's a green screen keyed to be white. Very simple to do. If you just have a white background or wall, it will show. Plus, unless you light the white wall very well, you're going to get a telltale shadow which will take away from the whole pristine blank slate kind of thing.
So you have a green screen but you haven't used it before? Ok, just make sure that you light the screen separately from the subject and get it as even as possible. Then use three point lighting on your subject, having them stand as far from the screen as the shot allows, this way you avoid some green spill. Obviously your subject should not be wearing any green or shiny reflective material (I'd also steer clear of white, not only because it will pick up more green spill, but he'll just blend into the white background).
I'm sorry, but using a green screen for this is just extra work that isn't needed. Honestly the only reasons to go green screen for this look is if a: it's supposed to look like a big white room (which can also be done in a studio that has a permanent white cyc, but I digress) or if you want to change the color of the background (either during the piece or if the client changes their mind halfway through).
We shoot these all the time for corporate videos. We just use a piece of "white seamless" which is simply a 10 foot wide roll of heavy white paper. We hang it between two c-stands, let it roll to the floor and grip-clip it off at the top so it doesn't continue to roll out. We do this at the client's location all the time.
We take a couple of Kinos (4x4 usually) and cross-key the background to get even light on it. It's good if you have some sort of histogram so you can see the curve at the top and check for dips (darker spots). A wall almost always has some sort of texture, evenly lit paper just becomes a weird amorphous white b/g. Not the same look as walking around in empty white space (see above) but it is the look you see in corporate marketing videos with a talking head chatting about Amazing Product #17.
Light the person as you would normally, being careful about spill or shadow onto the b/g (being able to have separation between the two helps that) and voila.
In post all that is needed is some fiddling to even things out if you need it. Usually we don't. The funny thing is that you would like a green screen in much the same way, but you have the added steps of keying in this case. I would say it is 6 in one and half a dozen in the other, except when a white b/g is called for I never see it keyed because post time == money. If you can get it to the client for less money by doing it at location and skipping the keying process, that makes them happy. In the event you aren't charging for every little thing, then it makes the job more profitable for you.
We shoot these all the time for corporate videos. We just use a piece of "white seamless" which is simply a 10 foot wide roll of heavy white paper. We hang it between two c-stands, let it roll to the floor and grip-clip it off at the top so it doesn't continue to roll out. We do this at the client's location all the time.
We take a couple of Kinos (4x4 usually) and cross-key the background to get even light on it. It's good if you have some sort of histogram so you can see the curve at the top and check for dips (darker spots). A wall almost always has some sort of texture, evenly lit paper just becomes a weird amorphous white b/g. Not the same look as walking around in empty white space (see above) but it is the look you see in corporate marketing videos with a talking head chatting about Amazing Product #17.
Light the person as you would normally, being careful about spill or shadow onto the b/g (being able to have separation between the two helps that) and voila.
In post all that is needed is some fiddling to even things out if you need it. Usually we don't. The funny thing is that you would like a green screen in much the same way, but you have the added steps of keying in this case. I would say it is 6 in one and half a dozen in the other, except when a white b/g is called for I never see it keyed because post time == money. If you can get it to the client for less money by doing it at location and skipping the keying process, that makes them happy. In the event you aren't charging for every little thing, then it makes the job more profitable for you.
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No, that was a white background the whole time - it says in the comments
David and Zensteve have the most sensible suggestions; if you only want a plain white background, shoot a plain white background.
exactly pie..
(though I do note the "we did a lot of masking in post" so maybe ...)
from the sample video comments.. just do that..
We were shooting on a 9 ft. super-white paper roll. We had two Lowel Tota 750 Watt lights open faced on either side towards the paper so that it would be over-exposed (trying not to let that light spill onto the subject). The subject was lit with a 650 W ARRI Fresnel with a soft-box. And I think we shot a 300 W diffused light towards the subjects' feet to make sure the paper still looked white down there. FYI, we did a fair amount of masking in post, and applied a sort-of subtle bleached bypass look to it all. (shot on an HVX 200).
(though I do note the "we did a lot of masking in post" so maybe ...)
from the sample video comments.. just do that..
We were shooting on a 9 ft. super-white paper roll. We had two Lowel Tota 750 Watt lights open faced on either side towards the paper so that it would be over-exposed (trying not to let that light spill onto the subject). The subject was lit with a 650 W ARRI Fresnel with a soft-box. And I think we shot a 300 W diffused light towards the subjects' feet to make sure the paper still looked white down there. FYI, we did a fair amount of masking in post, and applied a sort-of subtle bleached bypass look to it all. (shot on an HVX 200).
yup, like some ppl said above:
use a white background. if u want it to be seamless, u need to have a curved portion between the background and the floor.
there r tutorial videos on this on youtube. check them out. they teach u how to light it and everything.
use a white background. if u want it to be seamless, u need to have a curved portion between the background and the floor.
there r tutorial videos on this on youtube. check them out. they teach u how to light it and everything.
well, I have to say with my new fangled DIY chromaring kit (**coming soon to a web site near you) green screen WOULD be easier than lighting paper.. but with the old fashioned green screen tech.. .. I agree with Pie..
(** yes that is a shameless plug!
(** yes that is a shameless plug!
I found a video of someone using a green screen and then replacing it with a white background. It looks unnatural around the edges compared to the other video using a white sheet.
http://vimeo.com/8688203
http://vimeo.com/8688203