Thanks Spot!

I'll do a search for it...

Skywatcher

I've purchased a large flexible fiber board 8' by 4' (perhaps) at Home Depot. It's the size of paneling and about the same thickness and only cost about $5.00. I then purchased a quart of cover up paint (can't remember the name, but its a good while base coat). I then had them mix a bright green flat paint in a gallon (about $10.00). I painted the board and use it as a backdrop. Since it is so flexible, I can bend it near the bottom and it creates an infinity background.

I've also used a large king size green sheet that I ironed and taped to the wall, or taped in front of my 60" TV and set a stool in front of it to film.

They have both worked terrific. The next step was to get even lighthing (by hooking up a 1,000 watt (two 500 watt halogen bulbs) standing light on both sides about 20 feet away at a 45 degree angle). They each cost $29.95 at home depot (used for standing garage type lights).

I've gotten some fantastic keys out of this setup (on the cheap).

I've posted a picture of the setup at http://www.chanimal.com/videomaker/GreenScreen.JPG

It doesn't show the two lights on each side, nor the backlight that is actually coming from a high plant ledge with built-in track lighting above. This was for a "Star Search" type of video where my son was the MC in front of the stage. He was a little closer to the scren than normal, but there are no shadows and an almost perfect key.

Very similar to the setup I used in a studio where I filmed a divison president of GE "in" the trade show booth in Baltimore (although he was sitting in Florida).

It is also critical to white balance (since I have outside light, and two different halogen light types hitting him--plus a white shirt (which could change colors without a white balance). In addition, the automatic camera mode has to be overridden since it will register too much light (with 2,000 watts plus a bright white shirt).

Hope this helps.

If you are going to go with fabric, use polyester knit. Cheap, doesn't wrinkle, resists mildew, and holds its color.

It's a little expensive, but the ultimate in bluescreen product is CHROMAFLEX from REFLECMEDIA. ( www.reflecmedia.com ) The "screen" itself is made up of tiny tiny cat's eye like reflective "dots" and there is a "lite ring" which is exactly that: a ring of led lights that are mounted on the camera lens. They come in various sizes and blue/green color.When you turn the light on in front of the screen, the screen reflects the light back in... a clear hot perfect blue/green color.
This way you can get
a) perfect, smooth blue/green screen background
b) you can get this without megawatt lighting. actually you can shoot in normal room lighting conditions with the litering!

hope this helps
piper

Dudes!

Most Excellent! It sure does help.

Skywatcher

Skywatcher;
Check the chroma cloth or paint? thread from a couple of weeks ago. I make reference to digital key green spandex and give several other suggestions & links.

One more idea for you to try is to get a roll of the cheapest kitchen lineoleum (sp?) you can get. Get some very bright green paint and paint the side that would normally face the floor. Nice thing about this stuff is that rolls are usually 12 ft. wide and you can run it out onto the floor for your talent to stand on. When the shoot is done, roll it up for another day.

Mike

PhotoFlex sells it as the FlexDrop. I think Serious Magic just rebadges that product and sells it as their own, don't they?

It's two-sided, bluescreen on one and greenscreen on the other, mounted in a collapsible flexible frame that opens up to be about 5' x 7', and collapses down into a pouch that's about 2' in diameter.