• Cinematography

  shooting glasses on green screen

  Posted by Steve Harrington on May 15, 2008 at 9:08 pm

  So I have a commercial where they want to shoot two people holding wine glasses up against a green screen. I’ve lit for green screen before, so I know shooting through glass is going to be an issue. Does anybody have any advice on the best way to shoot the glasses with the green behind them and still be able to get a great key?

  Jeff Greenberg replied 17 years, 11 months ago 5 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Emre Tufekci s.o.a.

  May 16, 2008 at 3:59 pm

  Can you fill us in about the format, camera and lights you have at your disposal. The advice might vary if you are using a DV versus a High end HD camera.

  Emre
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• 

  Steve Harrington

  May 16, 2008 at 7:32 pm

  You know it was really more a theoretical question I guess? Is it something as simple as using a camera with 4:2:2 or 4:4:4 as opposed to 4:1:1 to get a better key? I was really just wondering if the consensus of the filmmaking world is “you dont shoot green screen through wine glasses” …lol
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  John Sharaf

  May 16, 2008 at 9:43 pm

  The better color sampling, the better the key. For that matter, the better the resolution (without artificial enhancement) the better the edge lines. That is not to say that you can’t shoot with a DV camera. As far as transparent objects, this is not an insurmountable problem either, it’s done every day, but again the better the technology you use (latest Ultimatte hardware) the better the effect.

  JS
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  Naren Navale

  May 18, 2008 at 6:36 am

  hi interesting situation. Don’t mid just a wild suggestion….

  1. why don’t you compose 3d glasses in their hands instead of
  working for key….. because it is almost going to take same efforts either to compose or to remove alpha.

  2.Another way is just think…..transparency feel can be achieved by reflection instead of refraction…. ( this is something tricky I m little doubtful about practical implementation)
• 

  Jeff Greenberg

  May 25, 2008 at 5:02 am

  Stay away from DV.

  SD or HD (4:2:2) please.
  Capture SD uncompressed.
  The greater the distance the better. Even lighting. Make sure your screen brightness is the same as your foreground as well.

  I’ve keyed tons of glass…might take more than one ‘pass’ at the key. I’ve done this with keylight, ultimatte, and primatte. The Key (pardon the pun) is to have it shot right and use professional keying software.

  Oh yeah, test first!

  Best,

  Jeff G
  Principal Instructor
  Future Media Concepts

  FMCTraining.com
  Editorsretreat.com

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