Green screen lighting questions

[Rick Wise]

1) You want to light the green screen with 2 identical units, set at 45º to the screen. You could use Kno Flos, or any other unit set to flood, and back far enough to light the screen evenly. Your talent you want to light with a key, a bounce fill, and a small backlight. The screen and the talent need to be roughly at the same exposure.

2) I have not seen or used this solution. One thing is clear: it’s designed to use with their ring light. Essentially, that light casts zero shadow of your talent onto the fabric. I suspect that for this to work, you must use such a ring light. Otherwise, the light kicking back from the fabric will be uneven. That means, you must light you talent in a full frontal manner. It may be that you can augment the flat front lighting with a side light to get some ratio. However, that will probably require you stop down for the talent, and as a result, your screen may be too dark. This looks to me to be a bad solution. However, I have not used it.

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com

[Mike Cooper]

1.) Just curious why you suggested Kno Flos? Are florescent better for this?

2.) I’m thinking of buying an extra Arri 1000 to light the green screen, so I will be using two 1000s for the screen. I could use diffusion to make it match the key.

3.) I am thinking of of using the 650 for the key and a 350 for the backlight.

Does this seem like it will work, or should I just purchase two 1000s so I have the same exposure for the talent and the screen?

Thank you!

[John Sharaf]

I’ve always lit the screen to be under the foreground. If I set the faces at 60ire, I’ll make the screen 40ire, and never had any complaints. This way a hold over from shooting film. Another advantage is that there is less green spill onto the foreground.

JS

[Rick Wise]

We commonly use Kino Flos for green screen. But your two 1Ks will work fine if you can diffuse them, and also scrim then down enough so that the screen is not too “hot” in relation to the foreground.

Actually, I’d be tempted to key with the 1K through a thick diffusion set well forward of the unit; probably add a double (red) scrim to the light; buy another 650 and light the green screen with the two 650s, and use the 150 for a back light.

That is, unless the green screen is huge, in which case having a couple of 1Ks to light it might be the better idea.

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com

[Rick Wise]

John, indeed your exposures sound good to me, though I have found some post houses want a hotter green.

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com

[Mike Cooper]

I would like to stick with Arri since I already have some, so unless there is a good reason to go Kino Flos, I’m going to order some more Arris.

1. What did you mean by “I’d be tempted to key with the 1K through a thick diffusion set well forward of the unit”

What did you mean by through a thick diffusion set well forward of the unit? Do you mean using diffusion attached to the barndoors?

Thanks.

[Mike Cooper]

From reading more into Kino Flo, it really makes sense for me to consider them since I am shooting in such a small space — they will be a lot cooler and require less power, so less chance of blowing a circuit.

1. It seems like they come in different watts than incondescents. Based on what I need to do, can you recommend a kit from this page:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=sort&A=search&Q=&sortDrop=Brand%3A+Z+to+A&bl=&atl=&pn=1&st=search&mnp=0.0&mxp=0.0&sv=Kno+Flos&bhs=t&shs=Kno+Flos&ac=&fi=all&pn=1&ci=2249&cmpsrch=&cltp=&clsgr=

Thanks.

[Todd Terry]

[Mike Cooper] “From reading more into Kino Flo, it really makes sense for me to consider them”

Depends on what your other usage might be. If you plan on doing a lot of this exact kind of work, Kinos might be the way to go… great for greenscreen.

T2

__________________________________
Todd Terry
Creative Director
Fantastic Plastic Entertainment, Inc.
fantasticplastic.com

[Mike Cooper]

I want to do green screen and simple interview type setups. Could you recommend a good kit from the BH site link above for everything I might need for $4k or less?

[Rick Wise]

“What did you mean by through a thick diffusion set well forward of the unit? Do you mean using diffusion attached to the barndoors?”

No, definitely NOT on the barndoors. Hang the diffusion, such as 1/2 grid or full grid, on a c-stand horizontal arm (or find some other way to suspend it)well in front of the 1K — like 3-4 feet in front. If you want on even softer look, place a sheet of opal on the barndoors as well.

Rick Wise
director of photography
Oakland, CA
http://www.RickWiseDP.com
email: Rick@RickWiseDP.com