Green Screen Shoot EX1 Setting?

[Craig Seeman]

You could dial down sharpening in the Picture Profile.

Frame rate depends on several things. Low frame rate could result in motion blur which can make the key a bit more challenging IF your subject moves fast enough. I’ve had no problem keying talking heads shot at 30p.

[David Hodge]

I’ve been searching for this answer as well. I have a major shoot coming up with lots of composite work to do and I need the best green screen footage I can muster.

David Hodge
MFA Student Motion Pictures and Television
PMW-EX1, MacBook Pro, 1TB Lacie D2 Quadra, Mac Pro, Adobe Production Suite, Shake, Final Cut Studio 2

[Craig Seeman]

Read my response then and ask follow up questions if you need.

[David Hodge]

Craig,
Well, I did read the response. I need complete scenes with actors moving within the frame for a number of green screen scenes. I have had the most difficult time trying to find locations that fit what I needed and would let me film dramatic scenes (no action, no explosions, no guns, no blood to cause damage or make a mess.) So, it is necessary to film the actors and place the set around them with walls and furniture and the whole bit.

I have a chromatte back on a manfrotto frame that pairs with a reflecmedia from litering. This takes care of even lighting. I also need a couch with one actor and two chairs opposing with actors in the chairs. This will be a scene with a patient and two therapists. The motivated light source is a flourescent fixtures in the ceiling and reflection from a large two way mirror in the wall behind the two chairs. Thus, I need to have very low key lighting with soft light for the talent. I purchased two china light fixtures and filled them with 50 watt color balanced practicals. I plan to hang them above the talent on boom arms, with a drape of 6 mil. plastic hanging between the china balls and the background. (Still with me?)

The basic concept with this is okay I hope. I am not sure, however, if this is going to key well within the compositing program I am using, Shake 4.1. I know I need as much seperation between the green channel and the blue and red to make the best results. I am not sure if this is the best way to light the scene with the look of an office lit with this kind of lights, or if it will be a disaster in post.

Any hints, suggestions, etc? Yes, I will be using PMWEX1 for the shoot (hopefully with the AJA Ki Pro,) and I am hoping that someone is really familiar with the EX1 and has a profile I can start with to get that optimal green screen raw footage.

David

David Hodge
MFA Student Motion Pictures and Television
PMW-EX1, MacBook Pro, 1TB Lacie D2 Quadra, Mac Pro, Adobe Production Suite, Shake, Final Cut Studio 2

[Craig Seeman]

The rules remain the same.
Shoot progressive if you’re using the EX codec. Although generally there’s not many reasons to shoot interlace today.
Dial down edge sharpness.
Be careful of “aggressive” picture profiles because the codec gives you less wiggle room in post then going uncompressed.

If you’re recording to Ki Pro in Apple ProRes all the above is a bit less important as the codec issues are gone. You’re at least 4:2:2 I frame rather than 4:2:0 Long GOP. And you can go 4:4:4:4 if you really want (if Ki Pro supports it).

The rest is in the lighting.

I’m not sure what secret sauce you’re looking for. The above are not really EX specific beyond my comments about the codec which you’re resolved by using the Ki Pro.