[Alan Lloyd]

It is possible to drag the track height taller. You can also zoom in to make the wave forms larger and then slide one track relative to the other (presuming you leave some space at the head of the timeline) and then trim things to line up.

[Alan Lloyd]

It’s more than just the number of heads you have in play. It’s the intensity and (hard/soft) character of the light.

And for the greenscreen, it’s having the light as even as possible across the backdrop. That’s where the “silk” diffusion comes in. It spreads a beam out directionally and makes this a much easier process.

The kit you linked to has three softbox heads of the same size. A softbox is good for an interview key, not so much as a greenscreen light. And I suspect the stands and softboxes are not terribly well-made, they really can’t be at that price point.

For a single-subject greenscreen backdrop, I think I’d look at putting a setup together without buying a set kit. Kits rarely mesh well with the real world until they’re added to extensively.

And the worst part is the cheap stands. Quality usually means you only have to buy something once.

Me? I’m not rich enough to use cheap stuff!

[Alan Lloyd]

I had to create rooftop moonlight in a basement studio in Minneapolis for an internet show (Transylvania TV) I was working on. Lots of blue, strong directional lighting from above and behind, and just enough fill to give good definition.

Also, for the same show, on a different day we had to create an “outdoor castle courtyard in Transylvania” night scene. So we began with the moonlight and added a few semi-motivated things, plus the occasional “branch-aloris” for proper shadowing.

Night stuff is fun. Really, it is.

[Alan Lloyd]

It’s not very likely that you will find a kit that does a good greenscreen setup, even for a single “talking head” shot.

Why?

You’re lighting two different things. First, you want a nice, even level across your greenscreen. Somewhere in the 40-50 IRE range is ideal, as it’s a good midpoint of exposure and saturation/purity. And you want your interview subject far enough in front of that screen that you won’t be getting any bounce or spill, which will make edge cleanup a rather nasty, tedious exercise.

Then you want a nice flattering lighting job on your person du jour, ideally a softbox for a key, something for fill at less than key intensity, and a good, not too “butch”, hair/back/rim light for separation.

I have done clean greenscreen stuff with three heads but it’s a real 3-D puzzle and placement and spill management are critical.

What I’d do is two small (300-400W) heads with white silk diffusion on opposite sides of the greenscreen, with the silk spreading the beams out evenly across it. Then light your subject with a Rifa or Chimera and a 400-600W head for a key, and two small (100-200W) heads for fill and rim.

Also, I still use tungsten.

I didn’t see any mention of “high CRI” on the lamps in that kit you linked to, and that’s critical. (CRI = Color Rendering Index, in other words, accuracy and full-spectrum balance.) If that kit worked as well as the seller says, “everyone + dog” would be using one.

Oh, and make sure you’re using a truly pure green behind your subject. It makes compositing much easier.

[Alan Lloyd]

I have had some success with hopping PPT files through a multi-page PDF for conversion and inclusion in Premiere.

There’s no “perfect” solution. PPT is the square peg in the round hole of an edited sequence. A big hammer helps.

[Alan Lloyd]

Strobes and continuous lights do not compare directly, for one reason. Strobes put out a very large amount of light for a very short time. Unless you could find a strobe that would synchronize exactly with your camera’s frame rate (and not induce seizures in anyone in the room) there just is no direct comparison.

[Alan Lloyd]

This will do a decent job:

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/322369-REG/Rycote_033022_Standard_Hole_Softie_Windscreen.html

[Alan Lloyd]

It’s difficult to say without actually seeing it.

Perhaps a framegrab of the greenscreen both with and without key applied?

[Alan Lloyd]

[Mark Suszko] “You make us sound like wives of an abusive husband”

And some are finally realizing it.

As Jeff put it, the margin as a consumer electronics gadget company is so much better than the margin as a pro application development company that where this is going is easy to see.

Get ready for a new inundation of “cool kids” who have bucketloads of plugins and no storytelling sense whatsoever.

[Alan Lloyd]

Are you describing Premiere 5 or Premiere Pro CS 5?

It sounds like your key settings could use some adjustment.