Green Screen Lighting Setup/Technique
Lighting setups for green screen and blue screen can vary depending on your equipment, stage/studio space and model/actor. Ideally you want to have the area both evenly lit from all sides and fully lit from above and below. You can easily utilize a green screen to light an actor for a short film, miniature sets/props for animations and physical models for your portfolio.
Ultimately you will need to avoid overlaying shadows which are difficult to key out as well as bright, hotspots from direct lighting which could wash out your subject matter. One particular area that is difficult to light is between the feet; with careful overhead lighting and reflective lighting from lights and umbrellas you can avoid this problem.
We had a few trials and errors with green screen lighting setups and have assembled a small Google Sketchup file that describes the technique and setup that worked the best for filming props and actors. You’ll probably need to check out multiple lamps and it is possible that you can get away with using off-the-shelf halogen shop lamps from your favorite hardware store. Although you should be aware that halogen lighting could effect color levels in some of your setups…
This Google SketchUp document allows you to manuver around the scene and is documented with explanations of the equipment used.
This post is tagged: Animation, new media