# Best source for DIY Green Screen, and stand to hold it up?



## cayenne (Mar 11, 2013)

Hello all,

I'm getting quite excited about trying my hand with green screening...and wondered if ya'll knew of the best way to DIY this?

I would guess a fabric shop...but not sure what 'color' of green to get..what to look for as far as material density and texture (guessing as smooth as possible) to look for. 

Also, what about rigging to set up the green screen? I shoot in my house for my cooking show and some other things I'm wanting to branch out into..so, it isn't something I can set up and leave. I'm thinking a rigging system would be a multi-tasker if doing right, so that I could use it for backdrops for shooting stills too.

I've been watching videos and reading a good bit on how to USE the green screen, lighting it, etc....but need some solid info on buying materials and setting it up. 

So, anyone here have experience on setting up a decent sized green screen DIY? What were your costs? If you have links to other good info on this, please post on this thread. If you have a link to a killer tutorial on the post processing of the GS footage, please, post that too, you can never have enough quality information I always say...

Thanks in advance!!

cayenne


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## BumpyMunky (Mar 11, 2013)

Hey cayenne,

I just made myself a smallish (2m x 3m) one for playing with. It was from a fabirc store and the fabric type is called 'theatrical broadcloth'. It's pretty light and usually used in theaters (hence the name). Comes in many many colours. They had a few shades of green, so I used an iPhone app called ColorAssist which reports real-time RGB values to find the shade with the strongest 'mostly green' value. Clearly light can have an effect on the hue, so I also used the phone's LED and a flashlight I brought with to compare. Hadn't tried, but I gather taking a DLSR image of the same and checking the RGB histo could be a substitute (large green, small blue/red). The fabric came in 1m wide rolls (was like $3/m), so I bought 6m x 1m, and sewed it together to make 2x3m If you can find it the width you need without needing a seam, that'd be best. I rolled it onto a cardboard tube from the fabric store for storage. $20 and about an 30 minutes messing with a sewing machine.

I considered making a backdrop stand, but found the Manfrotto 314B kit to be worthwhile. I just slide the cardboard tube onto the crossbar, and I'm set. I could have made one cheaper, but the background stand uses standard light stands I can use separately, and it collapses very compactly, something a (at least my) DIY wouldn't have done nearly as well.

I did peruse the interweebs looking for info like you did, and mostly came up with muslin dying instructions and flimsy PVC stands or mondo 2x4 versions, hence the non-DIY stand. Commercial green-screen drops weren't cost effective to me, but the stand was.

With my initial quick testing (no production shooting yet), I could key it out quite well. Keep in mind the colour only matters in that it should be a colour that isn't part of the scene in front. Green is typically used as it is considered an 'unnatural' and unlikely colour (at least for people) , but if you're shooting a subject that actually has that colour (or close to it), a different (the farthest complementary) hue 'chroma key' backdrop would work better, as long as it's bright and saturated. I use Final Cut, and it has a 'chroma key' filter. All I do is dropper the background (to select the colour) , and mess with the width and saturation sliders, and poof -- no more background. The more evenly you can hang it, and more evenly you can light it, the easier and more selective you can make your key filter -- reduces the chance that you'll accidentally key out part of your subject.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 11, 2013)

Its difficult to find a wide piece of fabric in a fabric shop, its likely just as inexpensive to buy one from B&H or a similar place. You can get paint as well.
If you just want a 5 X 7 screen, a fabric shop might do fine. Paint works too if you have a place to store a painted sheet of paper covered foam or paperboard, etc..

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?atclk=Background+Color_Chroma+Green&ci=6446&N=4289245827+4098493261


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## neuroanatomist (Mar 11, 2013)

BumpyMunky said:


> I considered making a backdrop stand, but found the Manfrotto 314B kit to be worthwhile. I just slide the cardboard tube onto the crossbar, and I'm set. I could have made one cheaper, but the background stand uses standard light stands I can use separately, and it collapses very compactly, something a (at least my) DIY wouldn't have done nearly as well.



I really like my Manfrotto 1314B background kit. As BumpyMunky mentions, the kit includes a pair of 8' stands (1052BAC, which are sturdy and air-cushioned) that I frequently use for routine lighting support when I'm not setting up a backdrop. 

FWIW, I've got the Backdrop Alley 10 x 12' Chroma-Key Green muslin that is a ways down on the search results linked by Mt. Spokane.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Mar 11, 2013)

neuroanatomist said:


> BumpyMunky said:
> 
> 
> > I considered making a backdrop stand, but found the Manfrotto 314B kit to be worthwhile. I just slide the cardboard tube onto the crossbar, and I'm set. I could have made one cheaper, but the background stand uses standard light stands I can use separately, and it collapses very compactly, something a (at least my) DIY wouldn't have done nearly as well.
> ...


 
I find that for my smallish light table used for product photography that choosing a backdrop with colors not in the subject being photographed works best if I want to remove the background or substitute another.
I have several colors, but I only needed 3 X 5 ft. I select the one that either provides the best contrast, or that does not contain colors in the subject.

Most of the time, I use them for product photography and remove the background.


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## RendrLab (Mar 11, 2013)

You could also check with a sign shop. Most shops carry matte banner material and if you're lucky, fabric banner. This is a very cheap option as well (I know because I worked in the sign industry for quite awhile.) You should be able to get a small sample done for free prior to actually ordering the size you need. I would HIGHLY recommend getting that sample if you decide to go this route because some sign shops think printers never need to be color or feed calibrated (dumb.)
If you are able to find a shop that has fabric banner in stock, ask them for a small, solid green sample on matte AND fabric banner material as you'll be able to tell if the printer is capable of producing the color you are wanting and if there is any banding in the print. It will be a lot harder to tell these problems if you just have them print straight to fabric until it's too late (like during post.)
I recommend this route because most sign shops stock banner material in widths between 60" - 120" x 30-50 yds. long. Sign shops can also install grommets along the edges so you can cheaply hang your green screen with bungee straps or rope.


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## AG (Mar 11, 2013)

If you dont want to spend a fortune you can try eBay or one of those kinds of cheaper Chinese knock off places.

Or you can try somewhere like http://www.hypop.com.au/backdrops.html or B&H

Another option is, if you have a set of reflectors with a green or blue chroma key insert you can always position this to work. 






Then its just a matter of either using an old C-Stand with a bulldog clip to hold it in place or something similar.

Ultra portable and would pack up really small too.


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## cayenne (Mar 12, 2013)

RendrLab said:


> You could also check with a sign shop. Most shops carry matte banner material and if you're lucky, fabric banner. This is a very cheap option as well (I know because I worked in the sign industry for quite awhile.) You should be able to get a small sample done for free prior to actually ordering the size you need. I would HIGHLY recommend getting that sample if you decide to go this route because some sign shops think printers never need to be color or feed calibrated (dumb.)
> If you are able to find a shop that has fabric banner in stock, ask them for a small, solid green sample on matte AND fabric banner material as you'll be able to tell if the printer is capable of producing the color you are wanting and if there is any banding in the print. It will be a lot harder to tell these problems if you just have them print straight to fabric until it's too late (like during post.)
> I recommend this route because most sign shops stock banner material in widths between 60" - 120" x 30-50 yds. long. Sign shops can also install grommets along the edges so you can cheaply hang your green screen with bungee straps or rope.



Interesting idea!! I like the idea with grommets, etc too...would make it easy to mount about anywhere I needed or wanted to...

I do need something pretty wide as that the first thing I'm thinking about was filming some boots walking across the screen, then torso in a poncho to a reveal of a Clint Eastwood type thing in his old spaghetti westerns...wanting to do this and put an old western desert type background in there....so, I need something wide enough to walk across a few steps.


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## cayenne (Mar 14, 2013)

I found this on Amazon....it is fairly cheap.

Would this be worth my money, at least to just get a quick start maybe...and later, buy the better manfrotto stand system?

http://www.amazon.com/CowboyStudio-Photography-10x24ft-Chromakey-Background/dp/B0034WSN3W/ref=sr_1_39?ie=UTF8&qid=1363281694&sr=8-39&keywords=green+screen


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## kennephoto (Mar 14, 2013)

I bought a chromakey and light kit from amazon if I remember it was ephoto I can look it up and post again awesome kit and easy to assemble plus the price was perfect! You can't go wrong especially if its for playing around and practice. I think I got a 10x20 and its huge maybe it's a tad bigger than that can't remember but I love it! It's durable fabric since I've washed it a few times because the cat plays with it sometimes also to get any wrinkles out of it.


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## kennephoto (Mar 14, 2013)

http://www.ephotoinc.com/2400-watt-chromakey-green-screen-video-lighting-kit-with-softbox-l2400.html

There's what I remember buying, again love this kit for the price. It's not heavy duty stuff but it's all holding up!


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## cayenne (Mar 14, 2013)

kennephoto said:


> http://www.ephotoinc.com/2400-watt-chromakey-green-screen-video-lighting-kit-with-softbox-l2400.html
> 
> There's what I remember buying, again love this kit for the price. It's not heavy duty stuff but it's all holding up!



Interesting.
Are those light stands and softboxes doing any good for you?

C


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## TexasBadger (Mar 17, 2013)

You can by rolls of green screen paper. I believe Savage is one of the companies that makes it. Just unroll it from a backdrop stand. If you do not have a backdrop stand you can use a shower curtain rod and two light stands.


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