As much as we like to keep up with the newest products and latest trends, some information is timeless – such as advice on shooting greenscreen. The After Effects Facebook feed forwarded a link to a very useful article by Jonas Hummelstrand of General Specialist posted back in 2006 that everyone should read before setting up a keying shoot. If I had to add one amplification, it would be to try to hire a stage that has some depth to it, so that the screen – and lighting for the screen – can be some distance behind the action; this will further blur it out, and reduce spill.
Here’s a few more links of note:
- We recorded a quick video tutorial on using Keylight in After Effects with lynda.com for Adobe
- Rosco and Composite Components sell paint, tape, fabrics, and lights for keying
- Alex Lindsay of Pixel Corps wrote a two-part Greenscreen Primer for PVC, broken down into the set and the camera
(By the way, we also overhauled the keying chapter in Creating Motion Graphics 5th Edition, including high-def sources to practice with courtesy of Hollywood Camera Work.)
If you have any other favorite resources, please feel free to post them in the Comments below!