Using a green or blue screen in your production pipeline is simple: get a solid color background, film your subject in front of the background, then remove the chroma key in the background using your video editing software and replace it with something else. However, getting a precise key from your video can be a trial and error process that could cause frustration if the original video is not shot correctly.

Here are some techniques that you can use to make your green screen background production as trouble free as possible:

CHOOSING YOUR BACKDROP

- A chroma key background can be any color as long as it is not contained within the foreground elements you would like to keep in the scene. Most video productions utilize either a green or blue screen. A clean key can be achieved with either color, but you will want to take into account the color of clothing your talent will be wearing and also make sure nothing in your scene closely matches the color of the background color you are trying to remove.

- Use paint or a drop cloth and try to remove as many wrinkles or variations in the color of your background as you can. The more consistent your background color, the easier time you will have been removing it in post production.

ILLUMINATION

- The most important element of a good green screen video production is the lighting. A well lit scene will allow you to tell the software what color to knock out and what elements to keep in the scene.

- Set up a series of lights who illuminate your backdrop consistently and try to reduce the number of hotspots on the backdrop. Outdoor or fluorescent lighting is a good option because it is a diffused light who spreads evenly across your backdrop.

- Light your subject well using diffuse lighting as well. Furthermore, a back light that illuminate the back of the subject will help to create a clean edge for your video software to work with.

SETTING UP YOUR SCENE

- Place your subject a minimum of four steps from your backdrop. This will eliminate shadows from falling onto the green screen and will also help to minimize the color spills. Color spill occurs when the reflected green from your backdrop “spills” onto your subject and causes the color of clothing or skin to change the hue to match the backdrop. This can cause problems for your color key software and results in rough edges on the final production.

CAMERA SETUP

- Try to shoot your video with the best HD camera you have been available. If possible, use a camera that allows you to make manual adjustments to the ISO/Gain, shutter speed and white balance. The ISO/Gain controls should be set to a low setting. This will require lighter, but will give you cleaner video with less noise and artifacts.

If you follow these simple rules, you can create high quality green screen footage that will allow you to remove the background in your video editing software. Now you can replace the green screen with a virtual background or other video background. Have fun!

The Green Screen Handbook: Real-World Production Techniques

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It is fundamental for you to take stock of your film production equipment as you start setting up video for the shoot to ensure that you have everything you need. In creating a professional-looking film, the most fundamental video production equipment you need to have are professional video cameras, stabilization equipment and also film lighting equipment as well as a microphone or audio system. Some camera support equipment may also be needed like dollies, tracks, jibs, lifts, tripods, cranes and booms. Furthermore, you might want to factor in the trucks and other vehicles that will transport the cameras and other equipment needed for the filming. There are also times when specialized equipment may be required for enhancing audio and video effects. In other instances, climate control machinery is also needed to come up with the appropriate effects for the film.

When you are done with the creation of film on video, there is still some more video production equipment needed to edit and finalize the video and come up with your masterpiece. With the use of pro quality editing equipment, you can create your video one that has a professional polished look that sets it apart from any home video or any amateur film production. These video-editing tools may include video editing software, sound mixing equipment, and video duplication equipment.

Today there are many providers of film production equipment like camera, video, lighting and film processing. You should research on film equipment vendors, which can offer movie production supplies that will suit your needs. Find those that can offer quality service, technical skill excellence and also fair pricing. You won’t have to buy this video production equipment now since there are many that can be rented. However, if you want your own gear, it is many used items that you can purchase as well.

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Taking the time to write screenplays is going to be an arduous task, to say the least. Anyone can sit down and write what they consider a script, but you need real practice and education in the area of screenwriting if you’re going to be successful when you write screenplays. Scripts are different than story writing and other freelance writing, and you need to make sure that you understand all of the different issues that you will have to deal with when you are writing for films or TV.

If you want to learn more about how to write screenplays and be successful, you should check out screenwriting books that are available. These books can teach you a lot about how to write a professional script, writing for TV and film, formatting, presentation, and other elements of the industry that you need to know. There are all kinds of books that can help you and you should take advantage of them in your process. After all, just two decades ago the secrets to Hollywood success were just that: secrets. Thanks to these books, anyone can write screenplays with a little talent and research.

You can write screenplays for TV or movies, and the choice is going to be up to you. If you like, you can write for both even. Just make sure that you choose a genre and subject matter that suits your interests so that you can have an easier time at writing something that is going to be saleable. If you can’t sell your scripts, you can’t be successful as a screenwriter. Therefore, you should make sure that you do everything that you can to write screenplays that will sell, no matter what it takes.

MWP (Michael Wiese Productions) is the world’s leading publisher of books on screenwriting and filmmaking. It started in 1981 when Michael Wiese wrote and published the first book in what is now a line of over 130 books. Our goal is to provide information and inspiration on all aspects of filmmaking to students, emerging filmmakers and professionals through the brightest minds in the creative community. Visit http://www.mwp.com where you’ll find more great writing screenplay articles, great resources on writing screenplay articles, screenplay books, filmmaking books and screenwriting books to help you start planning on your next film.

Source from Ezine Articles

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A low budget film does not have the luxury of having great actors, locations and pricey sets. The only thing that can decide its success or failure is the story and how it s told. And that s not all that bad because the story and the script play a central role even in big blockbusters. So as a low budget filmmaker you should focus on telling a great story. Take your time developing a compelling script which would satisfy the viewer emotionally. You can start controlling your budget right from the scripting stage. Take care not to include events that would require complex special effects. Tell your story as simply as possible.

If you are making a thriller, you might want to include action set pieces like car chases and explosions. But it would be better that you devise an effective workaround as they would undoubtedly cost a lot and you might not be able to afford it. The suggestion of off screen action can be quite effective if executed cleverly. Suggestion has time and again shown to be more effective than actually showing something as by suggesting you force the viewer to use his/her own imagination. In fact great horror and suspense films have often been seen to use suggestion with great effect.

Making a low budget film may not allow you to build expensive sets or shoot at exotic locations. Even shooting at far off places would contribute to high travel expenses. The solution is to choose simple locations where you do not have to spend much to get the necessary permissions and which is easily accessible to the cast and crew. For indoor scenes you can request the help of family and friends and shoot at their homes.

After you have finalized your locations, plan out your shooting schedule in detail. The schedule should be planned depending upon the availability of the location, as well as the cast and crew. Moreover you should plan out in such a way that you can shoot all the scenes of one location before moving on to the next location. This way you may not be able to shoot your movie following the sequential order of the script but then you can put it together in order during the editing phase. In fact most movies are shot this way.

While choosing your cast, you should again limit yourself to a small talented group. Here also you can include family and friends. You can even meet up with aspiring actors in local schools and colleges or theater groups, and invite them to work in your film. But make sure that you choose reasonably talented actors as bad acting can spell doom for even an otherwise well made movie. As far as the crew is concerned, as a low budget filmmaker you would have to do most of the things yourself but you can take the assistance of filmmaking students living nearby or even your actors as time and situations permits.

When getting equipment avoid buying or renting too much stuff. Try to make do with whatever you have; this would include your camcorder, props, and costumes among other things. Keep in mind that if you tell a great story convincingly no one s going to pay attention to whether you used an old camcorder or a brand new HD video camera. Moreover if require certain piece equipment, then it s cheaper to rent than actually going and purchasing the same.

During the shooting phase be a little generous with the footage you shoot as the more material you have, the more options you will get during the editing phase. During the editing avoid using sound tracks which are under copywrite. If you search around you will be able to find enough royalty free sound tracks to serve your purpose.

The above tips will not only help you shoot your low budget film cheaply and efficiently, it would also help you enjoy the process which will hopefully result in an effective film.

Source from Base Articles

The Complete Guide to Low-Budget Feature Filmmaking

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A documentary is defined as a nonfiction report that devotes its full time slot to one thesis or subject, usually under the guidance of a single producer. Part of the fascination with documentaries lies in their unique blend of writing, visual images, sound tracks, and the individual styles of their producers. In addition to their particular contribution to the television medium, however, documentaries are notable because they have intertwined with wrenching moments in history. These characteristics have inspired some to describe documentaries as among the finest moments on television and as a voice of reason, while others have criticized them as inflammatory.

Source from The Museum of Broadcast Communications

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In embarking on the journey to get the perfect script, there are three directions you can take:

• Write the script yourself

• Option a script already written

• Hire a writer

Writing your own script

As mentioned previously, the cornerstone of a good movie is a good, well written script. The essence of a good script is a good story. The foundation of a good story is inspiration, research, and the ability to develop an idea into a commercially (if this is the route you wish to take) viable product that audiences will want to see.

Before you decide to spend an exorbitant amount of time working on a project, it’s important to know the purpose of the film at the very beginning. Are you going to make a movie for art’s sake, so that the film is an extention of your vision and style, or maybe even to learn the process of making a no budget film? Or are you looking to creat a commercially viable movie that can be sold and (hopefully) generate a profit?

When it comes to developing a story, you should write about what you know. The best piece of advice I can give you is to write what you have seen, what you have experienced, and what you have lived in life. How can you truthfully write a story about the joys and difficulties of parenthood, if you’ve never been a parent? Granted, you may have seen how parents interact with their children, but it’s not the same as if you were to live it yourself. How can you write a real love story that connects with the viewer, if you have never been in love? Writing about love, death, betrayal, loneliness, or happiness without experiencing it seems like a recipe for an empty story bereft of a soul. Filmmaking is about honesty, and writing scenes and moments that truthfully resonate with the viewer can be an insurmountable task unless you are personally familiar with the material you’re trying to convey.

Option a script already written

As a writer, you can create a script around an existing work, such as a book, poem, short story, novella, or even a personal account of the writer. However, to simply adapt the idea into a screenplay could violate copyright laws and expose you to legal liability.

One way of legally using material is to option the rights to use it. An option is a short-term lease that grants a producer the legal right, but not the obligation, to adapt material into a screenplay, produce it oneself, or try to sell it to another production company.

The ability to option a book or story opens up thousands of possibilities, so one way of finding a good story is to go to the bookstore and start reading. If you find a book that you like, call the publisher and get the author’s contact information. Explain how you want to use the book and how you would like to adapt it into a screenplay and ask if the author is willing to consider an optioning the material. The author may want money up front, a percentage of the profits, credit, or any number of back-end profit points that would need to be negotiated. If the conversation gets this far, it’s best to contact an entertainment attorney to help negotiate with the author on your behalf and draw up the necessary legal paperwork.

Hire a writer

Oftentimes, writers are either skilled in writing structure or in writing dialog and character, so finding a writing partner who complements your skills can lead to a much better script. Finding a suitable writing partner can be as easy as contacting local writing organizations, colleges, or university programs with writing courses or seeking writers online or through film industry contacts. When looking for a good writing partner:

• Ask for a writing sample.

• Find a partner whose strengths are your weaknesses.

• Talk with your potential writing partner about the story and make sure he likes the genre, story, and characters before working with him.

• Make sure your partner has the time and commitment to work on the script, especially if it’s being written on for free (otherwise known as “spec”).

• Work out the credit he will receive as well as payment terms if the script is sold, optioned, and/or produced.

Hopefully, the aforementioned details have given you some “food for thought”. Developing a script for your no budget film should never be taken lightly, and IS the most important step of the filmmaking process.

Author by Guy Ryerson

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Spend sometime and get to know your camera and its features before your shoot. Practice shooting simplistic scenarios. Familiarize yourself with the instruction manual, take nothing for granted. This could save you hours of critical time during low budget filmmaking projects.

Go easy on the zoom. A big point of confusion for many digital filmmakers is to use all the functions of their digital camera. Going overboard with the zoom switch and digital filters may look cool, but it will definitely give your video and amateur appearance. If you view most any film, you will see there are not many zooms to be found. Many low budget filmmaking productions are compromised by auto focus.

Plan on spending more time than you think. Another error a lot of low budget filmmaking projects have in common is bad time organization. When you are making a picture, things frequently take much more time than you thought. Always try to be realistic when making your schedule. Being unrealistic will make shoots feel even longer.

Do not steal music for your soundtrack. You must acquire the rights to use any song or musical piece. Keep in mind that the price may be prohibitive. Always try to use royalty free tracks or song that you have rights to. Many low budget filmmaking directors will use a trendy song during their project, with the concept of replacing it later. This is commonly a bad idea because during distribution, you will jump through hoops to find audio to replace the copyrighted material.

Prepare to compromise. When you are performing low budget filmmaking, it is important to realize that not everything is going to be completely finished. You may have a particular final concept, but if you’re not ready to compromise, it is unlikely that you will were being able to complete the project. Use your creativity to come up with acceptable compromises. Your creativity that got you here, and it can get you to the finish line.

Do not always plan to fix it in editing. A stereotypical Hollywood remark is to is to fix it in post production . Do not go that route. Do the low budget filmmaking steps correctly, and the truly complex and hellish issues of fixing footage during the edit wont have to be dealt with. This will equal hours saved.

When it comes to low budget filmmaking just do it! The biggest mistake, and probably the most common one, is simply not doing anything at all. It is a widespread move in low budget filmmaking, as well as bigger budget filmmaking, to put off the project due to any of a number of factors. Many think that thousands of dollars and much training are required. Due to high end digital technology with very low costs, thankfully this is no longer true.

About The Author:

Rob Springer has been a producer, cinematographer, and director since 1987. His media facility produces diverse television and media projects, from feature films to national ad campaigns, production for national TV networks, TV shows and more. His web company, tvscreen.com, creates & markets select web & video ventures.

Source from EzineArticles

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