Behind the Lens

4.25It Ain’t Easy Being Green: Estimating Green Screen Lighting

I received an email question the other day about lighting a green screen and I thought it might be of use for me to share my response and thoughts here.

The question seemed simple: “Can I light an 18″ wide by 12″ high green screen with two Kino Flo Image85 units, or do I need more?”

I suppose I could have responded with a simple: “yes, you can, but I’d recommend three” and called it a day—but that answer was inadequate (and it’s very unlike me to be simple in any response!). To be thorough, I had to ask a few questions: how far away from the screen can the Kinos be and what stop (brightness) do they need from the screen?

Keeping in mind that you want to keep your talent as far away ...