ASK & DISCUSS

INDEX

Camera/Lighting Animation/CGI Producing

Green Screen or Physical Set?

Matthew Freeman

7 years, 12 months ago - Matthew Freeman

Good morning all.

I have a quick question for anyone who has had even the slightest experience working on a project that has involved a green screen.

I am currently in the pre-production process of my first financed short, and the intention is to incorporate live action actors on a background that resembles something similar to the Paddington Bear series from the 1970s (As a reference -
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hRizehORs8E/maxresdefault.jpg ), and was wondering whether it people would recommend physically building the sets or shooting on a green screen and getting an animator to build the background digitally?

A couple of things that I have been thinking of...

- The film will be shot at one 'location' (by the side of a road at a bus stop) but ideally I would like to be able to manoeuvre the camera a reasonable amount, so a physical set would have to be fairly three dimensional.
- My knowledge of animation (particularly digital) is negligible so I have no idea how simple it would be for an animator to build a scene and make it feel immersive and believable even though it is fairly surreal.

Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Regards,
Matt.

Only members can post or respond to topics. LOGIN

Not a member of SP? JOIN or FIND OUT MORE

Answers older then 1 month have been hidden - you can SHOW all answers or select them individually
Answers older then 1 month are visible - you can HIDE older answers.

Mark Wiggins

7 years, 12 months ago - Mark Wiggins

If you can always go for a physical set. If using greenscreen, always make sure that at least part of your set is physical (floor, probs etc) and then use the greenscreen for set-extentions. That way, the greenscreen element is easier to sell. I would talk to a vfx supervisor as he/she would be best to advise you.

Response from 7 years, 12 months ago - Mark Wiggins SHOW

Matthew Freeman

7 years, 12 months ago - Matthew Freeman

Thank you very much for the rapid response.

Will take it all on board.

Regards,
Matt.

Response from 7 years, 12 months ago - Matthew Freeman SHOW

Pip Brignall

7 years, 11 months ago - Pip Brignall

I would simply shop around and see what people quote you. Speak to some VFX Studios and speak to some Set Designers and go with the best proposal. Good luck.

Response from 7 years, 11 months ago - Pip Brignall SHOW

Lynwood Shiva Sawyer

7 years, 11 months ago - Lynwood Shiva Sawyer

Curmudgeon alert. I loathe green screen for realistic drama. For high budget CGI, there are no alternatives, and for totally off the wall comedy, it works, too. But for drama, more and more TV shows are shooting green screen to save money. Of course it's much cheaper to shoot your second unit green screen, then the leads in a studio and drop them in. The new fruit cart trope are scenes in an office where characters pace purposelessly in the background with briefcases, folders, binders etc. in hand. I've worked in some of the top investment banks and law firms in New York, and background busy-ness isn't like that all. Or parties on boats that are as inauthentic as the 1940s car driving rear projection scenes. What is especially irritating is when a green screen character walks so close to a lead that they almost touch, and the lead doesn't react at all. Humans are very alert beings for very sound evolutionary reasons, extremely attuned to the presence of other human beings. But green screened leads aren't reacting to their environment or other people, they're reacting to a STUDIO environment. And I won't even begin to address the totally bogus audio environment of so many green screened TV shows. Enough of my rant.

Response from 7 years, 11 months ago - Lynwood Shiva Sawyer SHOW