Green Screen vs. Blue Screen: Pro's and Con's | Crew Mama Blog | If you’re in the video production industry, you’ve heard the phrase “on a green screen”. A green screen is used to chroma key, which is a post-production technique for compositing two images or video streams togethers based on color hues. But what about using a blue screen? It’s far less heard off, yet equally beneficial. Every shoot is different, so we’ve put together a guide on when to use a blue screen as opposed to a green screen!
Green screens are generally used more often because most digital cameras capture more information on the green channel. It results in a cleaner key around your subject, and less noise distracting from the subject. Green screens are also more ideal if you’re on a budget because they require less light. Since green is a brighter color, the spill can make it much easier to add subjects into a daytime scene. It also gives it a more natural appearance. Additionally, most digital keying tools are just set up to key out green by default. This will massively reduce time in the post-production process. Lastly, green is a less common color that is used in clothing and therefore, you won’t run into as many problems as with a blue screen.
The most obvious disadvantage with a green screen is the amount of color spill. While it is helpful that the color green is brighter than blue, it does make it bounce back more light. Which means, the light will have a green hue to it. Removing the color spill from the subject can be tricky to do in post-production. Another problem will arise if you’re trying to have a subject be against a nighttime or dark scene. The subject may appear unnaturally bright because of the reflected light from the green screen.
When compared to green screens, the biggest benefit of using a blue screen is that there is much less color spill. Blue as a color has a lower luminance value, so it doesn’t bounce back as much light. If you’re filming subjects with small details, this is ideal. You’ll be able to retain all the small details after keying is completed. Additionally, blonde-haired subjects are much easier to capture on a blue screen. A green screen will sometimes take away some of their hair in the shot. They also work much better with night time settings because they reflect less light onto the subject.
Since blue screens are a darker color, they require more light to properly expose compared to green screens. If a lot of powerful lighting isn’t in your budget, this may become a problem. Blue is also a much more common color of clothing. Blue jeans are very common and will be a problem and some wardrobe adjustments may have to be made. Every project is different. While a green screen is the most popular way to cast a subject onto a background, there are other options available. Refer to this pro’s and con’s list whenever you need to decide between a green or blue screen. Need to book a video camera crew in your area? Give us a call today!
