The Best Green Screen

Buying Guide

If you enjoy photography and videography and like to include fun visual effects, then having a green screen is a great idea. This way, you can make the background in your photos and videos look like pretty much anything under the sun. Green screens aren’t just useful for photography and videography, however. Many people who do video calls from home for work also use a green screen to create the effect of a professional background during their meetings.

When selecting a green screen, first consider the size you’ll need. This will depend on what you’re photographing or recording in front of the screen. For example, for one person, you’ll need a smaller screen than recording a group of 10 people. The screen should be considerably bigger than the object in front of it so that you can create the right effects when it’s time for post production work.

Green screens are available in different materials, such as vinyl, muslin, polyester and many other materials. If you’re going to use the green screen on the floor as well as a backdrop, it’s vital to choose a material that is easy to clean. After all, you don’t want to get dirty footprints on the green screen, which will affect how your visual effects will look in the final edit. Vinyl is a good choice because it is easy to wipe down and it doesn’t wrinkle. Muslin, which wrinkles, can create shadows along the green screen, which then cause issues in post production.

• Consider how temporary or fixed the green screen setup needs to be. For example, if you have a professional studio, then having a permanent green screen setup may be a good idea as you will likely use it for multiple projects. If you’re just temporarily using a green screen in your home office while having some renovations done in the space, then you need something that is easy to put up and take down. Some green screens come with stands which can be fixed in place or on rollers, while others only include the screen.
• Be aware that some green screens are folded when they are shipped to you, and as a result, they might be heavily wrinkled and creased. The best course of action is to hang them up as soon as you get them so that they can begin to straighten out. Depending on the material, you may have to iron the green screen before use. Always check the care and maintenance instructions of the green screen to ensure you’re using the right settings on the iron.
• Not sure how big of a green screen you will need? Get your camera and grab a friend to figure out the measurements. Stand in front of the camera and have your friend stand at the wall where the green screen will go. Mark off the space where the camera angles cover so you can see just how big of a screen you will need. If you’re not sure, always go for the bigger size of screen. If it’s too small, you will not be able to get the visual effects you’re going for.