Rear Projection: Cinematography Secrets

Stay tuned to the end for a chance to win a prize!
Rear projection used to be a common technique for compositing actors into different environments. By projecting an image onto a screen from behind, and then shooting the actor against that backdrop, you could create the illusion of the actor being somewhere else. Today we mostly use green screens for this type of work, with the green backdrop being replaced in post production with an image or video. However, rear projection can still be a useful technique for independent filmmakers and people who prefer practical effects. Today on 4 Minute Film School, we’re going to show you how to put together a rear projection setup on your next project.
In this video, Matt from the A-Team shows us how to set up a rear projection and light the set for your scene. First, he figures out where the camera needs to be placed for the shot. This will let him know where the rear projection needs to go if he’s working in a limited space. Second, he picks a background for the rear projection, keeping in mind the perspective of the camera versus the perspective of the projected image. Lastly, he uses lighting to balance the exposure of the projection and the lighting on the set.
The main aspects addressed in this video are matching the camera’s perspective, matching the lighting, and balancing exposure. Matching the camera’s perspective means making sure the image you’re projecting looks like it was taken from the same angle. This means camera height and pan or tilt. Matching the lighting refers to using lights on your set to replicate what the light is doing in your projected image. Matching the light quality, color, and direction will make your shot more believable. Balancing exposure means adjusting the brightness of your lights on set and the brightness of the projector to make sure it doesn’t look too artificial.
Overall, rear projection can be a fun tool to use on set when you can’t be in the physical location. Whether it’s done to save time in post production, or add some realism to your scene, there are lots and lots of creative opportunities you can have with rear projection. A version of rear projection is even being used on bigger productions to show the real-time effects of a background image instead of a green screen. On your next project, think about how you could use rear projection to enhance your story.
Connect with Matt: / mozaicstudios
Connect with Chetco: / thechetco
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[@aputurelighting]

How would you use rear projection to shoot a sunset scene? Comment below for a chance to win an Aputure M9!

[@YeahWhiplash]

Sunsets by nature give you a limited timing window to get a scene shot. I'd shoot an entire movie over the entire duration of a sunset... and not have to worry about additional takes or production time because I can just rewind my projected image!

[@bhanupratapsinghb325]

in a zombie movie where through the window which is also protected by reinforced steel cage I would want to use rear projection showing sun setting through the buildings in the background and light fading away from Orange to buildings with warning lights starting off to let the citizens know to go on a lockdown ... The scene would be inside the Houses of different people and them looking out and the sequence revealing the tension, fear and the reality of how their lives have changed when it's sunset hour ...

[@JensIhnow]

Well, I have now idea as a newbie I’m still learning about how to use lights to enhance my images/videos. Unfortunately, I have to use some ambient lights so far, as I do not own any professional lights, besides my recent buy: the Aputure MC. So I’m up for the challenge of winning a light and start playing more with lights and their compositions. Most likely I would add more, rather cheap, parts to it. Bedsheets in different colors and density might be a good option on the sunset, but colorful lights might make a tropic sunset possible.

[@MorganWable]

The plan is to use rear projection to film a character, in silhouette, looking into a sunset... On the bridge of a starship.

[@RivuSouravBanerjeeVideoEditor]

🔴GIVEAWAY ? What’s the point of doing a Giveaway if u don’t even give the prize to the WINNER ? Its been 7 Months and i hv still haven’t received the giveaway i was suppose to receive fr this video’s contest Winner. its very disappointing @Aputure 👎🤷‍♂️

[@LENSDADDY]

Im here learning about rear projection after watching LArs Von Trier's Europa. Which has so much cool rear projection

[@janiv3987]

I'd use projection as a reflection that could be seen from actor glasses closeup shot. Great for any situation where you want to abstract the action a bit but still include actor emotions and light spill on actor.

[@ortebalm09]

Depending on the scene, I would use the underexposure actor in front of the screen, add lights above the screen to light the camera lens to achieve the flare of the sunset.

[@aputurelighting]

Oh that's a good idea, add a harder light source to match the look of the direct sunlight in addition to the image of the projector!

[@paradiddle345]

What a great idea and video!! I was thinking of hanging up a sheet behind two actors who are swinging in a porch swing.Projecting warm colors for a sunset feel onto the sheet.

[@ivpt]

I would put it behind some rocks and trees for more of an outdoor feeling. Bonus points if I actually shoot out and use big projectors to emulate sunlight.

[@redoniproductions]

I'd use rear projection to "change" a location's view. This would allow you to have a "beach sunset view" projected through a 12x12 silk and the windows or glass patio doors of the house regardless of its actual physical location. Talent facing towards camera (negative space and an offside key camera right) Aputure 300 w/Light Dome and a 120D (set to daylight camera left for a hair light). All sources would be set to tungsten with an in camera white balance of 4000-4500K to push the orange tones to give me a golden hour look with full control and no time limit. A little haze for ambience and to lower the contrast would be the last touch.

[@JensIhnow]

Well, I have now idea as a newbie I’m still learning about how to use lights to enhance my images/videos. Unfortunately, I have to use some ambient lights so far, as I do not own any professional lights, besides my recent buy: the Aputure MC. So I’m up for the challenge of winning a light and start playing more with lights and their compositions. Most likely I would add more, rather cheap, parts to it. Bedsheets in different colors and density might be a good option on the sunset, but colorful lights might make a tropic sunset possible.

[@jordanmendoza]

This is great! I'd put a silk up outside my first-floor window at nighttime and rear-project a sunset sample onto the silk. Then I'd use an RGB light set to orange-ish on low to match the sun as a key-as if it were another window nearby.

[@janiv3987]

I'd use projection as a reflection that could be seen from actor glasses closeup shot. Great for any situation where you want to abstract the action a bit but still include actor emotions and light spill on actor.

[@kelvinkurniawan07]

Of course, first you need a picture of sunset. And then set the brightness to maximum, because the sun is captured in the camera. Use rim/hair light to enhances the sunset effect. Choose the corret color temperature of the light. You can add 2cto gel into light with 5600k. You can add a bounce board or another light for fill a shadow, just a little bit and this is optional.

[@PunkDuckVideo]

Great tutorial! I would use rear projection to shoot a sunset scene of two actors having a conversation while sat in a car on a headland overlooking the sea. The car could be parked in a large garage or even outside at night, with the rear projection screen directly in front of the car. I would shoot the scene from the back seat having the actors leaning in towards each other to talk with the sunset, seen through the windscreen (windshield), behind them. I would have a 300X with the fresnel mount turned down to 2700K mounted on a C stand so that it is above the screen and aimed down into the car. Shooting with the camera daylight balanced would give a nice orange backlight / rim light on the actors. If the 300X wasn’t orange enough to match the sunset with colour temperature alone, I would add a CTO.

[@Creatorflow]

on 2:45 there are lines rolling over the projection screen.

[@jordanh5834]

Not many people noticed that... kinda ruins the effect for me.

[@MarcParroquin]

I would use a Black Pro Mist filter and a hazer to give everything a soft, diffused romantic glow and wrap lighting around each subject with plates for each direction.

[@get8bit]

Sorry to see you're both sick at the end. Get well soon!

[@anag1003]

I will use a rear projection to make it look like a dream that is about to end with a projection of a place that does not seem possible but reflects the caracter emotions and shows the end of the dream by the sunset presence.

[@johannes914]

2001: A Space Odyssey used front projection... That is projecting on a highly reflective screen. The projector was aligned with the camera to hide shadows.

[@aputurelighting]

You're totally right I'd forgotten about that! What do you think works better, rear projection or front projection?

[@johannes914]

@@aputurelighting front projection was an improvement as it allowed much brighter background but it is tricky to setup as camera and projector must be on the same line. This involved one side mirrors. You also could only make very small camera movements. See the ape sequence in 2001. The camera barely moves. Consequently the background was also projected on the actors but the special 3M screen material was so reflective that the projected image was not visible on the dark apes. One clue is one shoot when the light of the projector reflects on the eye's retina of the panther . An other issue was the size of the screen. It was built from numerous strips of material but the seems were visible. So they had to cut the trips in random shapes and assemble them together so the seems won't show a regular pattern. If you watch closely you can sometimes see the random shapes in bright skys and mostly on the top edges of the screen.

[@Mutedimagery]

I'd want to have the sunset just peering out of a window this would be great because I wouldn't have to worry about losing light

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

I think I'd have a beautiful sunset projected on a silk or similar, behind a couple at a table. Minic a reataurant scene. Maybe a breakup, or a flirtatious scene. Something dramatic. Table, tablecloth, vase with flowers, wait staff.

[@aputurelighting]

That sounds like a great idea! There are so many different ways that scene could go!

[@joelsmolenaers1783]

I would use the rear projection lighting to reveal someone dreams while they are a sleep in the bedrooms, and the light would spill onto the sheets to add to the tone of the dream

[@aputurelighting]

That sounds beautiful!

[@Bthefilmer]

Great video man. I actually am super interested in doing this one of these days.

[@scottslotterbeck3796]

Smart. I have a projector, and we've done this. Maybe try it again.

[@ahmdbbkr588]

Put a projector behind the window , and from outside put some hard light with orange CTO and light the inside scene by the same temprecher and for more adjustment you can put more tones and the blue one can make complementary color contrast

[@aputurelighting]

That sounds like a great setup. Adding a hard light to mix with the soft light source of the projector. Nice job!

[@cire30a]

you could shoot the projector straight at actor, and as the sun sets its actually his world inverting by camera jib movement to counter. would be a cool effect.

[@rockvatt8974]

Great Tutorial

[@cyberbeatforethiopian7074]

FIRST i will find a nice sun sate footage and project it by keeping the camera focal length also if it is not our subject blurring the image will be considered acording to the shoot. also sun set is is more like orange in color so by droping CTO(aprture 120d) will sale the scene.

[@sagecausie]

Is the projector placed behind the silk screen or at an angle in front it it?

[@adamlabrie9555]

hazer adding "contrast to an image" ? wouldn't haze be raising the black level and thus reducing contrast?

[@jordanmendoza]

Also, wondering if you guys have any thoughts on using an ultra short throw projector as a backdrop/greenscreen replacement? And if you have any tips for reducing moire/refresh? Thanks, this is awesome!

[@aputurelighting]

Hey! I think any projector would work as long as it's bright enough. The one we used was 2000 lumens. For the refresh we tried adjusting the shutter angle and frame rate and it helped but we still got some artifacts when shooting too close to the projector. From a distance it was harder to notice. So that's something to keep in mind as well.

[@jordanmendoza]

@@aputurelighting so helpful! thank you so much.

[@paradiddle345]

Is it normal for the 300d to flicker while changing the brightness with the remote? What is a good Gold Mount battery to use for the 300d?

[@redstoneadventures]

If the projector was strong enough, you could make a silhouetted character by placing the actor between the projector and the silk. This way your blacks would be as black as possible with little spill from the projector and you wouldn't have to worry about messing with exposure to match the "Black" of the silk and the black if the character.

[@AreolaRock]

I think I’d like to use rear projection for most sunset scenes if possible. It would be much easier to light the actor properly and then fake the sunset and bring that up to the correct level.

[@aputurelighting]

Yeah I agree! It's so hard to shoot during real sunset because of how quickly the light changes

[@BilalIsmat]

i would use rear projection of sunset with more brightness and keep my subject in silhouette by exposing to projection .

[@terrybrunner3800]

Question : im looking to project a live image silhouette onto translucent plastic, at the same time recording video image in front on the translucent plastic, can you offer any hints, tips or direction ?

[@aputurelighting]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/rXfSopydmMhsfK8 maybe this can help!

[@RivuSouravBanerjeeVideoEditor]

I will shoot a silhouette of a person standing in the sunset in beach.. i will project the Beach Sunset... .... now fingers crossed 🤞 for me fr winning my 1st Aputure light 💡

[@CinemaTeacher]

I'm picturing a recreation of a sunset scene in Terrence Malick's Days of Heaven (1978) shot by the incredible Néstor Almendros. Specifically to see how close a rear projection shot can get to the real thing. Does that make sense? And can I get an Aputure M9? 🤔☀️

[@jaideeppanjwani]

Ima take a note

[@aputurelighting]

That sounds really fun! I hope it goes well. It might help to add some softening to the lens so the foreground and background blend together a little more.

[@AntonioMartinez-ko2ur]

Do you need a lot of space to do this in studio?

[@adamfrench2337]

Can I ask where you sourced your projection silk and what type of silk it is? I have an upcoming shoot that I'm planning for that uses rear projection in night car scenes and I'm looking for the brightest, sharpest materials to project on. Any help is appreciated!

[@aputurelighting]

We used a 12x12 silk from Matthews that we had in our studio. I'm not sure what it was called but it's a very thin material, so maybe a 1/4 silk. Good luck with the shoot!

[@neslihan4712]

Could you write the movies here is very urgent and important ?? please

[@neslihan4712]

Could you write the movies here is very urgent and important ??!!!! pleaseeeee

[@neslihan4712]

Could you write the movies here is very urgent and important ??!!!! please

[@RivuSouravBanerjeeVideoEditor]

🔴GIVEAWAY ? What’s the point of doing a Giveaway if u don’t even give the prize to the WINNER ? Its been 7 Months and i hv still haven’t received the giveaway i was suppose to receive fr this video’s contest Winner. its very disappointing @Aputure 👎🤷‍♂️

[@sanilalkuttimon1755]

😍😍😍😍

[@derburner1097]

I would put a video of an explosion behind me, cuz... it s an explosion!

[@NirnBootMod]

I would use rear project to film a sunset scene by having the silk screen projected image faked through a window... otherwise I would use a real sunset.

[@OfficialTornadoboy]

Are these two the only ones at the office lol?

[@MrTjahzi]

Good video but i cringed when you swipe right & the push goes left. Multiple times :p

[@breakerzee2874]

Simulate a double sun sunset on an alien planet!

[@aputurelighting]

Hey! That's a great idea! *Star Wars theme starts playing

[@chabaryanhotmailcom]

I would use it in a driving scene and make it ironicly look very fake. maybe for a comedic result

[@stopthephilosophicalzombie9017]

You might want to do some green screen work or editing to remove the ridiculous Covid masks.