Make INCREDIBLE Backgrounds With a TV!

Learn how to turn any TV into a virtual backdrop or set. This setup is perfect for product shots, b-roll, models and more.
My Camera Guides and LUTs: academy.dslrvideoshooter.com
GEAR MENTIONED
55 Inch 4K TV: geni.us/Ctjs
Amaran F22c RGB LED Light: geni.us/amaran-f22c
Desk I Use: geni.us/hTBv3kA
VIDEO CHAPTERS
0:00 Introduction and Demo
1:06 TV Recommendation
2:01 Setup 1: TV Tabletop
4:56 Setup 2: TV Background Sets
5:29 Lens Recommendation
5:55 Changing Backgrounds
6:45 Matching Perspectives
7:20 Background and Bokeh
7:52 Lighting Setup
9:05 TV Specs and Issues
9:26 Flickering
9:59 Light Bleed
10:34 TV Type and Build
11:09 Reflections
12:12 Moire Pixel Patterns
13:06 Viewing Angles
13:50 Color and Contrast
14:31 Conclusion
DISCLAIMERS & AFFILIATIONS
We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.
Affiliate Links: Amazon (PAID LINK): geni.us/EeI6W B&H (PAID LINK): www.bhphotovideo.com/?BI=6566...
This video was not paid for by outside persons or manufacturers. No gear was supplied to me for this video.
The content of this video and my opinions were not reviewed or paid for by any outside persons.
#lighting #filmmaking

[@SethEverman]

do i need this for anything i shoot? no. do i want this more than anything? yes.

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Ha! The GOAT has landed!

[@thrumyeyesphoto]

Pretty much me exact thought process haha

[@garand556]

The bald Guy is back!

[@danl4720]

Lol agreed

[@MirekFe]

@@garand556 He's the bald guy. _Duh._

[@LegalEagle]

Well, now I have a business case for that 120" mini LED tv I've had my eye on...

[@dslrvideoshooter]

179 that bad boy! Fantastic channel by the way! Keep up the great work boss.

[@What_Other_Hobbies]

Are you gonna see him in court since he's gonna see you in the next video?

[@LegalEagle]

I'm surprised you didn't mount the TV on a wheeled stand. If you put it on an articulating mount, you could wheel it to where ever you want, change the angle, and be set up in seconds.

[@jordanfish]

You know Caleb’s next project is going to be a 3-tv mini volume with everything on arms and a cart :) or at least I’d like to see that!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Haha! You're right. I do have it on a rolling desk. Vesa could work but it might be a bit much to handle rotating it alone.

[@almondtech]

I didn't know you follow Caleb, not too surprised though lol

[@samuelguce]

huge

[@VRcation]

you must be new here

[@greatpix]

I was using a TV screen as a backdrop back before the family bought our first color TV in 1967. Back then homes didn't have a VCR or computer or internet. I'd had to get everything set up before the show then shoot quick when an appropriate scene came on.

[@polastories]

After years, this is still one of the best, most informative, creative, well written and produced filmmaking channel on YT.

[@pal2tech]

it's videos like this that make me want to completely reshoot all my b-roll. what a great job on this and such an awesome idea. I love everything about this. Nice job.

[@MakeSomething]

TV as a table top just blew my mind! Now I want to turn a TV into a coffee table.

[@INSTAFLIXMEDIA]

Wasn't that done many many years back?

[@DIYYourz]

You need a ip68 TV 📺 hh

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Do it!!!!

[@gridopolis]

Do not spill your coffee. So, I can't try this.

[@BrendanEvan]

It would make the most insane board game table!

[@PrimalVideo]

Such an awesome video! I've played around with using a projector as a background scene, but absolutely love this idea of laying the TV down as a table top! Dude - you're awesome

[@amoryburgess]

The environmental light the TV throws onto the subject is also great.

[@joseacarrasm]

This kind of how to videos is what makes this channel one of the best you can find in KZbin

[@NautilusGuitars]

It's is so funny that you post this. About 2 months ago, me and my son started shooting a star wars stop motion series with his Legos, and the first thing we did was set up a TV as the background like "The Volume". We even used motion to simulate flying through space, entering atmosphere, etc. The whole rig is set up right behind me as I type this. We eventually plan on using a game engine to build digital sets that we can animate along with our frames to simulate grander environments. I knew I couldn't be the only one, but it's still cool to see you post this.

[@dimogeorgakakos2570]

Have you posted this online?

[@INSTAFLIXMEDIA]

Basically it's a miniature video wall which is currently used in movie productions. I have used my monitor as my background for miniature photography for many many years and now they are using the same concept in video production too.

[@kevindiossi]

Me too! I took some photos of Funko Pops with my monitor as the background and loved the look! I never did "build it out" to try it for other things like this. Glad to see it's so effective.

[@captureinsidethesound]

This same method was used for Westworld and The Mandalorian instead of the typical green screen method. Mainly due to the fact they are LEDs so when bright enough they give off accurate ambient light and reflection so that CGI/models are easily mixed in and the actors look like they are in the same environment.

[@dragon-id5uj]

yup yup. inclusion of the stormtrooper kinda gives away dude's inspiration; not gonna watch the whole thing but i wonder if they cite that influence...

[@jordanlaine7412]

This is the future of movies. Unreal 5 and LED sets are a big game changer.

[@DavidFosterVlog]

Daaaaaaayum! That's so cool. I have an extra tv in the garage that I'm going to use for stuff like this. You're the king of great ideas!! 🎉🎉

[@donniecatalano]

Your footage is already way better than most disney modern productions

[@DSLRguide]

so simple, but so effective! Love it

[@benjaminsmith3625]

There's a youtube channel (Tech Connections) that has a set which looks like RGB lighting behind cube shelving. But it's just done with TV panels so it very, very simple to setup and control compared to proper lights!

[@Gerald_G]

Simply BRILLIANT!

[@brakmaster]

Great minds think alike. I was actually setting up to do this about a week ago. Now you've gone and done it before me. Great video. You have taught me a lot over the years and it is very much appreciated.

[@naturalgeocrappic5179]

Like always - industry-changing ideas and content! Simplicity, practicality, super quality and savings!

[@edumendes1965]

Fantastic results!!! What a great idea!!

[@kofuzi]

brilliant

[@RobertMTeegarden]

I’ve been using this technique this year. It’s been such an unlock.

[@iReadBooks]

Caleb, your videos are always amazing. This one no exception. On point, thoroughly researched and explained. Thank you for the time, thoughts, and work you put into it. Amazing results.

[@henrytheturnip]

I've been doing this for a year now, I have a 55" set up on a wheeled stand in the studio room. KZbin is really useful for animated backdrops. The technique is even more effective for glass items. My main camera PC is set up in dual monitor mode with the TV as the second monitor, I run KZbin full screen on it.

[@7aull1]

Absolute genius idea!!

[@Robservatory]

Caleb, outstanding video! The workflow you have come up with with the screen mirroring from your phone to the TV is amazing. You can adjust your colour and perspective in realtime, incredible. This is the type of creative content that we need more of, keep up the inspired work!

[@cameralips73]

Such a great video. Excellent detail, beautifully explained.

[@AuthenTech]

Love this!!

[@benjhaisch]

Yesssss I just started doing this recently as well

[@flochfitness]

Caleb coming through with some more amazing content! What a time to be a creator!

[@smOOdiebOOdie]

This was SO COOL!! 😍

[@hsjawanda]

Great idea! Thanks for sharing.

[@TheNatemega]

Such a great idea, definitely gonna try this soon!!

[@SpectreSoundStudios]

Fantastic idea! If only I had space :)

[@praxismmfilm]

Very Creative idea! Thanks for sharing. 👏👏👏

[@christopherfraccaro9623]

This is fantastic. Thank you!

[@OttoRascon]

This is such a fun idea! Super playful and the results are amazing. Great job!!!

[@HawksNestYT]

Doing this with unreal engine and attaching a VR controller to your camera and linking that remote to the camera in unreal could potentially create some REALLY cool results. Latency would be the biggest potential issue. But assuming the movements aren’t really snappy I think it would totally work. That parallax would go a super long way

[@NautilusGuitars]

This is exactly what me and my son plan on doing. We started using a screen as a background the moment we started producing a stop motion series, and we're already thinking about game engines. The TV alone opened up massive capabilities. I can't imagine what a game engine could do.

[@BensWatchClub]

Now this is really cool!

[@richaneesh]

Incredible!

[@optical_ideas]

This is so nice. A few weeks ago i saw some virtual studios with unreal engine and stuff like that. I thought to myself "it can't beat a virtual studio with thousands of dollars on equipment, but can i get something similar for my small home setup, maybe a TV?" But i did not try it. Now i can see some nice footage of that as a great background/underground. Thank you so much

[@KONDORBLUE]

Love it!!

[@jimmwagner]

Such a great and simple way to quickly get some high-production-looking shots.

[@KirtanFi]

Genius idea. Thank you for sharing!

[@vexphoto]

Very creative! Thank you.

[@travish3130]

Brilliant. Thank you

[@fiatuno72]

Very clever ideas. Thanks for the inspiration.

[@skaputinifrablou]

Thanks so much, Caleb! I was thinking about using this technique in stop motion but wasn't sure, now I'm more confident

[@ThisIsOurRetirement]

Very creative and original content thank you!

[@alexgti9345]

Hands down to a great idea. thank you!

[@peterviragphoto]

Top work!👏👏

[@blinddog4288]

This is good stuff!!!! Thank you for not wasting my time like a lot of KZbinrs.

[@sapumalkalutota]

That is such a cool idea! 10/10

[@ivargu]

Amazing idea. I love the creativity of using a common object like a tv to achieve all this!

[@marekmichalek4079]

I needed to have a playground as a background for a product photo. Well with winter in Canada that wasn't possible to do it practically so I was inspired by the volume from the Mandalorian and did similar similar to your setup. I used a very old TV that was passable for some static shots. I never thought to put the product right on the display. That's a great idea.

[@photojoseph]

This video was so much more than I thought it would be - fantastic idea!

[@andrehastings2828]

Caleb Pike! This dude is a legend! Thanks for another epic video, you keep providing immense value and it’s well appreciated! Thank you sir.

[@dhusvan1]

What about copyright violations? Is this copyright violation proof? If so, brilliant! If not, no thanks… 😊

[@chuckvoss9344]

Great idea. thanks for sharing.

[@zollotech]

Looks great. I had this idea a couple years back, but never did it. Maybe I will now…

[@topicruben]

Amazing idea!!! Thank you!

[@solomonericfilms]

Wow, just Wow, this is how creative videography is done! Thank you for sharing Caleb 🙏😊

[@CreativeThinking52]

Amazing!! Thanks for sharing. Have a great day. Happy Thursday!! 😊👍

[@MerryTech]

I love seeing people pushing the limits of tech in new ideas. Really dig what your doing here. Creativity +5!

[@jakubmierzejewski961]

I'm using it for my photography/video shoots for over 3-4 years with my LG OLED 55. I'm amazed people are not doing it more often. Results are amazing

[@NautilusGuitars]

Just started doing it a couple months ago for a stop motion with my son, and it's been an incredible tool that takes our project from a bedroom hobby, to a full on mini cinematic production.

[@Brocknoviatch]

Awesome video!

[@makestuffmike]

Super inspired to give this one a try!

[@maxuuell]

This idea is so cool! Thank you for sharing it with us!

[@dslrvideoshooter]

Thank you for the kind words and super Maxuuell!

[@anagram8]

Awesomeness!!!

[@superjunaid]

Just when you know it all. Caleb takes it all to another Level. Thank you for such an AMAZING tutorial on how to level up our footage and b-roll shots. I'm continually impressed by your creativity and ingenuity.

[@haseenmultimedia3103]

amazing stuff. Thank you

[@BishopEddie5443]

Sheer GENIUS!

[@gundamartz]

Great stuff sir!

[@ResponseDigitalMedia]

Brilliant!

[@marshalljvanderhoofphoto]

This video is amazing! It has me thinking about so many ways to use this. What a great idea. Thank you for the video!

[@X99Zero]

this is incredible

[@colinbluth5461]

these are some really cool ideas

[@ItsWhatIDo]

What a great idea. So simple but so versatile. I really need to try that.

[@alexandermontlary8461]

Love this one!

[@ArtandLes]

Super creative 👍👍👍❤️

[@zwheels654]

Virtual production is so hyped right now, it's easy to forget that most of the rear-projection techniques we're talking about have been around since before computers. Thank you for this video. Every time I think I need to buy a gen-lock camera and a $5k tracking system, I find a video like this and go, "Oh yeah. This is all just rear projection. I can accomplish the same results with way less technology and a little more effort." And that's not even to mention old school camera tracking and compositing for green screen. Is virtual production super exciting? Absolutely. But I think for me it's just a distraction from good storytelling.

[@pall2s1984]

Awesome!!!

[@Ptpop]

Excellent video. Great idea. I think I shall use this one. ❤❤❤

[@OliverHoerold]

Great idea. I need to try that! Thanks a lot for the inspiration!

[@realtorruben365]

That’s sick!

[@TheThaiLife]

This is the coolest idea I have seen for a long time. Thank you so much!

[@TJackSurvival]

What a great idea!!!!

[@Duphe]

thank you for your time and effort! well done.

[@LeechTM]

Ah, finally. Was always waiting for how you did that Ronin 4D Background, and just that small sentence with a Projector gave me enough of an Idea. Thank you very much 😘

[@kenjifuse8599]

What a cool video. Love it

[@kurtisca]

Awesome video, this content is what makes your channel SUPER valuable. Thanks for sharing.

[@benjaminleavitt3666]

I love these types of videos way more than your tech ones. Awesome content!

[@BrandonTalbot]

This is wild and I definitely wanna try this!

[@majormauser]

What a great idea.

[@HugoWill]

that's insanely good!

[@van94weightlossjourney]

OmG ❤ what a freaking great idea!!!!! I have two flat panels sitting in storage… digging out them out.

[@glowingnipple]

Yes, that's a nice one. I've been using my laptop screen as a backdrop for shooting smaller is items, but surely will try to go big with a TV, thanks for your video!

[@ecmjr]

Wow! This is genius! Great video!!!

[@AronBagel]

Funnily enough, a few days from now marks the two-year anniversary of the first time I tried this technique. I use my 27" monitor, so I'm lacking a little bit of flexibility, but it still works quite well. I'll sometimes use a black reflective surface to place the subject on, so the image in the screen is mirrored below it.

[@memostothefuture]

This is the quality content I love your channel for.