How to get a flawless greenscreen shoot in a tiny room

It's very hard to become the authority (or feel that authority) in your marketplace by way of video until those videos reflect on the outside what you already know to be true on the inside.
One place this problem raises its ugly head again and again is in how coaches and consultants appear in their video environments.
It's not always good. Especially when it comes to the green screen lighting setup.
Well...after extensive experimentation and testing, including a high
profile series of launch videos, I’ve discovered an astonishingly
simple way for lighting green screen to get a flawless shoot in even the smallest of spaces.
If you’d like to have this video superpower for your own, you can get it right now. It doesn’t cost a thing.
Isn't it time you presented an image you can be proud of to an image-conscious market?
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[@Draian63]

Great simple, pragmatical explanation on lighting positioning and green screen in small spaces...

[@simplygaming2280]

Thank you for the pointers. I didn't however think myself that duh obviously my shadow would counter affect the light so keep them right behind me was a useful hint. Much appreciated sir!

[@PinilakangLakbay]

Thank you.

[@dinobibolotti8351]

Great man. Thanks for sharing.

[@gssimoesbr]

Your videos are awsome!! Wish i could speak like you. Good job!!!

[@skidhookroll]

This was one of the best, succinct, helpful instructional videos I've watched about this topic. Great job, I want to be you when I grow up (unless you have a criminal record or something bad).

[@meganadha.official]

So valuable. Thank you

[@dmitrivassiliev15]

Steve, you're right to the point. I just love your style of presenting. It feels like you have a ton of teaching experience. Thank you.

[@monicamomney8756]

Great video

[@durag700]

thank you sooo much i was struggling with lighting for a while

[@waynechapman9029]

THANK YOU FOR THIS IT IS A GREAT HELP FOR ME

[@chr1staki]

Clever!

[@aleciahightower3888]

Thank you!

[@debeshbhattarai]

Nice on GS.... I mean on Green Screen ...!

[@lvaughntaylor3]

this was awesome and super informative. thank you!

[@ericsesame6321]

Wow, you fooled me! 😂 Your first few shots were in a room and I didn't realize until the very end that you were actually in front of the green screen the whole time. You should make a video on how to edit the background image to where it matches the physical lighting.

[@vikas.saxena]

I've recently started using a green screen after watching some of your videos. I've got a problem with my process. First, I create my initial draft with the screen, then edit it, and export it. Then, I take it back into my editor to change the background and export it again for the final one. Am I doing it correctly or doubling my effort foolishly? OR, is it done this way only?

[@interracialdatingtips7473]

Your voice reminds me of someone from TV/Movies, can't recall who it is. Thanks for sharing the green screen tip :)

[@ericvancilmedia3108]

Reminds me of Alex Trebek.

[@Hiker63]

Excellent well thought out tutorial.

[@StevenWasher]

Thanks, Mr. Gnome! :)

[@ronkennington3157]

Clearly you have a great voice and delivery. Question how far should the camera be from the person? Thank you.

[@StevenWasher]

I don't think there's one distance that everyone should stand all the time. It depends on what you're trying to do. But if you're asking where to stand to get the best greenscreen effect in a tiny room, the answer is as far away as you get from the wall and still be seen from the waist up. And that will depend completely on the lens of your camera and how wide it can go. If you have a 30mm lens, then in a 10 x 10 room you should be able to stand at least 3 feet from the camera. Hope that helps!

[@techkrafta]

i have watched a lot of videos on youtube, but none were able to explain it too very well, I love this I will subscribe to your channel you are the bomb and i will try your techniques out. i have been having problems lighting my screen backdrops. i will give you a subscribe and a bell

[@Lukalovesfeud]

I'm getting strong Jeff Goldblum vibes here, and absolutely loving it

[@FuzzyNova]

Were you ever the commander of a starship in a 1970s Sci Fi Show?

[@xtomvideo]

Good vid.

[@davidpetersen1]

Expense report for a travel day..lmao:)

[@TELALITcellistandsinger]

Hi, can you recommend the specific lights to get, for someone on a budget? What's the minimum one should spend on lighting to get a decent professional result? Thank you!

[@StevenWasher]

There are budgets and there are budgets. I don't know yours, but you can do all this with regular light bulbs and plywood if you're handy and don't mind spending the time building the framework. I have a free pdf that goes into all the details on my favorite tools and how to use them for getting this effect. That's at www.visibleauthority.com/ultimate-gs-invitation-video/ Good luck!

[@garywidom]

Basic info begins at 3:33

[@PopPulseIn60s]

Great video but tiny, for me, is about 4' by 8'. I need to have my desk along the 8' wall and the green screen right at the back of my chair. Any advice for that would be hugely appreciated.

[@StevenWasher]

Tiny is relative, isn't it? There are two possible routes. One is to put the green screen right behind you, as you say, and tough it out with a light shooting straight down the frame from just above the screen, and use the background removal feature of Zoom or any editing program, which will be better than nothing. But the more elegant route is to not use green screen at all. Why force what can't be optimized? It's like trying to make your car fly. Better to clean up the background and make it look intentional.

[@PopPulseIn60s]

@@StevenWasher Thanks very much for your reply Steven. Sadly there is, what I'd consider an ugly window frame behind me so the green screen is the better route. I can make it work however the edge of everything is not great. It could also be attributed to using a Logitech C920 webcam and maybe a better quality would pick up edges better. I'm not sure without having the ability to try it. Thanks for your input.

[@StevenWasher]

@@PopPulseIn60s The C920 is a fine webcam but is not suited for green screen. However, you could use a regular video camera with a USB video capture dongle, and use it as your webcam and give yourself at least a fighting chance to make the green screen work. But it must be carefully lit to make it even across the screen.

[@PopPulseIn60s]

@@StevenWasher I found an app called Camo which allowed me to use my iPhone 11 Pro Max as a Webcam and it worked brilliantly and it was really easy to remove the green. The C920 has been a battle and I didn't realise the importance of a good camera. I have a Samsung NX30 woth a really good lens but just can't find a dummy battery anywhere and that would be perfect. The importance of a high res quality sensor is

[@PopPulseIn60s]

Fundamental to making the green screen work well. I wish I knew this a week ago as it would have saved me so much time. Thanks for your input about a quality pice of tech as the Webcam.

[@Yelnats101]

DISTANCE IS KEY. if not the proper distance you will get reflected green light on you and it just looks awful

[@Paparazzionsite]

Where do you suggest getting great background scenes to replace green screen?

[@StevenWasher]

For still images, I like 123rf.com. For video, I like videoblocks.com. I think all this and more is in the free course.

[@Uyry-m8m]

I need your help. when I use chromakey, I have noise on the rim of my hair?

[@superchargerboy5750]

Forget green screening how’d you get those eyebrows bro.

[@StevenWasher]

I just found some caterpillars and glued them on. Why?

[@zack41564]

Only need one more light.

[@paolabueso]

Wow! Your voice and video presence are something to aspire to!

[@StephenSabludowsky]

Very good. so, what you are saying, if you have even light, 3 feet away from screen, you can stand, say, 4 feet away, as long as you are not being reflected upon by the green screen lights. The two other lights shine on you and they are next to camera. Generally, how far does the camera need to be from the subject? So far, having a lot of issues getting rid of shadows, no matter what i do, so any help is appreciated. thanks.

[@Kix-86]

Felt like I was watching a DIY video tape from the 80s... and I'm from the 90s! Loved it.

[@paulmcwhorter]

Nicely Done! I spent the morning watching youtube looking for tips and tricks on how to improve my greenscreen results. I was really surprised at the extremely poor production quality of so many of these tutorials. I tip my hat to you! Exceptional quality, and I benefited from what you said. Even though your tutorial was not about audio, exceptional audio quality. Thanks

[@JonathanDavisKookaburra]

i'm not really clear on what made this different to any other green screen lighting setup. What was the trick that made it so you didn't need to be 8 feet from the screen?

[@diptiman2008]

Hello Steven.....I am the CEO of an export company here in India and have been watching some of your videos. I should tell you that I really appreciate and feel so pleasant when I hear you speak....there is no hurry, no extra excitement in your oratory technique...I mean this is so soothing. Please make more videos on different subjects. I think your voice and way of speaking shouldn't be limited to Green Screen type Tutorials. You are a lovely story teller type personality. My Best Wishes !!

[@StevenWasher]

I will take it under advisement. Thank you!

[@hollowayndtengineeringinc.5201]

That was much better and to the point than 99% of the noise out there. Thanks Steve!

[@StevenWasher]

Thank you! (he said quietly :)

[@allanfortytwo]

Thank You. I finally found a video that explains the missing KEY information. I have a green screen. I'm going to do this. Thanks again and new subscriber.

[@StevenWasher]

Thank you, sir. Godspeed!

[@thehumblesavage2898]

lol so you pretty much still need all the space instead of a true tiny room

[@emmettfitz]

I must have missed something. How do you set up greenscreen in a tiny room??

[@marcel_rus]

i think the point was that in a tiny room you don't have space to just use two lights that light both the screen and thus in this small room, in order to still fit, you use separate lights for lighting the screen from the ones lighting the subject

[@StevenWasher]

John Gault Productions Too bad. That was what the video was contrasting greenscreen against.

[@StevenWasher]

@LevelEzy I understand your frustration. And for those who need more help to get the finer points, I tried to do something about it. If you click on the little "I" at the top of this video you will get access to an entire course on doing greenscreen...no charge...no upsell...no funny business. But if you go through it, you will become as good as a pro; certainly good enough to put something up that will make you proud of what you've created. Good luck!

[@dontquitout]

@@StevenWasher Here is an option that is used alot in the online streaming world now. This one is compact and collapsible, so when you are done you can stash it in an office closet for example. El Gato Green Screen - www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0743Z892W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

[@CYBOPOD88]

I got it, and I got ADDS. WATCH IT 10 TIMES IF YOU HAVE TO...watch when he is stepping back and forward.. starting at 4:07, and listen to what he is saying.. and notice the lighting on him as he does it...he is showing and explaining how to light a green screen in small places..

[@GNOBNX]

Steve, it's a shame I'm just seeing your video. This is by far the most informative advice on how to effectively light chromakey for video. Awesome! The most beneficial 6.5 minutes spent on KZbin.

[@ThePamster]

Great tutorial Steven thank you! One question do you recommend softboxes on all 4 lights? Really great tutorial, thank you again for the concise and detailed demonstration. Is it important to have the ones in front of your subject have them and also on the screen so really all 4 is more ideal? Because I'll gladly make some of those. I see DIY tutorials on them, but if 2 works, I'm wondering which two, screen lit ones, or in front on the subject. Really appreciated seeing you walking in between the lights range to show us exactly why getting as little shadow as possible is important.

[@StevenWasher]

You absolutely don't need soft boxes for all 4 lights, but you do need soft light all around. You can do this with LED panels on yourself and florescent strips to partially light the green screen. Good luck!

[@toapyandfriends]

Can you provide a link where I could buy those exact lights that you have?😀

[@StevenWasher]

You get all that and more when you watch the video linked to at the end of this video.

[@toapyandfriends]

@@StevenWasher 😀'thanks!

[@SuchetB]

This is amazing - thank you - You explained it so much easier than so many other videos and articles I have seen :)

[@josephtapper801]

This is the best video I have seen on the subject. Had to fast forward to about halfway through though. I didn't need to be sold on the fact I need green screen, I already knew that and that's why I came here. But good job and thank you.

[@ACompassionateHeartSchool]

Wow, what a lovely energy you have! Thank you for the info, it's very helpful for a beginner :-)

[@aaronlowe3156]

The ending caught me by surprise. Clever fox. Thumbs up for that

[@RobCLynch]

Another excellent video from an excellent presenter. At the end of the day, this guy is providing free advice and good advice at that. I am very grateful to have such concise advice to help me with my project.

[@BattleBound]

I laughed so many times. Thanks for this! I'm gonna try it later.

[@siddharth122]

Your way of explaining things is very nice and welcoming 😊

[@SereneSoakingSounds]

Great tips , Unfortunately I need my subjects ( puppies ) to be close to the ground meaning I need a huge space. Suggestions welcome, for now I'm just putting out videos with heavy editing not my fav but will do until I sort out another way to do this given minimal space. ♥️

[@JirehDigitalMedia]

5:01 Yeah, well, you have green spill in your face and hair from the background being to close. Nice try though. You need more space between you and the background.

[@TheMrB]

Your naturally cool. Love the presentation

[@jesterstudiokj]

Eh... I love your "Hoarders Room". Don't sell yourself short. Enlightening videos. Thanks.

[@min2oly]

This was a big help! I had some shadow problems, more light :-)

[@HarryWilmington]

Great video! Question, what kind of fabric is your green screen made out of?

[@StevenWasher]

It's a thin spongey foam with a flexible backing. It never wrinkles, which is why it's my favorite.

[@grandpasontheinternet267]

OMG! If only I could make videos for videos about people who make videos about people who make videos!!!!!

[@sellabeats5561]

So what happens if the Whole Room is green? And the lights are in front of everything? Ok So I painted my Whole Room Green. And I have two soft boxes on the left and right. I'm the talent standing in the Middle of the floor. I have the whole room green because I have Multi Camera Shoot. Need Advice

[@toapyandfriends]

and that green screen....😆'its awesome!

[@PainlessAdvntre]

I'm very lucky I have technology to help so much. 8ft? XD I got about 2. One day I'll have a proper area for this.

[@osamael]

So Helpful & brief Thank You 💐

[@Ο_Θετικός]

Steven how come you look so Greek:)?

[@Nyquest]

white balance your background in keeping with the footage you are adding

[@StevenWasher]

Excellent point!

[@funnymgtow1893]

I’ve gone through at least 10 videos now. Not to be rude but why does everybody have to start with a fucking joke and some endless monologue. I might not be the most patient person in the world but if I see a title like the one above I kind of feel like they’re going to cut to the quick

[@surfcollector]

You never address the importance of back lights. The closer you get to that green screen, the more chance you have of picking up green spill by the light reflecting off your background. You need a small fixture on each side of talent from behind with Minus Green gel on it. It is magenta color to negate the green bounce that could pollute your talent. Same goes for the hair light. Treat it the same. The goal here is to get a cleaner key in post with less green fringing on the edges.

[@NotUsedAnymore182]

Your thumbnail says tteeny tiny room - but you have 8 foot between the lights and the camera. Im trying to greenscreen directly behind me, but the PC itself has a light, plus 4 other lights and I just case myself a huge shadow. You have the best voice on youtube nice work!!!

[@StevenWasher]

8 feet is teeny-tiny in studio terms. It is not large by any stretch in office terms either. There does come a tipping point, however, where the distance is too small to avoid the big shadow, and that is what you've now discovered. You could try aiming a light straight down the back of the green screen and see if that helps. But the best thing might be to seek a slightly larger room and start over. But you could also dress the room you're in and create a very nice space. I have a video on how to do that just a few spots back. Good luck!

[@ettiene87]

Thx . Great information. I would add a teeny bit of backlight.....

[@fromgardentokitchenandmore6650]

You are really good and forthcoming with valuable information. I’m wanting to start a new you tube channel ….story telling…I have a cooking channel that I recently started My question can you be hired to do the background? I’m trying to learn but in the meantime I would like to get some stories out.

[@StevenWasher]

You can certainly ping me offline: [e-mail]

[@DANLIAOFreeToLearnChinese]

Brilliant ！！！Thank you so much ！You really saved my day.

[@iamYork_]

Topic listing in title starts at, "2:49"

[@abdeltube772]

Oh man, I just discovered you, you're charming and fun, thanks a lot (just subscribed).

[@supercoolmunkee]

Just what I needed to make VR videos!

[@AlenPesec]

Beautiful video! Thank you very much sir!! ❤️🙏

[@joelights6476]

A bit of constructive critique: this video is 6:34, and it doesn't actually 'start' until the 3 minute mark. Nobody would've clicked on the video if they didn't already know what green screen is, so that's basically wasting 3 minutes of people's time. Perhaps a 10 second intro is fine, but sitting for 3 minutes until you get to the thing that it says in the title is too much. The technique is correct so it's a good video, but it's almost twice as long as it needs to be. Food for thought.

[@JediCrackSmoke]

Joe Lights Funny how most of the people that critique other peoples videos don’t make vids themselves...

[@evamaria644]

@@JediCrackSmoke The critique is valid and constructive not shameful. We are trying to get the information before we start our project, therefore, we have a look of video's to watch and we need the bottom line.

[@Jestunes]

I totally agree with you Joe. Nice of you to point that out in a nice way. Personally I watch a lot of videos for information on videos, green screen, etc. The way I handle it is fast forward to the most relevant information I need then leave. I would like to say Visible Authority that I did enjoy your mannerisms and soft spoken authoritative voice, but the issue here is more of substance. Try to peak the audiences interest as quickly as you can and get to the subject as soon as possible. Nice clear clean video btw.

[@josephtapper801]

@@JediCrackSmoke Their comment was as a viewer which is most important. That's why the video was made, for viewers.

[@yejideasocham9185]

I found the prelude both interesting and informational

[@AdamfromFWCI]

Great advice. BTW you sound like James Spader lol. Greetings from Australia!

[@AdamfromFWCI]

And you dont look unlike Doc-Oc from the Spiderman movie too

[@StevenWasher]

@@AdamfromFWCI two very fine actors, thank you very much. :)

[@HbombPictures]

This guy sounds exactly like Jeff Goldblum

[@Vidzhut]

Hello Steve, I'm thinking about using strip soft boxes for my two lights. Do you think there will be any difference? Does strip soft box provide light similar to kinoflow?

[@StevenWasher]

They sound so similar it may be a distinction without a difference. I might try it.

[@joel.ha.]

We have different definitions of tiny. This is useless for people in tiny spaces.

[@ChicagoJosh95]

A great video, very straightforward and easy to get it done correctly!

[@AngelArtists]

What if you don't have the massive professional lights you have?

[@huzaifamansoor4068]

but why do u need to 2 lights for only the green screen? u can use one of them infront of your face for a brighter look

[@xxMike462]

5:14 actually i can see the left one all the time xD thanks for the video, it helped me.

[@madhusudhanreddykantam3738]

Hey you have amazing vibes...sorry need to see the whole video.....

[@awesomegamer6087]

This guy seems like he'd be an ancient astronaut theorist for ancient aliens

[@apollocabrera1917]

Very nice. I don’t have the right lighting equipment, but the advice helped tremendously 😃

[@whiskeyreload8178]

Very good presentation for a newbee like me........

[@torstenhansen4308]

Excellent video, now if I could only find a voice coach....

[@why-thai]

www.fantasticvoice.com

[@tomn.9610]

You might want to look into my book on Amazon titled BETTER VOICE SIMPLIFIED by T.E. Nagle

[@menopausemorph9817]

Is it possible to hang these kind of lights from the ceiling on a lighting rod?

[@StevenWasher]

Sure. Lots of people have done that. Saves space and hassle!

[@menopausemorph9817]

@@StevenWasher Thanks Steven. I'm making my video recording "studio" and have painted one wall green and since the room is small I am going to put in a lighting rod in a rectangle. The rod nearest the green wall will have spot lights on it that I can move along the rod to which ever position I choose. Then the rod on the other side of the rectangle will have spotlights to light me. You mentioned that the green screen lighting should be less strong as the lights for the subject. I am thinking of also having a single rod in the middle of the rectangle which I can put a light for my head and when I am not recording I will just use the middle rod for working at my laptop. How many spotlights do you recommend for the green screen and how many lumens should it be? How many spotlights do you recommend for lighting the subject and how many lumens should it be? For the light above the head, should it just be one or can I have 3 on the rod? One shining directly down to my head and the other 2 facing my desk which will be on the opposite wall to the green wall. I want to produce a series of video's teaching women how to overcome their menopause symptoms naturally. I really know nothing about lighting, just how to switch them on :)

[@StevenWasher]

@@menopausemorph9817 Alas, I cannot provide personalized setup advice on lumens and so forth. That depends on specifications I can't know from here. But I can say that you're totally on the right track with your rod idea and I thank you for posting it, as I hope others find it as valuable as I think it's going to be for you. If you've gotten this far, and use the advice in subsequent videos linked to from this one, you'll be able to work out the specifics for yourself. Start here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fZ_Wg2aKfpl_grc

[@menopausemorph9817]

@@StevenWasher Thanks. :)

[@adelcamac8681]

Super like with a smile on my face. 😃👍

[@LUPUSCORP]

happy lights , happy audiences ,.. mmm,. feels like Bob Ross on video :D i like! :D

[@StevenWasher]

Thanks! Happiness is optional, but still highly recommended.

[@Powsimian]

2:59 Is where it starts

[@TheProphetX]

Excellent video and information. Thanks for sharing!

[@JustDavidMinistries]

Best of the best! Thank you so much for this amazing tutorial.

[@SLIMHARDAWAY543]

😂😂 when he explained the distance from the camera

[@OddlerProVoDs]

First 3 minutes minimum is a waste of everyones time.

[@thejdocrealminute4648]

Thank you! This video and explanation helped me with questions. Job well done!

[@AXHEJAZ]

That's awesome thank you Great info