Additional Frequent Questions for Primatte Chromakey Software

Make sure to read through our Studio Setup article. Written by our Chief Executive Anarchist. This tutorial gives an overview of the basics of setting up your studio for chromakey work. Many of our answers will point you here.

Q

Is there a particular shade of Blue or Green that should be used as the background. I want to get the best possible results when using Primatte Chromakey software. Can I use other colors?

A

One of the great aspects of Primatte Chromakey software is that you can use any color, not just green or blue. Blue and green are the most commonly used because they contrast with flesh tones. What's most important, actually, is good lighting and staging. As with anything digital, the better your source image, the better your result. Read more.

You want to make sure that the color of your screen is not in the colors of your subject/object. Also, black, gray, and white are not great screen colors because you find them in the shadows and highlights of most subjects.

Q

I have 12 yards of chromakey fabric and some chromakey tape to fill in the seams. My question is: How do I hang up the material? I have three pieces of fabric that I somehow need to join together. Should I just staple it to the wall? Should I use "stick-back" tape? My intention is to have this up as a permanent backdrop, so I want it to be as seamless and straight and stable as possible.

A

Well... we use duct tape. :-) But that's mostly because we just shoot test shots and don't have the fabric permanently installed. Not really being a handyman myself, take my opinions for what they're worth. Personally, I'd first try stapling the fabric because it is an easy, cheap solution. But I'd also recommend consulting with someone who does interior construction to get their thoughts.

• If you can find a good seamstress, many folks have the fabric sewn together. If done right, this becomes _almost_ seamless.
• You don't want to use tape if you can avoid it. It will be a different color than the fabric, which is a potential small headache.
• Stapling should work if done right. Make sure to keep everything taunt. The downside to this is the risk that the fabric will tear, and you will probably have to re-staple everything occasionally as the fabric stretches/shrinks over time.
• I've attached c-clamps to the fabric, with a rail running through the c-clamps, and then pulled the fabric taunt along the rail.
• You could possibly build a wood frame, wrap the fabric around the frame like a painting canvas, and staple gun the fabric to the frame.

See our forum post for a longer discussion of this topic. (You won't have to sign in.)

Q

I am going fully digital and I'm considering setting up a chromakey studio. What are the pros and cons of the technique?

A

The advantage that Chromakey software has over, let's say, just using Adobe Photoshop is that it's made specifically for power use in a certain kind of scenario. Chromakey software is designed to get rid of a single color background (it can be any color, not just blue or green) and then help you color correct that single color out of the object being keyed.

It's a bit of a one trick pony, in that it only works on single color backgrounds, so it's not a generic masking tool. But any Chromakeyer should do its one trick really, really well. For example, hair and transparent areas are very difficult to remove from a photograph normally. Most chromakeyers have tools to color correct hair and to adjust the alpha channel to make those transparent areas look transparent.

If the green / blue screen is properly lit and set up, you can pull off a key of a very complex object or person in a couple minutes. No hand work in Photoshop. This is the main advantage, but blue / green screen photography is not something that's instantly intuitive. There's a fair amount of set up involved to make sure the subject keys out correctly once you're in front of Photoshop.

See our forum post for a longer discussion of this topic. (You won't have to sign in.)