The Best Green Screens
Whether you're simply taking photos or making videos for the internet, you'll want a green screen to enhance the quality of the finished product. Using a green screen is a visual effects technique that involves combining two images or video streams to make one image or video. To do this, you shoot your subjects with a green backdrop — also known as the green screen — and add in the background you want in a postproduction editing program. These days, you can get an affordable green screen that's easy to use at home. Read on to discover the best of the best.
What To Look For
When searching for green screens, we kept in mind a few important features. Specifically, the best greens screens should be easy to set up and be made of a material that is both effective as a backdrop and durable enough to last through many video shoots. With that in mind, one of our favorite options is the green screen from Emart, which boasts a size and design that makes it suitable for a range of photographic activities in almost any environment. If you’re looking for something a little more portable, we also love the green screen from Neewer, which features an oval shape and collapsible design that you can take anywhere. Read on to discover more of our favorite green screens and to find one that’s right for your next project.
Emart Green Screen
Green with envy
When it comes to green screens, it’s hard to beat this one from Emart. Simply put, it will provide the green background you need to produce professional-looking photos and videos. This green screen measures six feet wide and nine feet tall, so it will fit in your home studio while being big enough to accommodate your photographic activities. This green screen is made of muslin, which is 100% cotton. It is lightweight and easy to fold. This green screen is made from a single piece of material, so there are no seams to disrupt your photos.
Pros:
- We found that the lightweight muslin construction is easy to hang nearly anywhere, making it a versatile pick for those of us who tend to work in different places around our home.
- This screen is available in a variety of sizes and colors if we need to set up larger spaces or prepare for different kinds of visual effects.
Cons:
- This pick may arrive with some wrinkles you need to iron out.
Emart Non-Woven Fabric Green Screen
Clip it and shoot
While this one certainly isn’t of world-class quality, it’s quite decent considering the price. If you tend to have a lot of meetings over video chat or plan on using virtual backgrounds during your casual video calls, this green screen is a great pick for it. All you have to do is clip it up when you want to use it, and then you can take it down and store it in the included storage bag when you’re done.
Pros:
- “Easy does it” is the name of the game with this green screen. It’s easy to set up, take down, and fold away for convenient storage. Best of all, it’s easy on our budget.
- We were happy to find that the purchase includes two durable spring clamps that open to two inches and grip quite nicely — no more clothespins holding up your rig.
Cons:
- The material is quite light, and the green color isn’t as dark as some might hope for. Still, it should be adequate for most casual needs.
Neewer Green Screen
On the go
For a more versatile green screen, check out this one from Neewer. If you want a green screen that doesn’t require setting up and can be used to shoot outdoors, this might be the green screen for you. It’s 1.5 feet wide and 2 feet tall, and it is collapsible. This green screen folds up compactly for easy transport, and then you can unfold it and use it in a jiffy. It has a sturdy metal frame that allows you to hang it easily on a wall or stand. Included is a carrying bag to protect it while in transport.
Pros:
- For such a portable option, this screen gives you plenty of versatility. We appreciate the ability to easily orient it in portrait or landscape mode depending on the kind of video we’re shooting.
- The carrying bag and sturdy metal frame make this green screen a great pick for college dorms, small apartments, and people who work on the go.
Cons:
- This travel-friendly pick isn’t as big as other green screens.
Emart Collapsible Chromakey Green Screen
Break it down
If you don’t already know, sometimes, it can be a real pain setting up a green screen. This includes having to set up a backdrop stand, use clamps, or some combination of both. With this one, that’s certainly not the case. Out of the box, all you have to do is unpack it, position the legs where you want it set up, and then you’ll pull the handle on the top to extend the screen to your desired height. From there, the pneumatic frame will lock in place automatically. Once you’re done, the whole unit folds up small enough to store wherever you want it, whether in a closet or a corner of the studio.
Pros:
- This screen is more wrinkle-resistant than many others, so we don’t have to worry about keeping an iron handy to get the perfect shot.
- We really appreciate the matte finish of this screen — there’s little to no reflection, enabling us to get a high-quality effect under many different light conditions.
Cons:
- We wish the instructions were written more clearly, but the screen itself is so easy to use that you probably won’t need to rely on them anyway.
Elgato Mountable Green Screen
Emerald city
Content creators of all stripes turn to this screen from Elgato for their in-home video-recording needs. Why? Well, if you’re certain you’ll be creating content in the same place most of the time, you can mount this one in place rather than having to worry about setting it up and breaking it down all the time. That’s not to say it can’t be taken down easily when you need to; thanks to the concealable design, retracting the screen is quite easy.
Pros:
- This pick is in it for the long haul. The screen’s tough, durable fabric and smooth-operating retractable design ensure that it can stand up to repeated use.
- Excellent for streamers and content creators who want to be able to set up their space at a moment’s notice.
Cons:
- It would be nice if it were a little wider, but we appreciate the design’s flexibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “chroma-key”?
Chroma-key is the technical term for the visual effects technique of compositing two images or video streams, but most people just use “green screen” as a catch-all term to describe the technique.
How do I set up the green screen?
To set up the green screen, first, wash and/or iron it to get rid of any wrinkles or creases that occurred during packaging and shipping. Then hang it up on the wall or use a stand, which you will need to purchase separately. Then shoot away.
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