Should You Use a Green Screen for Video Calls?
Jan 23, 2023
Probably not. A green screen only looks good when it is lit evenly, and evenly lighting a backdrop is harder than lighting your own face. On a video call, a tidy wall with decent light on it does the same job with none of the risk. Ridge does not support them, for that reason.
That is the short answer. The longer one is worth two minutes, because there is a version of this that works, and knowing which version you are looking at is the whole decision.
What advantage does a green screen offer over a well-organized background?
How does a green screen actually work?
Chroma key. The software looks at the picture, finds one specific colour, and deletes it. Everything that was that colour becomes transparent, and whatever you want sitting behind you gets dropped into the hole: a still image, a video, or a live feed from somewhere else.
Green won the job because the shade sits a long way from human skin tone and is uncommon in clothing. That matters more than it sounds. Nothing in the shot can be the same colour as the background, or it disappears too. A green tie, a green lanyard, a green notebook on the desk behind you, all of it keys out and leaves a hole in the middle of you.
How do you use a green screen properly?
Four things have to be right at the same time. Any one of them missing and the key falls apart in a way every person on the call can see.
- A solid green backdrop. Flat and unbroken. A draped sheet with creases in it gives the software several different greens to deal with instead of one.
- Software that can detect and remove the green. Built into some platforms, an add-on everywhere else.
- Lighting and positioning that keep shadows off the screen. This is the hard part. Your shadow on the backdrop is a darker green, and the software reads it as a different colour, so it leaves it in.
- Nothing green anywhere else in frame. Including what you are wearing.
Read that list again and notice what it is really asking for. You are now lighting two things, yourself and the wall, to different standards, before every call. Getting the light right on your own face is already the job most people have not finished.
What goes wrong with a green screen on a video call?
Five things, in the order they tend to bite:
- It needs equipment and know-how. A backdrop, lighting, and the technical confidence to set it up and use it correctly. That is not practical for everyone, and it is not a one-off cost in time.
- It can be distracting when it is not right. The edge between you and the new background stops looking seamless, and people watch the edge instead of you.
- It adds ways for the call to break. Latency and synchronisation problems that were not there before, disrupting the flow of the call for everyone in it.
- It can read as inauthentic. Pretending to be somewhere you are not undermines the credibility of the call, and it puts a small disconnect between you and the person you are talking to.
- It does not suit every call. A casual or personal conversation is better served by a real background than by a beach you are obviously not sitting on.
None of these is fatal on its own. Together they are five new ways for a call to go badly, bolted onto a call that was working.
What works better than a green screen for video conferencing?
The wall behind you, tidied and lit. It is authentic and genuine, which helps build trust and connection. It is less distracting, so people focus on the call. And it takes less setup and less technical expertise, which is the reason it survives contact with a busy week.
Lighting is the lever, not the backdrop. Light creates depth and separation, and it will make a plain wall look considerably better than most people expect before they have seen it done. If you want a controlled colour behind you without any of the keying, a roll of coloured paper does it for very little, and paper is what Ridge's own backdrop system uses.
Before you change anything, it is worth knowing the five background mistakes that cost you most, because a green screen is usually an attempt to fix one of them the expensive way.
When is a green screen actually worth it?
When someone else is lighting it and keying it. Green screen done well is genuinely effective, and Ridge uses it for professional studio filming, where the backdrop is evenly lit, there is no green spill on anyone's face, and an editor is doing the key afterwards.
That is a production. A video call is not, and the gap between the two is exactly where this goes wrong. Ridge's position is on the record in the backgrounds guide in the Knowledge hub: green screens are not supported, because of the level of complexity most people are not down with, and clients have been talked out of them to keep things simple.
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a green screen for video conferencing?
No. Video conferencing platforms already offer virtual backgrounds, and a real wall with decent light on it beats both. A green screen only earns its place when someone is lighting it evenly and keying it properly, which is a production job, not a video call.
Is a green screen better than a Zoom virtual background?
Only if it is set up properly. A virtual background is instant and gives you no control over how it looks. A green screen gives you control and asks for a backdrop, even lighting and software in return. Ridge recommends a physical background over either one, because it is consistent and it never falls apart mid-call.
What do you need to set up a green screen for video calls?
Four things: a solid green backdrop, software that can detect and remove the green, lighting and positioning that keep shadows off the screen, and a wardrobe with no green in it. Miss any one of those and the key breaks in a way everyone on the call can see.
Why is the screen green and not another colour?
Green became the standard in film because the shade sits a long way from human skin tone and rarely turns up in clothing. Nothing in the shot can be the same colour as the background, or it gets keyed out along with the wall behind you.
Want an answer for your room, not a general one?
Your wall, your light, your camera. If you would rather someone looked at what is actually behind you and told you what to do with it, book a call with Chris and get a straight answer.
Listen to the original episode
Chris recorded this as episode 136 in January 2023. The full transcript is below, unedited.
Read the full transcript
Chris Schwager 00:00:01
Green screen backgrounds can work wonders if you have the right tools or the right resources and technology and know-how, but then ask yourself this, right? What advantage does a green screen offer over a well-organized background? I'm your host, Chris Schwager. If you are deliberating on a video call background, here's my two cents.
[00:00:21] Green screens have been typically difficult for many professionals, but now with the iPhone and Zoom calls, this has made it effortless to put virtual backgrounds into your shot, but you are at the mercy of the environment that you're in. And it may not come out the way that you expect. So you can go highly technical on it and make it look awesome, or you can get what you get.
[00:00:47] So why do people use green screens for video calls? Well, with the increase of remote work, video meetings require presentable backgrounds. Zoom video. Virtual backgrounds were popular, but they had their limitations and that's why green screens, uh, the back. Trended as an alternative, but the benefits. It allows you to customize your background.
[00:01:11] You can hide distractions and you can improve the professionalism. Green screen backgrounds can be used, uh, as a useful tool in certain situations, but they can also come with challenges and may not always be the best choice.
[00:01:25] But here's how it works. Green screen backgrounds work by using Chroma Key technology, which allows you to remove a specific color in this case, green from the background of a video or an image. This allows you to superimpose the subject of the video or image into a different background, creating the illusion that the subject is in a different location like Hawaii. For this, you will need a solid green backdrop and special software that is able to detect the green color and remove it from the image, and the subject should be lit and positioned in a way that avoids casting shadows on the green screen, as this can make it more difficult for the software to accurately remove.
[00:02:06] The green color. So why green? Well, this became the de facto standard in the film industry because the shade is distant from human skin tone and a less common color in the wardrobe. This is important as nothing in the shot can be the same color as the background. Otherwise it'll be keyed out as well.
[00:02:27] Once the green color has been removed, you can add any background you like in its place, a still image, a video, or even a live feed from another location. So how hard it could it be? Right? As it turned out, setting up a green screen for video background can be com a complicated process.
[00:02:46] Here are five reasons why you should steer clear from it entirely.
[00:02:53] One, requires special equipment and setup. Using a green screen requires a special equipment, such as a backdrop and lighting. It also requires technological expertise to set up and use correctly, which may not be practical and feasible for everyone.
[00:03:10] Two, it can be distracting if not used properly. This background can be distracting or disorienting for participants. It's gonna also be especially true, uh, if it's over a busy transition between the green screen and the new background may not seem seamless.
[00:03:28] Number three, increases the likelihood of technical issues such as latency or synchronization problems. This can be frustrating for participants and disrupt the flow of the call.
[00:03:40] And four, can appear inauthentic in some cases. Using this may be perceived as inauthentic or fake, and this can undermine the credibility and authenticity of the call and create a sense of disorientation and disconnection between the participants.
[00:03:58] And five, it may not be suitable for all types of calls depending on the purpose and tone of the background. A green screen background may not be appropriate. For example, the casual or a personal call may be better served by using a natural, authentic background.
[00:04:16] A natural background can be authentic and genuine to help build trust and connection, less distracting, to help you focus on the call and the overall experience, and requires less setup and technical expertise to make it easier, and in some cases more practical to use.
[00:04:35] If you can't bear this any longer and would rather have a professional compose or set up your background for you, then check out the DIY Video Program that comes with your background colors you can choose from. Don't forget to like, share and subscribe to this channel where you'll get weekly video ideas to present.
[00:04:52] Like a pro. That's all for this episode. Thanks for listening and see you next week.
