Green Screen for Remote Workers: Is It Worth It on Calls?
Jan 23, 2023
For most remote workers, a green screen isn't worth it on video calls. It only looks good when the backdrop is lit evenly, nothing in shot is green and the software keys it cleanly, on every call. A plain wall with good light on your face looks more professional and takes none of that work.
Key takeaways
- A green screen only works when the backdrop is evenly lit and unwrinkled and nothing in shot is green.
- On a call it adds five risks: setup time, a visible edge around you, lag, a fake look, and the wrong tone for casual calls.
- A plain wall with light on your face looks more professional than a keyed background, and it takes no setup.
- If you want a controlled colour behind you, coloured paper gives you one without any keying.
- Ridge does not support green screens in the studios it installs, because of the complexity they add.
Is a green screen worth it for remote workers?
For a video call, usually not. The reason people reach for one is a messy or boring background, and light fixes that more cheaply than keying does. Mike Mortlock of MCG Quantity Surveyors records and runs calls in front of a plain white wall:
"It's just a, a white wall, right? But it's... lit in such a way that you don't actually need anything more than that." Mike Mortlock
He says it makes the content and the delivery the star, rather than the background. His full story is in how Mike builds client relationships with video.
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 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 shelf behind you: all of it keys out and leaves a hole.
What do you need to use a green screen properly?
Four things have to be right at the same time. Miss any one 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 confidence to set it up and use it correctly. That is not practical for everyone, and the time cost repeats every call.
- 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 for everyone on the call.
- It can read as inauthentic. Pretending to be somewhere you are not undermines the credibility of the call and 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 on video calls?
The wall behind you, tidied and lit. It looks genuine, which helps build trust. It is less distracting, so people focus on the conversation. And it takes almost no setup, which is why it survives a busy week.
Light is the lever. It creates depth and separation, and it makes a plain wall look far better than most people expect. Before you change anything, check the five background mistakes that cost you most, because a green screen is usually an attempt to fix one of them the expensive way.
If you want a controlled colour behind you without any keying, a roll of coloured paper does it for very little.
When is a green screen actually worth it?
When someone else is lighting it and keying it. Green screen done well is genuinely effective in a production, where the backdrop is evenly lit, there is no green spill on anyone's face, and an editor does the key afterwards.
A video call has none of that, and the gap between the two is exactly where this goes wrong. Ridge's position is on the record in the professional video backgrounds guide:
"We don't support green screens because of the level of complexity that most people are not down with." Ridge Films
Green screen questions we get asked
Is a green screen good for remote workers?
Rarely. It asks for a backdrop, even lighting, keying software and a wardrobe with no green in it, every single call. Most remote workers get a better result from a tidy wall and a light in front of their face, with nothing to set up.
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 earns its place in a production, where someone lights it evenly and an editor keys it afterwards.
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.
Which of these sounds like you?
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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.
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