Monitor Comping

[Simmer]

Picture a man standing in an electronics store selling TV’s. If I wanted to comp into those screens after the shoot, what would be more beneficial to me. Filling the monitors with green or white? Or is there something even better than that?

Thanks in advance

[tscholton]

My usual preference is off so I can use the reflections on the black screen back on top. Generally there is plenty to track from on the TV and markers are not needed and just make more work. I never like pumping a color through the screen because it will not key well. There is no one answer and would depend on what you were doing. Do you need light emanating from the screen? Will you have to have markers inside the screen due to the intended camera move? Is the talent in front of the TV screens? Are they flat screens that would be easy to put green screen material in the place but then you also have to light that and then fake refelctions/glass look later?

Jeff

[Pier-Luc Verville]

My first thought was to have nothing in the screen as well. I like having the natural reflections. Unfortunately I will not be at the shoot to see how the scene is set up. The talent will be in front of some of the screens. There will be more than one type of TV. They are mostly all black TV’s. There mostly likely will be some kind of a move, although nothing to a large degree. They might want lights emanating from the monitors, they might not. That will probably be an afterthought. My main thought for the green/white was to know where the monitor frame and the screen meet as well as for bringing the talent back over the top. Some of these TV’s will be at a distance which could make black on black harder to differentiate.

Thank you again

[Martin Furness]

I’ve comped many many tv monitors. Each time there are different scenarios. As far as the edges, I don’t like to be confined to an edge. If green or white is pumped into a monitor the edges ALWAYS look crappy. Edge chatter and so on. Being able to introduce natural reflection back into the scene is always nice, especially when you don’t have to figure out what to use. If there is going to be talent in front of the monitors do yourself a favor. Have them shoot the monitors with green. Use the green specifically only to pull a key for talent. I tend to put the new image over the green anyways due to edge chatter. No one will know the difference where the edges are! As long as they are decent and track well. Also have them shoot a plate with no green, that way at least you have a reference of reflections, lights, environment etc. I’ve come to the conclusion that no matter what you tell the production company it ends up a cluster F regardless! But then again most of our job consists of the stupidity of others. LOL

[Pier-Luc Verville]

Thanks to the both of you. I appreciate the help.

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