Green screen studios London

What is a green screen?

A green screen is exactly what it sounds like, a large neon green-coloured backdrop placed in the background of a film shot. This allows editors to create video layers with the subject in front of the green screen and the special effects replacing the green screen, also known as chroma keying. Green screen studios offer a green backdrop plus all the usual equipment and facilities you would expect when hiring a professional film studio. 

Why green? This wasn’t always the case, the first background was actually black, but after trying several options, the film industry decided green provided the best results. Because in order to remove the background colour, it needs to be different from everything else in the shot - including hair, skin colour, and wardrobe. 

Why hire a green screen in London?

With so much creative content coming out of London, the city has all your bases covered for green screen studios. Hire a fully equipped green screen studio such as Mavro Worldwide Studios in South London or a more basic studio space with green screen option such as Studio 220 Brick Lane in East London.

Beginner’s guide: How to use a green screen

Shooting on a green screen can save you time and resources, but only if it’s done correctly, otherwise it will only create more work for you. These tips will help you get the most out of your green screen shoot.

• Make sure the green screen is as flat and smooth as possible, wrinkles or defects in the screen will interfere with the editing process. Use an iron to smooth out the wrinkles on the green screen or ask if the venue provides a wrinkle-resistant matte screen. 
• Light your screen first, then your subject. Don’t be tempted to light the screen and the subject as one, because the screen needs to be as evenly lit as possible. You’ll need multiple high-quality lights for this and we suggest aiming for diffused, non directional lighting that hits your screen from above.
• Don’t wear any clothes or costumes that match the background. Otherwise, those parts of the body will disappear and essentially become a green screen themselves. Watch out for clothing with a hint of green too like khaki colours, as these can become semi-translucent. 
• Keep as much space between the subject and the green screen as possible. Aim for about 10 feet of distance to prevent green tones spilling onto the subject and unwanted shadows from appearing on the screen.

Checklist for hiring green screen studios in London 

Have you established a budget?

On top of the basic hire fee for your studio, remember to include costs for equipment hire if needed, transport, and fees for additional crew such as a videographer or assistants.

What lighting do you need?

Decide which lights to use for the screen itself and a method for diffusing, like softboxes, to put around them. Next, get lights for the subject of your video, again with diffusion through a softbox or umbrella. You may also want to use a rim light to create a sharper line between your subject and background. 

Do you need to hire equipment?

You’ll require camera, lighting and sound equipment for your shoot, so if you don’t already own equipment, the simplest option is to select a fully equipped studio with everything available for hire. It’s also essential to stabilise your shots with a device like a tripod, monopod, or gimbal stabiliser, or else you will end up with shaky footage. 

How much space do you require?

The size and number of subjects for your shoot will determine how much space you’ll need - whether you are filming a group of people, a single person or an object. Everyone must have enough room to move comfortably and the camera should have space to be operated from different angles without interruption.