Using a Green Screen can help you improve the professionalism of your web meetings. Zoom and Webex allow you to use virtual backgrounds, but these may fade in and out during your meeting. You can improve the quality your background if you make it easier for your computer to handle. This is done using a green screen.
Here are the items I use in my office. (As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.)
Background Frame
This is a backdrop frame that will allow you to hang a green cloth behind you. I actually own two of this particular model. One I have set up in my office, the other is in my basement. I attend most meetings in my office. The basement is my “studio” for creating video lessons that include demonstrations. I also record lab experiments in front of the screen.
Having a solid frame is very helpful. It prevents your backdrop from sagging. It is important to keep the green screen cloth as even as possible.
This frame opens up to 8.5 ft x 10 ft. You probably don’t have enough space to open it that wide. Having this larger version will let you do other things with it though. If you are throwing a party (don’t do this during quarantine) you can set up a photo area with the green screen. Many programs are available to allow you to add any background you want.
Green Screen Cloth
This is a piece of green fabric. The solid green color is easily removed from your image. Unless you wear a lot of green clothing, this is the best color to use. Unless you are a Vulcan like Spock, chances are that your skin doesn’t have much of a green tint.
You can hang it vertically or horizontally. It doesn’t have to drape it out on the floor unless you plan to stand in your meetings and show off your footwear. You can find wider versions on the same page if you would like to move around more in your meetings.
Why use these items?
You could get a way with a cheaper setup if you can find a suitable green cloth. I looked online to try to find a green sheet, but didn’t have any luck with most retailers. Nobody seems to make solid color sheets any more. I was lucky enough to find a table cloth and a sheet at Goodwill, but I’ve only seen the bright green ones there once.
You could try to pin the sheet to a wall, but it is hard to keep it stretched out without the framework. I tried a few different setups before I bought the frame and green screen. I could have saved a lot of time by just buying this setup from the beginning.
I’ll post more information about optimizing your setup in a future post.