The Process
Green screen photography and videography work the same, you shoot a photo (or video) in front of a background that is green (or some other chromakey color). You upload your work to the computer, then you use software to cut out the green color and superimpose something in the holes. Voila! Instant professional results.
The problem is, for professional results, you have to pay a professional price tag… or at least that’s how it used to be. As technology progresses, advanced techniques become easier to perform and more readily available to the masses. Something that used to require a team of professionals and thousands of dollars of equipment can now be shot from your phone and edited for less than a hundred bucks all on your home computer.
The Savage Photo Creator Kit is one of these amazing new home brew options which strives for professional quality in a box easy enough that your 60 year old aunt who just discovered Facebook can use it with very little effort. The best part is, literally every piece of the puzzle (sans camera and computer) already come in the box.
Included you’ll get:
- 5’x7′ Chromakey Green Screen Backdrop
- Removable Green Screen Hooks
- Green Screen Wizard Software (PC only)
- 210 Themed Replacement Backgrounds
- Instructional Video Tutorial
My Impression
My first impression wasn’t great. I saw a package of “Command Hooks” and a DVD-rom with software which I’d have to install on my Mac using VMware Fusion. I thought when I opened the package that it all looked a little cheap. Still, first impressions shouldn’t always be trusted (as many of you may know after a bad date). So, I popped in the DVD and within minutes the setup file ran and my virtual machine was running the software.
Then I unfolded the 5’x7′ green screen backdrop, and my feelings towards this package grew warmer. I first thought the backdrop is really only large enough for portrait shots, but with a 5-foot width and 7-foot height when I unfolded the backdrop I found it was tall enough for a full body shot and wide enough for a single person to move their arms around or a couple of people to stand still in front of. Now, I use this green screen not just for portraits but also video applications and other software. The size is perfect for most green screen applications, the color is consistent and there are even eyelets built into the corners to make hanging this screen easy either on location or in a studio. This is a great quality green screen cloth!
Another thing, the number of backgrounds included on this disc is really nice. With 210 backgrounds, you have a wide selection. You don’t have to worry about violating copyright by doing a Google image search, and for a lot of beginner applications the selection is wide enough that you should find one you like. The Green Screen Wizard software allows you to select the location where your background file is located, so if you don’t like the included backgrounds, or you’re feeling creative and want to make your own it’s very easy to do that.
The Final Say
This kit won’t appeal as much to an advanced user, but for the prosumer or the creative hobbyist this is a great package to pick up. For anyone learning the process of green screen through chromakey, this is an intuitive and inexpensive option. Get your start into the world of green screen photography with the Photo Creator Digital Photography Kit by Savage on Photographicbackdrop.com.