jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

I wondered about this, and yes, it is available from Amazon. This particular sample is $55/qt. I wonder how that would compare with paint mixed up at Lowe's

Soul Dr. Loc: Beautiful Shenandoah Valley

Just smash up some green peas and smear em on the wall. Probably get the same effect.
Would be a cheaper too!

DanielB Loc: San Diego, Ca

Absolutly none. Get a chromakey swatch and go to Lowe's.

tgreenhaw

But will the Lowe's paint be HD and 8K compatible???

(just kidding btw)

On a serious note, can we assume flat paint is best for this purpose?

Ron Dial Loc: Cuenca, Ecuador

Lowe's will work fine, and for a heck of a lot less. I used to repaint a cyclorama after each major shoot. Just get it even

DaveD65 Loc: Queen City, Ohio

The paints color matching computers can match anything today. I took my color key green backdrop and it was matched perfectly; 2 qts cost $32.00 six years ago?

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

One of the places I appeared last year as Santa Claus had a wooden sleigh on a green screen stage and background.
For the stage he just took the screen to Lowe's and had the computer match the color.
It worked perfectly fine which is good because it was a high traffic area and needed frequent touch up.

ggenova64

Paint Backdrop?

fetzler Loc: North West PA

Others have suggested having Home Depot or Lowe's match the paint.

B&H has Chroma key paint much cheaper than that from Amazon. Comes in quarts, gallons and 5 gallons.

https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1164737-REG/rosco_150057110032_5711_chroma_key_green_quart.html

Fotoartist Loc: Detroit, Michigan

Actually, I prefer blue for my Chromakeys.

chikid68 Loc: Tennesse USA

A sheet of plywood painted in chromokey paint makes a good durable green screen.

EdJ0307 Loc: out west someplace

You probably could have bought a gallon for the $32.00. That's just the way they price paint. If one quart of paint isn't enough for the job I would just as soon buy a gallon. A gallon would be about the same price as two quarts. Go figure.

Bridges Loc: Memphis, Charleston SC, now Nazareth PA

I've read there is no secret to the Chromakey color. It can be any color as long as it is perfectly consistent throughout the entire covering. Red shades do not work well because those shades are often found in skin tones. When shooting against a color it just has to be a color not present in what is in front of the screen or wall. The generally accepted green color is just an unusual color not present in most other things.

SteveHmeyer Loc: Cincinnati OH USA

I have worked as a TV weatherman for 43 years and have used chromakey at a studio wall, in front of a grass rise on location and now because of the pandemic from my home office in front of a green cotton sheet.

Go to your local paint store and match it.

The important variables in a clean key are:

The smoothness of the painted surface - thus the “8k primer”

Even color - achieved by painting on a sealed surface - and

Most importantly - sufficient and even lighting on the green screen. Your key lights - the ones lighting you - will cast shadows on the green screen/wall so you need to light the green screen behind the object or person being keyed to wash out the shadows so the key will not “tear”. This is done from the side from above or from below.

The good news is that modern digital technology - even systems used at home - is very forgiving of lighting and color variations so a clean key is fairly easy to achieve.

Be sure to white balance on a white card or sheet of paper.

Personally I would buy a green chromakey cotton sheet and hang it to avoid painting unless you have a dedicated chromakey wall.

PhotogHobbyist Loc: Bradford, PA

I have both a chroma green and blue cotton backdrops, 10' X 20' (approximate) that were part of a background support set I bought several years ago and both work very well for me. I've used the green more than the blue. The biggest problem I have is getting them smooth without wrinkles or creases.