Any edge you can give yourself against the next streamer is one that you should take.
A lot of people have asked me how hard it is to set up a green screen, and the truth is: it completely depends on your situation. Do you have a big wall behind you that you can simply use construction paper? Do you have low ceilings so you can hang a screen? Maybe you have wide open space with tall ceilings and no walls nearby and have to opt for a pop-up green screen. Regardless of what it is, you have options. Here’s an old post titled “Streaming: Green Screen vs. No Green Screen” to show you some more info about how effective green screens can be.
1. Green Construction Paper
This is the cheapest option out there. If your webcam is facing you and you have a wall behind you, you’re basically set. Head to the store or swing by Amazon and order some cheap green construction paper. All you have to do from there is set it up in the correct way for your webcam. For like 5-10 bucks you can literally have 50 sheets sent to your house within two days on Amazon. Try this if you can’t find anything else.
2. Hanging Green Fabric
This is the first option I took with my first green screen. I was lucky enough to be able to hang a long green screen (piece of fabric) from one wall to the other because my walls we close enough. Obviously if it’s possible you can try to rig it up into the ceiling, but that option could get annoying to do every time you stream if you don’t plan on keeping it up 24/7 (which I don’t). The other quesiton would to check how high your ceilings are. If you don’t have to get up on a chair every single time to place a thumbtack in the wall, then this could be an easy out. This is the next cheapest option after construction paper. I bought mine for about 25 bucks when I was using it. Here’s one for about 20 bucks that’s even part of Amazon Prime. Simple and easy if it meets your needs.
3. Pop-Up Green Screen (and optional Stand)
The option I’m currently using is the pricest, but most effective for my needs. I no longer have the means to rig the long fabric from wall to wall, and I also don’t have a wall behind me, which thankfully forced me to purchase a pop-up that I don’t regret at all. I literally “pop it up”, clip the stand to it, and I’m done. That’s it. When I’m done, I roll it back up into a tiny circle and throw it in the bag it came with. The stand is easily broken down, but in my case I throw it right behind my desk. Here’s the exact I have, but if you’re not interested in a stand, you could also check out this one.
Have any other options?
If you have any other options, or want to just share your take on the Green Screen Streaming topic, leave your comment below!