Chromaflex
A Chromaflex
is a portable Chromatte solution from
Reflecmedia. It works
by placing a ring of LEDs called a litering
around the camera lens. The LEDs shine blue or green light onto
the Chromaflex. The Chromaflex is made up of millions of microscopic
glass beads which are hemispherically coated in aluminum. This
makes it covered in literally millions of tiny dish shaped mirrors.
The net optical result is that any light shined onto the Chromaflex
is only reflected back at it's source. Because of the unique way
that the Chromaflex reflects light only back at it's source it
can do a number of things that traditional chroma key techniques
cannot. Chromaflex can work in almost no light making it idea
for virtual
sets, because the color is generated by the LEDs and the Chromaflex
only sends like back to the camera so you can light your talent
for the virtual
set they are in. This also makes it so it has no spill since
there are no bright lights reflecting the very color you are trying
to key off the background and onto the talent's hair and shoulders.
Chroma Key Backdrops
Getting a good even color behind the talent is the first step
in chromakeying, this usually requires a chromakey backdrop in
the form of cloth or paint. Chromakey paint can be picked up at
hardware stores or lighting places like Studio Depot (Burbank,
Ca), green cloth can also be found many places. Some companies
sell blue or green pop up chromakey backdrops which travel easily
and popup like a windshield shade.
Another alternative is Chromaflex,
a unique retroreflective material which is gray to the eye, requires
little or no light, and casts no spill on the talent because the
material is gray to the naked eye. But to the camera it sees it
as a perfect blue or green. This is because of the Litering,
a ring of LEDs around the lens which casts blue or green light
onto the Chromaflex. The Chromaflex is also very portable, a 7x7
popup which folds down into a 3 foot hoop.
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