Chromatte
A new means of chromakeying, Chromatte,
is a chromakeying 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 Chromatte. The Chromatte 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 Chromatte
is only reflected back at it's source. Because of the unique way
that the Chromatte reflects light only back at it's source it
can do a number of things that traditional chroma key techniques
cannot. Chromatte can work in almost no light making it idea for
virtual
sets, because the color is generated by the LEDs and the Chromatte
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 Chromatte,
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 Chromatte. The Chromatte is also very portable, an 8x8
foot curtain collapses into a small bundle and with the need for
only a small lighting kit travel with Chromatte is easy.
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