The LMC Maker Space: Green Screen Studio

Last week we hosted one of our Lunch & Learn staff development gatherings in the LMC.  There were three things on the agenda:

1) Highlighting our library bookmarks which promote our online collections, including eBooks, eMagazines, and databases. We had 10,000 made at a professional printer so that all students (and parents) have reminders of how to access our online resources over the next few years.

2) Kahoot.IT and GetKahoot.com, a fun, competitive game that teachers can use with students for quick checks on understanding (or reviewing material).

3) The new LMC Maker Space green screen studio! Here is a little backstory on this project. Late last year (December) we decided to renovate one of our Mac Editing Suites into a green screen recording studio. We've got a number of Maker Space plans in the works, but we green-lighted this one first because it was the easiest to do given all options.
We started with an existing editing room that had two small tables with an eMac computer on each table. Earlier in the year we'd cleared out some giant VHS editing stations from the room in preparation for the changes we're now rolling out. The first photo is from the suite next door, but shows the VHS desks we removed from the studios, as well as the approximate size of what we started with.

Next, I did some research on the best kind of paint to use for the green screen wall. We landed on Sparkling Apple Cider Green. As with any paint project, we did a little patching with sparkle first, then put down the drop cloths and started painting. I bought one gallon of Behr paint/primer flat paint. You don't want any sort of gloss throwing off your effects. It took two coats to get what I thought was a solid enough background to work, and we still had about a half quart left over. We didn't initially paint the light switch on the wall (we did paint the face plate), but the switch kept showing up in the test videos. So we painted the light switch itself as well. Eventually, we'd like to remove the switch and put an electronic sensor for the lights. 

As soon as we decided to go with this project, I ordered studio lights and a tripod adapter to mount iPads. The light kits assembled quickly and are easy to turn on and off; the iPad adapter is a bit flimsy, but so is the cheap tripod. I suspect a sturdier (and more expensive than $29) tripod would hold the iPad more securely, regardless of the adapter. We used Amazon.com for the gear. 

We also added a pair of sheer white curtains due to the studio's location and layout.  While the camera sees the student against a green screen, the student sees the lights, the iPad, and also the rest of the library through a glass wall. My concern was students would feel like the whole school was watching them, so the sheer curtains help to close up the room. They're thick enough to make the room feel smaller so students don't feel like they're being watched, but thin enough for teachers to see through to see what's happening inside. I'm not saying I don't trust high school students in small, intimate spaces with a friend or two. But I remember being 17. And I don't trust high school students in small, intimate spaces with a friend or two. We stitched some thick velcro to one side of the curtains, and its opposite velcro side above the glass windows. It takes just a moment to put the curtains up or down.

Our PD sessions highlighted what teachers can do with the green screen for their classes. I showed a brief (3 minute) video with some ideas of uses: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3R-V9q0ocLc

We recorded the clips before we painted the light switch, so on a couple of the clips you can see the light switch and two mounting screws floating among the ocean surf and Vesuvius paintings. Look to the right side of the screen for the floating light switch.

Most of the curricula for our classes require students to make a presentation with digital media. The specific digital media isn't defined; it could be a PowerPoint, a Prezi, or a cool video made on the green screen.  One teacher is using the green screen for student presentations on an argumentative business letter; rather than present to the class, they're recording their speech with backgrounds and infographics like a newscaster.

We've used the green screen in the library for still photos run through Photoshop to create READ posters as well as staff pictures (the two below are from ugly holiday sweater day).

So far, we've found just a couple drawbacks to the studio. The first is that the space is smaller than we'd hoped. The screen works well for one person, but it gets cramped for more than one person in front of the wall. Also, once we flip the iPad to video mode, we get closer to the subject than we'd like. If we had another five feet of space we could step back and it'd be perfect. But we don't, so we're making it work until we can make a bigger space green screen space in a different room. A common green screen mistake, especially with still photography, is standing too close to the wall. The green light bounces back on the subject, casting a green glow to the skin. It's best to have the subject stand a couple feet away from the wall so the green 'halo' isn't as pronounced.

The green screen works seamlessly with iMovie, which is the editing software we have on the Macs. Students can record in the green screen studio, then drop that file into iMovie. With a few editing tweaks, they're done. The hardest part of the process is having students prepared when they get into the studio to record their clips quickly! Of course, that's the case with any student recording, whether it was Podcasting, standups for broadcast, or even still pictures.