In conjunction with WIPB, University Media Services now boasts two new green screen studios, one of which is one of the largest installed virtual studios in the country. This screen is 50 feet across, 35 feet deep, and 20 feet high, and as a permanent fixture in University Media Services, it allows limitless possibilities for your production. Ball State student run television organizations are beginning to incorporate the virtual technology into their productions. Executive producers of these organizations are given the unique opportunity to learn how to use the equipment associated with the green screen through the hands-on training that Ball State University is known for.
“Building” a virtual set can include texturizing, lighting, and other elements that go into building a physical set. Once it’s built, it is stored in the database for quick and easy future use. The green color that makes virtual sets possible is not actually achieved through paint, but through a water-based stain. The stain contains a metal flake suspended in a gel with a green pigment, and the green screen walls are made of a plaster which is then stained. The curved edges on the bottom are made from a pre-made plastic piece that is then attached to the plaster to create a seamless effect.
The state-of-the-art cameras operate with digital camera pedestals. All of the features associated with the cameras can match the virtual elements with the practical elements on the set. The manual operation combined with digital elements allows Media students to truly get the experience of working with professional equipment in a major production studio.
There are many advantages to working with a green screen because with a virtual set anything is possible. The green screen can make your project more time efficient as the virtual environment allows production crews to change sets instantly without having to break anything down like you would have to with a physical set. Various virtual sets can be implemented into different cameras in the studio allowing for your project to appear as if it was shot at multiple locations without ever having left our studio. Incorporating practical elements onto the virtual set enables flexibility in your shoot. The virtual set can even interact with the actors.
The services offered through the green screen studio are based on the individual needs of the client.