Reflecmedia Chroma Key

Changing the art of Chroma Key

Reflecmedia specializes in chroma key solutions for video, television and film production. Their award-winning products have been adopted by the World's leading producers, including the BBC, CNN, MW, Sky TV and ITN. Chroma Key patented technology has changed the way producers think about and execute chroma key production. Through a combined understanding of creative production and the science of reflectivity, Reflecmedia is delivering solutions that improve quality, reduce time and as a result save money.

Chromatte

Chromatte is a fabric designed specifically for use as a background for chroma key production. Unlike conventional chroma key fabrics that are usually blue or green in color, Chromatte is grey to the eye in ambient light. The fabric contains millions of tiny glass beads that act as reflectors, returning any light shone on them back to its source. When the directional light from Reflecmedia's lens-mounted LiteRing hits the Chromatte fabric, it is returned on the same path and back into the camera lens -- as such the camera sees the otherwise grey fabric as a perfectly even blue or green background.

Lighting:

Conventional fabrics require significant lighting to create an even color background. The only light required to light Chromatte comes from the LiteRing. This also means that any spill from unwanted light is eradicated and that chroma key can now be used in low-lit scenes and sets.

Space:

By removing the need for additional lighting, Chromatte takes chroma key out of the studio and into any controlled lighting environment -- an office, meeting room or garage can be a chroma key location in minutes.

Time:

For even an experienced lighting engineer it can take hours to light a chroma key set. In many instances, the time involved and the difficulties of achieving high quality results have prohibited the use of chroma key in lower budget and time-sensitive productions.

Chromatte is supplied in a range of standard size or custom produced studio drapes, where the fabric is backed with a black light-proof drape and hemmed with eyelets across the top for easy hanging from studio tacking or rail. LiteRings

LiteRing: The Chroma Key light source

Reflecmedia's Chromatte fabric is designed to work in conjunction with a LiteRing. The LiteRing features Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) arranged in a circular casing that is positioned in front of the camera lens. This provides all the light required to illuminate the Chromatte background for chroma key production.

The LiteRing connects to the camera with a specially designed adapter ring, similar to those used for matte box mounting, which is attached to the inner thread of the lens. The LiteRing is then placed on to the adapter and simply locked with a single screw. This enables users to quickly release the LiteRing in between shots, or change from a green to a blue ring based upon their chosen keying color.

Key In Seconds

Reflecmedia has taken the blue or green color away from the fabric and completely removed the need to separately light the background. The ability to change the background keying color in seconds cannot be achieved any quicker -- no need to hang a different drape or repaint the studio walls!

Tungsten, HMI and Fluorescent lights can be large in size, expensive to power and uncomfortable to work under. Typically you require thousands of watts to light absorbent chroma key fabrics, whereas the LiteRing output of around 10 watts provides all the light required by Chromatte. By relocating the color and the light into one camera-mounted device, Reflecmedia has significantly reduced the set-up time and overcome many of the difficulties associated with conventional chroma key.

The LiteRing is available in both green and blue, and in three sizes to fit different size cameras. Each size of ring has a series of adapters to ensure maximum compatibility with camera lens sizes. Further custom adapters and fixing mechanisms are available.

Small:

72mm with adapters for 62mm, 58mm, 52mm, 37mm and 30mm lenses

Medium:

112mm with adapters for 105mm, 95mm, 86mm, 82mm, 80mm, 77mm, 72mm and 67mm lenses

Large:

147mm with an adapter to fit 127mm lens

ChromaFlex: Award-Winning Portable Chroma Key

With ChromaFlex it's now easier and more affordable to take chroma key production out of the studio and into any controlled lighting environment. The results achieved using ChromaFlex are as good as those achieved in a dedicated studio, yet you can take your chroma key studio with you wherever you go! ChromaFlex provides all the benefits of Reflecmedia's revolutionary Chromatte fabric in the most portable configuration.

The 22.6 square foot collapsible screen weighs just 11 pounds and packs away into a 36-inch diameter bag. With no additional fittings required, ChromaFlex is opened and ready to use in seconds. The surface area of the screen allows sufficient space to shoot from close-up to a wide shot of good proportion.

When you purchase ChromaFlex you choose a LiteRing Kit to suit your application -- depending on camera size and your preferred keying color. You can add additional LiteRings at any time to increase the products flexibility.

Whether you are an experienced professional or are shooting chroma key for the first time, you will benefit from the ease of ChromaFlex and the greater time it allows for creativity.

Leading industry associations and publishers have judged ChromaFlex a 'must have' accessory for all videographers, cameramen, production companies and news crews. America's National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) honored the product with an 'Award for Innovation in Media' at their 2003 convention in Las Vegas.

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