During the production of Chip & Bernie’s Zomance, I wrote a ridiculous scene where a zombie’s head gets whacked clean off with a baseball bat. Naturally, the head lands on the floor, still alive, and covered in blood (because why not?). But right away, I knew my trusty old green screen cloth wasn’t going to cut it for this chroma key shot.

If you’ve ever worked with cloth green screens, you know the struggle — one splash of fake blood and you’ve got a permanent stain. Not to mention, cloth wrinkles like crazy, especially when an actor is rolling around on top of it. Wrinkles make for a nightmare when you try to pull a clean chroma key later in post-production.

So, what do you do when you want your zombie head to look great and your compositing work to be easy? You build your own sturdy, portable screen and coat it in the perfect shade of green screen paint.

Why Use Green Screen Paint Instead of Fabric?

Green screen paint is a game-changer for any chroma key effect that needs a flat, smooth surface. It won’t wrinkle, it’s easy to clean, and you can build your screen to the size you want. In my case, we needed something we could throw in the back of a pickup truck, haul into the woods, and set up for our zombie mayhem.

How to Build a Portable Chroma Key Screen

Here’s exactly how we built ours for Chip & Bernie’s Zomance. It’s sturdy enough to hold an actor’s weight—or a severed zombie head—and flexible enough to travel anywhere.

Supplies You’ll Need:

• 6 pieces of 1″x2″ wood, each 8 feet long

• 1 piece of 4’x8′, 1/8″ plywood

• 1 quart of green screen paint

• 6 two-inch screws

• 24 one-inch wood screws

Step 1:

Build a strong frame with the 1″x2″ wood and secure it using the wood screws. Place the beams so they form a nice solid rectangle — think of it like building a giant picture frame that can survive a horror film.

STEP 2:

Lay your 1/8″ plywood on top of the beams and screw it down. Keep in mind that 1/8″ plywood is thin and bends easily — that’s actually a good thing when you’re setting it up outside and want a slight curve for a cyclorama effect.

Make sure your screen is solid. A wobbly chroma key setup will haunt you in post — trust me, I’ve been there.

STEP 3:

Now for the fun part — the green screen paint. Before you slap on any old green, remember: the right shade is everything for a smooth chroma key pull.

When you head to the hardware store, don’t just say “I want green.” Give them these exact color codes for chroma key green. These will match the industry-standard hue and help you avoid headaches in editing later.

Chroma Key Green Screen Paint Color Codes

Just hand these numbers to the clerk at Home Depot or your favorite paint shop: (see image above)

A quart of green screen paint should be plenty for one portable screen. Use a roller for a nice, even finish. Do at least two coats if you want a vibrant, smooth color with no patchiness.

Your Portable Cyclorama Green Screen

Once the paint dries, you’ll have a smooth, portable chroma key backdrop that’s ready for zombie heads, dancing elves, or whatever you’re cooking up next. It’s easy to move, stands up to fake blood, and won’t give you those dreaded cloth wrinkles.

And yes — if you want to get fancy, you can bend the screen slightly to create a cyclorama effect like I did. That curve helps light bounce evenly and makes your chroma key even cleaner in post.

Final Tip for DIY Green Screen Paint

Whether you’re shooting your first backyard short film or a full-on horror-comedy like Chip & Bernie’s Zomance, investing in the right green screen paint for your chroma key shots is worth every drop.

Less time fighting wrinkles, more time compositing flying zombie heads. Sounds like a good trade to me.

Now go build something weird — and don’t forget to test your lighting so your new chroma key setup works like a dream!

On location using the portable green screen