In short: Green screen and white coves change how make-up reads on camera. Green light bounces onto the skin and the hair, which can break the key, and a white cove reflects light back up at the face and adds shine. Use a matte base, keep green-toned products away from the edge of the face, pin the hair back and test the look under the lights on the cove.
What the cove and the screen do to a face
A green screen throws green light back at whatever stands close to it. On skin and hair, that shows as a colour cast, and at the edge of the hair it can pull a green fringe that the keyer then has to clean up. The further the subject stands from the green, the less spill reaches them.
A white infinity cove is a different problem. It reflects the light that is meant for the set, and the reflection lands on the face from low and side angles. The forehead, nose and cheeks take a shine that does not show in a normal room.
Steps to set the look
- Use a matte base and set it with powder. Check the shine on the monitor, not in the mirror.
- Keep green-toned products, such as green eye shadow or a green-tinted primer, away from the edge of the face. A keyer can take them out along with the screen.
- Pin the hair back or cover the edges. A light hold spray or a little gel keeps flyaways from catching green.
- Test the look under the actual lights on the cove, at the height the camera will see it.
- Shoot a short test and look at the edge of the face against the green before you commit.
A worked example
A presenter stands in front of a white cove, lit with a fresnel low on the left and a soft light above. On the monitor the forehead flares, and the nose has a hot patch. Powder over the forehead and the nose, and move the fresnel a little higher, and the flare drops. The second test shows a clean edge against the cove.
Common mistakes
- Testing make-up in a normal room and then assuming it holds on the cove.
- Using a bright highlighter on the cheeks. It reads as a flare on a white cove.
- Ignoring the hairline, ears and neck. A wide shot shows them, and they often catch the light.
- Adding green-toned colour near the face on a green screen shoot.
- Leaving the look unchecked after lunch, when a presenter has been sitting in warm light for an hour.
Where to read more
The make-up for HD and 4K page covers what the sensor shows, and the green screen: how to get a clean key page covers the screen side. The infinity cove vs green screen page helps decide which set suits the shot. For the look itself, the make-up continuity sheet keeps it the same from one take to the next.
Granary's Green Space is a pre-lit chroma cove and the White Space is an infinity cove. Whichever you book, build a make-up test under the lights into the call time.
Related guides
- Make-up for HD and 4K: what the camera sees
- A presenter's five-minute make-up kit
- Make-up continuity sheet: a template for every look
- Do we need a make-up artist? A decision guide
- All guides and tools
The picture at the top of this page is an illustration, not a photograph of a client or a real job.
Questions we get asked
Why does make-up look different on a green screen?
Green light bounces off the screen onto the skin and hair, and the camera then sees a colour cast or an unclean edge. A keyer may also remove green-toned make-up near the edge of the face.
Should you use powder on a white infinity cove?
Usually yes. A matte finish cuts the shine that a white cove adds to the forehead, nose and cheeks. Check the result on the monitor, because the mirror shows a different light.
Who does the make-up for a green screen shot?
On a shoot with a make-up artist, they do it. On a presenter shoot, the presenter can do the basics if the look is simple and they know their kit.
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