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Creating a Video-Friendly Backdrop
for Your Special Event
Every day around the world, thousands
of special events are produced with one goal: television coverage.
Even though most events are actually held in front of a room
full of people, with the media cordoned off in a section in
the back, the real audience is often the unseen masses who
will experience a tiny snippet of the event while watching
the news that night.
Whether the event is part of a political campaign, an issue advocacy effort, or a product launch, the goal is always to convey the message as effectively as possible to a targeted audience. While there are many ways to make an event newsworthy and increase its chances of inclusion in a newscast, there is one surefire way to keep it out: put the event in front of a backdrop that doesn't look good on television.
Here are a few things to keep in mind while building a backdrop that will look attractive to the most important beholder of all, the camera eye:
Message
If you have text on your backdrop, it should be clear and concise. Since backdrops help set the tone for what happens in front of them, they do not need to communicate the entire message! That is what the event program is for. Keep the message simple.
Use non-reflective material
Backdrops should be completely
non-reflective. A matte finish means that light
— from carefully focused stage lights, portable "sun
guns" mounted on video cameras, or even the sun — will
not cause reflective glare and ruin the picture. A bright
or reflective backdrop makes it almost impossible to achieve
the proper white balance and exposure in the camera. To compensate
for an overly bright backdrop, camera operators must adjust
exposure. The result will be a dark foreground a and an unappealing
picture.
Most banner or sign materials can be finished with a matte coating to avoid this problem. On digitally printed backdrops, ask your printer to apply a matte laminate. Painted backdrops should be made with only flat paint. Signs made with vinyl lettering can be sprayed with a clear matte aerosol spray, such as Krylon®
Matte Finish, which is available at office supply stores.
Content
Since the backdrop is supposed to reinforce the event's message, you will need to be aware of how the stage set looks when the camera operators frame the picture. A twenty-foot-long banner with a phrase across it, such as "Bush for President" may look
great to the live audience. But when the camera zooms in on
the podium, all the television audience will see is "or
Pr". And speaking of podiums: Remember to include
the most important theme or logo on a smaller sign that will
be attached to the front of the podium. That sign will almost
always be in the camera shot.
By repeating a smaller version of the text or artwork across thebackdrop,
even the tighter shots will show the entire message. At press
conferences announcing corporate mergers, the two CEOs customarily
will sit in front of a sign that has both company logos repeated
in alternating order. No matter what the camera angle, the
picture is sure to include both company names. Mission accomplished.
Color
Large fields of white or very light colors will also make proper exposure on a video camera difficult. Backdrops should be dark material with light-color text or graphics. Instead of white text, use a 10% gray screen, which will show up as white on video, but without the glare that a bright white will cause. If your sign company prints your sign on a digital color printer using process colors (a "four-color" print), ask them to replace all white in the image with Pantone 427, a light gray color that will appear warmer on camera than the 10% gray screen.
Size
Q: How large should a backdrop
be?
A: Large enough.
That is, large enough to show up in every
important camera angle. This does not mean your sign has to
be longer than the stage, though. A neutral backdrop, such
as dark theatrical drape, can serve as the canvas on which
the rest of your backdrop is created.
Distance from podium/subject
The backdrop should be placed where it will look best relative to the subject and the camera positions.
- With only one camera platform facing
the front of the stage, center the backdrop on the subject.
- If there are multiple camera positions,
check the view from each of these to be sure the backdrop
covers each camera angle.
- If crisp focus on the backdrop is important
(perhaps because it has a series of smaller logos across
it), it should be closer to the subject.
- If the backdrop would look better slightly
out of focus (putting emphasis on the subjects and the foreground
instead), it should be further back.
Exactly how much closer or further depends on the distance from the cameras, the stage size, and the design of the backdrop. There is no simple formula to compute or table to consult. The best system is to experiment, using a video camera to see what the stage looks like on television as you move the subject, the camera positions, and/or the backdrop.
Proper installation
Installed incorrectly, even the best backdrops will look bad. By explaining to your sign company exactly how and where the sign will be installed, the company will be able to build it to make installation easier and therefore reduce labor cost.
Lighting the backdrop - and not
just the podium
Designing, building and correctly positioning the perfect backdrop isn't enough. You also have to light it properly.
Light levels on the backdrop and the foreground subject should be similar. Avoiding unnecessary contrast in exposure between subject and backdrop will make your event more attractive to the camera.
The human eye can trick the brain into compensating for exposure. The camera cannot. So a scene that appears acceptable to a trained observer will not necessarily look the same when viewed through the lens of a television camera. If the television audience is important to the success your event, then having a camera-friendly backdrop is nothing less than critical to getting your event the coverage you desire.
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