While the competing TubeTape paint and the home-made paint I’ve made in the past require you to put at least two coats on, Rosco’s vinyl acrylic paint makes that optional. I found that a single coat of Rosco’s paint was as even and consistent as two coats of paint with either the TubeTape paint or the DIY greenscreen paint I’ve done in the past. As such, the fact that you can get the same amount of square footage with nearly any gallon of paint, yet you only have to go over something once with the Rosco paint is really impressive.
The key you get from the Rosco paint is clean, clear, and truly green because of the single source pigmentation used in its creation, as opposed to a blend of colors which can muddy the key. (Additionally, because this single source pigmentation is used, it allows the paint to be properly illuminated with less light. This also means that it’s a little too reflective for certain things, such as moving the greenscreen closer to your talent than the optimal five to six feet. As Per Holmes noted in his great training, VFX for Directors, the paint is a bit too reflective if you’re using it in a small greenscreen cyclorama, as more of the reflected green light hits your talent. If you’re able to afford to make a full-size cyclorama, this shouldn’t be a problem.)
Additionally, the paint has an ultra matte finish which prevents the paint from picking up any form of sheen from lights. (This is important because sheen appears white when recorded and will put a “hole” in your key.) Of course, as you can imagine, all of these elements that make it easy to use and increase its performance also increase the cost of manufacture.
As a low-budget filmmaker, it’s always hard for me to say that you should spend 7 times as much money on one type of paint when you can make your own for so much cheaper. However, the fact that you’ll get twice as much square footage (in most situations) due to the single coat needed, the fact that it’s so much easier to use, requires less light to illuminate, and the fact that you’ll always get the same color argue heavily that, if you can spare the money, the Rosco paint is a really good value. (Plus, if you pick it up from B&H, you get it for about $60 right now.)
If you have the time and space for an extended painting project, then you may wish to make your own greenscreen paint. However, if you want something that’s more consistent, much easier to use, dries faster, and lasts longer, Rosco’s Chromakey Paint is a great choice! This is the reason why Rosco is the benchmark in the industry.
