Best New Green Screen Stages In New York City 212-219-1075

By Michael Gonzalez. VFX Digital Artist

Good looking young Michael Gonzales producer at The American Movie Company

Michael Gonzalez headshot

Hi, Michael Gonzalez back with a look at the dramatically changing studio landscape here in Manhattan.

As I watched green screen technology rapidly eliminate the need for huge sound stages with costly set building and storage, I saw more and more green screen stages created to meet the growing demand.

Especially here in Manhattan, where space is at a high premium, clients are discovering the cost effectiveness of smaller green screen stages which can produce on-camera effects which often greatly surpass the production value of traditional more costly sets on standard stages.

Here are a few of the frontrunners:

Production Central, run by David Fuhrer,which already operated two stages in the Union Square area, just opened a new stage opposite B&H Photo Video on 34th Stband 9th Avenue. David’s staff can donut all, video preproduction, video production and post.

In trendy Tribeca, Bill Milling CEO of The American Movie Company just opened a huge new triplex green screen studio facility with substantial new lighting and grip equipment, a TriCaster 450 Extreme TCX450 which with the addition of five additional pieces of high tech equipment comprise their own proprietary. System Six broadcast facility. They added additional cameras including a Sony FS100 with a full compliment of primes and zooms, both a Red MX and the new Red Epic. This year. AMC will open a smaller green screen insert stage about a block from their present ground floor location at 81 Walker St.

For those who need a large “drive in stage”, there’s John and Cameron’s Parlay Studios in Jersey City… just minutes from the Holland Tunnel. They have a huge cyc which is usually white but can be painted blue or green. While Jersey is another state getting to Parley is actually quicker, at most times of the day then to travel to Brooklyn or Queens studios. If you need really high ceilings with a stage which could accommodate a truck… this is the place for you.

I would suggest that it is key to choose a green screen stage which is operated by a staff that is fully professional when it comes to properly lighting the green and then removing properly and cost effectively it in postproduction. They need the equipment to light the green evenly and the staff who can do it quickly.

As a full time VFX digital artist, I’m often required to remove the green and substitute a jpg or full 3D digital Virtual Set. I use AfterEffects for the green removal and composite and my favorite 3D Lightwave 10 to create photo realistic or fantasy sets. (and yes I am presently Beta Testing Lightwave 11, which is totally awesome.

(But more about that later).

For a more complete list, you can check the Mayor’s office for Film and TV.