How Can I Eliminate Screen Flicker When Filming Digital Screens?

If you have ever tried to capture a television or computer monitor on camera, you may have noticed an annoying flicker or rolling bars on the screen. This is due to the difference in refresh rate of the screen versus the shutter speed of the camera.

To eliminate the screen flicker, there are a couple of different options. The first offers the most flexibility, and that is simply to turn the monitor off and add in the footage you want playing on the screen later in post production. If there is a person or object partially blocking the monitor and turning the monitor off isn’t an option because the person/object would blend with the black monitor, you can set the screen to green or blue and add in your footage during post.

In cases where the corners of the monitor do not remain continuously in view, such as if a person closes a laptop, tracking markers can be used on the monitor to help the VFX team “lock” the footage in place and maintain its perspective based on the four trackers used to designate the corners of the screen. Learn more about how this works: blog.pond5.com

Another option to eliminate screen flicker is to go ahead and play your desired footage on the screen but sync your camera shutter speed and the refresh rate of the screen. For example, if the refresh rate is 60 Hz, you can adjust your frame rate to 1/60 fps.

Below are more tips on how to make screens look good on camera:

“How to make screens look good on camera – Film Making for Newbs” by Kyle Lawrence

Bonus

If you are interested in learning more about how a screen displays its image, check out the following video:

“How a TV Works in Slow Motion – The Slow Mo Guys” by The Slow Mo Guys

If you are looking for visual FX artists for your next project, visit our online Nevada Production Directory to find experienced Nevada production crew and support services or drop by our office and pick up a free printed directory!

If you offer production and film-related services in Nevada and are not yet listed in our Production Directory, you can learn more about how to sign up for the NPD here.

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