Original Movie - The Thing about Harry
Project: the thing about harry
technology: ELI
client: freeform
dp: jayson crothers
director: peter paige
The Thing About Harry is a Freeform Original Movie released in February 2020. To shoot a pivotal scene in the film, Freeform’s production team used Environmental LED Immersion (ELI). ELI is the next evolution of green screen technology. It uses large, high-resolution LED panels to display pre-shot video, creating a background that simulates the actual location.
Preparation: Production took place during the winter. We displayed a sequence of pre-shot environments ranging from city to rural, as well as a crash sequence. All were from multiple angles—driver, passenger, windshield, backseat, and more. The footage is displayed and synced on the LED walls for the actual scene with the actors. The controlled environment ensures high-quality sound, which would have otherwise been impossible.
ELI and Production: All playback was run through Watchout, a multi-display software. We did on-the-fly color temperature and refresh rate adjustments to ensure each shot was consistent and realistic. Freeform was able to shoot everything in a day. On a process trailer, it would have taken a week.
(1) 26'x10' LED rolling wall — 2048 x 768 resolution
(1) 12'x10' LED rolling wall — 896 x 768 resolution
(1) 12'x12' LED ceiling wall — 896 x 896 resolution*
*Rigged off a truss grid, supported by four chain motors to allow for height adjustments and pan & tilt controls. This wall is used for window reflections
Conclusion: This project is particularly interesting because Freeform utilized ELI for a feature film. It was exciting to take techniques we’ve used for studio productions and use them for a large-scale film production. “With about 8 pages that span 3 different locations, shooting these practically wasn’t an option for the schedule. Green screen was briefly discussed, but most of us agreed it virtually never quite looks right and the post schedule was already tight so I knew there wouldn’t be time to properly address everything in post. LED screens seemed the best way to go. We found our answer with Resolution, who provided a great space, resources, and most of all wonderful support.” Jayson Crothers, DP.
