Fake Computer Screens for Film and Video
Monitors, laptops and TVs are in almost every modern scene, and a black or unplugged screen looks wrong. This guide covers the two ways to put convincing content on screens in your shot, when to use each, which prop screens fit which scene, and how to make them look real on camera.
Two ways to fill a screen
- On-set playback
- Show the content on the real screen while you film. The screen lights the actor's face, shows up in reflections and glasses, and the actor can react to it. What you film is what you get, with no visual effects work afterwards.
- Screen replacement
- Show a plain green screen or tracking markers while you film, and put the content in during the edit. It lets you change the content later and avoids flicker, but costs time in post, and the screen gives no real light on set.
Which one to choose
Use on-set playback when the screen is in the background, when its light matters on the actor, or when you have no visual effects budget. Use screen replacement when the screen is the focus of a close-up, when its content must match an edit that is not finished, or when the actor types and the screen has to follow exactly.
For replacement, show the green screen at low brightness so it does not spill green light on your actor, and add small tracking markers in the corners with tape.
Pick the screen for the scene
- Trader, finance, crypto
- The crypto trading screen, the stock market screen, and the crypto winner screen for the payoff.
- Hospital
- The heart rate monitor beside the bed.
- Security office
- The CCTV security camera screen, on several monitors.
- Hacker or tech
- The hacker screen and Matrix rain.
- Broken or crashed computer
- The blue screen of death, a fake Windows update or a broken screen.
- TV with nothing on
- The no signal color bars, or the DVD screensaver.
- Cosy home scene
- A fireplace on the TV.
Making screens look real
- Keep it moving
- A still screen reads as a photo. Live charts, scrolling text and ticking numbers look like work in progress.
- Big and readable
- Viewers only see a screen for a second or two. Large numbers and strong colors read even when small in frame.
- Hide the cursor and pop-ups
- Go fullscreen, move the mouse away, and turn on Do Not Disturb. The screens on this site hide their controls and the cursor after a few seconds.
- Stop the screen sleeping
- The pages keep the display awake where the browser allows it. Also raise the computer's sleep and screensaver timers for long setups.
- Match the brightness
- A screen far brighter than the room blows out on camera. Expose for the scene and adjust the monitor, or use the camera instead if lowering brightness causes flicker.
- Avoid real brands
- Real logos and app interfaces can need clearance. The prop screens here use only made-up names, numbers and logos.
Continuity between takes
Live screens never show exactly the same thing twice, which is a problem if a shot has to match across takes. Record the screen once with a screen recorder, then play the recording back in fullscreen for every take. That gives you a repeatable screen with the same look.
Questions
How do I put a fake screen on a monitor in my film?
Open the prop screen in a browser on that monitor, press F for fullscreen and move the mouse away so the controls hide. Turn on Do Not Disturb and set the display to 60 Hz before you roll.
Why does the screen flicker on camera?
The camera and the screen refresh at different rates. Set your shutter to match the screen, usually 1/60 for a 60 Hz display. The full guide is how to film a screen without flicker.
Should I use a green screen on the monitor instead?
Only if you need to change the content in post or the screen is the focus of a close-up. Otherwise real content on set looks better and saves work.
Can I run different screens on several monitors?
Yes. Open each screen in its own browser window, drag each window to its monitor and press F in each one.