Ideas for Green Screen Video Producers

Utilizing green or blue screen (chroma key) in your video projects is a great way to introduce a professional and stylish look to your video productions. Having the ability to change your subject’s background in post production will give you limitless options when it comes to your final product. There are a wide variety of chroma key backgrounds to choose from that will give your video production a polished look similar to larger video productions.

Using a green (or blue) screen in your production pipeline is simple: get a solid green or blue background, film your subject in front of the background, then remove the chroma key in the background using your video editing software and replace it with something else. However, getting a clean key from your video can be a trial and error process that could cause frustration if the original videois not shot correctly.

Here are some techniques that you can use to make your green screen background production as seamless as possible:

  1. How to choose a chroma backdrop

    a. A chroma key background can be any color as long as it is not contained within the foreground elements you would like to keep in the scene. Most video productions utilize either a green or blue screen. A clean key can be achieved with either color, but you will want to take into account the color of clothing your talent will be wearing and also make sure nothing in your scene closely matches the color of the background color you are trying to remove.

    b. Use paint or a drop cloth and try to remove as many wrinkles or variations in the color of your background as you can. The more consistent your background color, the easier time you will have removing it in post production.

  2. Lighting

    a. The most important element of a good green screen video production is the lighting. A well lit scene will allow you to easily tell the software what color to knockout and what elements to keep in the scene.

    b. Setup a series of lights that illuminate your backdrop consistently and try to reduce the number of hotspots on the backdrop. Outdoor or fluorescent lighting is a good option because it is a diffused light that spreads evenly across your backdrop.

    c. Illuminate your subject fully with soft lighting. You may also want to try to add a spotlight pointing at the back of your subject. This will help to cleanly “cut” your subject from the background and will result in a cleaner key.

  3. Setting up Your Scene

    a. Place your subject a minimum of 4 steps from your backdrop. This will eliminate shadows from falling onto the green screen and will also help to minimize color spill. Color spill occurs when the reflected green from your backdrop “spills” onto your subject and causes the color of clothing or skin to change hue to match the backdrop . This can cause issues when the video software tries to remove the green from the backdrop and registers the green reflection on your subject.

  4. Video Camera Settings

    a. If you have access, try to shoot with the best HD camera possible. A camera that has manual controls for shutter speed, ISO and aperture are best. Set the ISO on your camera to 100 or 200 which should help to reduce signal noise and will smooth out the backdrop in your video.

By following these simple rules and techniques, you should be able to create a clean shot that will allow you to easily remove the chroma key from your background. Now you can replace the green screen with a virtual background or other video background. Have fun!

Ideas for Green Screen Video Producers

By shooting your next project on a green (or blue) screen, you have ability to create a clean and stylish video production. Having the ability to change your subject’s background in post production will give you limitless options when it comes to your final product. There are a wide variety of chroma key backgrounds to choose from that will give your video production a polished look similar to larger video productions.

The basic idea of green screen production is simple: setup a green screen, shoot your talent in front of it, then remove the green in your video editing software and replace it with your chosen background in post production. However, getting a precisekey from your video can be a trial and error process that could cause frustration if the original footage is not shot correctly.

Here are some techniques that you can use to make your green screen background production as seamless as possible:

  1. How to choose a chroma backdrop

    a. A chroma key background can be any color as long as it is not contained within the foreground elements you would like to keep in the scene. Most video productions utilize either a green or blue screen. A clean key can be achieved with either color, but you will want to take into account the color of clothing your talent will be wearing and also make sure nothing in your scene closely matches the color of the background color you are trying to remove.

    b. The more consistent and true your color is, the better you will be able to key the color out of your background footage. If you are using a linen or fabric backdrop, try to minimize the wrinkles and shadows in the cloth.

  2. Illumination

    a. This is probably THE most important aspect of a good green screen video production. Having a well lit, consistent background color is key (no pun intended) to being able to remove the background seamlessly from your shot.

    b. Setup a series of lights that illuminate your backdrop consistently and try to reduce the number of hotspots on the backdrop. Outdoor or fluorescent lighting is a good option because it is a diffused light that spreads evenly across your backdrop.

    c. Illuminate your subject fully with soft lighting. You may also want to try to add a spotlight pointing at the back of your subject. This will help to cleanly “cut” your subject from the background and will result in a cleaner key.

  3. Setting up Your Scene

    a. Place your subject a minimum of 4 steps from your backdrop. This will eliminate shadows from falling onto the green screen and will also help to minimize color spill. Color spill occurs when the reflected green from your backdrop “spills” onto your subject and causes the color of clothing or skin to change hue to match the backdrop . This can cause issues when the video software tries to remove the green from the backdrop and registers the green reflection on your subject.

  4. Camera Setup

    a. If you have access, try to shoot with the best HD camera possible. A camera that has manual controls for shutter speed, ISO and aperture are best. Set the ISO on your camera to 100 or 200 which should help to reduce signal noise and will smooth out the backdrop in your video.

By following these simple rules and techniques, you should be able to create a clean shot that will allow you to easily remove the chroma key from your background. Now you can replace the green screen with a virtual background or other video background. Have fun!

Digital Movie Making Tips: For Starters and Professionals Alike

Whether you are after a short film for your loved ones or a short film you are filming as a final requirement in your filmmaking class, digital movie making is a mainstay and not only a trend as it appears to some.

A filmmaking trainee or a professional film director would know what has to be checked when creating films. Here are some basic tips that are applicable to both types of filmmakers:

The Equipment

Digital film technology has reached the stage of advancement wherein even those who have no knowledge at all about it or filmmaking per se can come up with professional-appearing videos and short films about family and friends.. This is so since the equipment used is so user-friendly. However, you must know how to choose one that’s suitable to your needs and uses.

You should be aware by now that digital video camcorders have varied formats. The MiniDV ones film on small tapes while the video cameras record on HDD or High Disk Drive. DVD camcorders on the other hand record videos straight on discs that you can view on your DVD player.

If your mainly using it for family movies and short films of gatherings, the MiniDV is the perfect choice since it is handy and much easier to operate. The other kinds of cameras also have advantages of their own. Video cameras make it easy for you to share your work with others. This is  agood choice for thhose who are studying filmmaking and have to share their work to a group. An advantage of the DVD camcorder is the large storage which is good for those who produce long films or professional ones.

You must also have the video editing software but you need not worry as they come built-in with today’s desktop PCs and laptops.

The Angles and Shoots

For you to have shots like a pro’s, you have to consider the four aspects: lighting and exposure, stability, editing and audio. Digital video camcorders do not function well in a spot where there is a wide range of lighting. Always take into consideration that lighting should be uniform.

For the purpose of stability, you can make use of the tripod at all times or the digital stabilizer if you have one Keep in mind that the slightest movement on the cam can damage the whole scene.

A camcorder has built-in basic audio devices. In order for you to have better sound quality, you can place a boom microphone on the audio input port and place it nearer to the subjects when filming.

When you edit, it’s best to stay away from too elaborate effects; stay simple in order for you not to appear an amateur.

The Best Video Editing Software: Corel vs. Sony

If you have been in the marketplace to obtain the best video editing software, then you know just how many brands / companies are offering such computer software packages. It has grown to be really popular to submit videos on the net either for advertising purposes or simply personal use, and for that reason each and every software company appears to be offering this type of software to their potential customers, with the intention to tap into this developing industry.

Now, just because lots of companies are selling these types of computer programs, does not necessarily mean that what they are offering will actually get the job done, hence we have to be well informed if we are to pay our hard earned cash for something that promises to be the most “impressive tool in video enhancing.” So, which brand names do I recommend?

Based on the title of the article, the two best video editing software suppliers I recommend are Sony and Corel. Corel has been in this particular market place since its release, providing software that covers video enhancements, picture enhancements, storing digital photos and printing, etc. I recall my very first computer, an Acer Aspire, purchased for $1,400.00 along with the ever famous Windows 98 OS preinstalled. The only printing software program I had when i bought it was originally made by Corel and, as I remember, even in those days, which was a long time before the video software industry was launched, Corel software had been exceptional in comparison with other available brands back in the middle to late 1990’s.

Sony, on the other hand, was one of these electronic suppliers that began widening from electronics to software programs since the turn of the new millennium. To their credit, Sony was able to seize certain niches within an ever expanding software revolution early on in the electronic / informational movement. Since the online world was birthed, hundreds of companies have been introduced in order to try and do just what Sony succeeded in doing so very easily. And, when you look at the best video editing software they were able to produce, you quickly find them genuinely at the highest peak of application quality, guaranteeing customers one of the most advanced, simple to use tools within the video editing sector.

So now, what happens when comparing both Sony and Corel? Not much! They both offer the best video editing software on the video editing marketplace and, in truth, if I needed to recommend one of these, I think I would most likely have to go with Corel over Sony but, if you asked me why I choose Corel over Sony, it would not be because the computer software is better… it would be because I have owned their software since I brought home my very first Acer Aspire pc! Its familiarity, not necessarily quality which drives my choice!

The best video editing software available on the market is provided by both Corel and Sony. User friendly platforms, groundbreaking movie editing applications, both computer software packages deliver the best video editing quality.

To gain more info regarding the best video editing software offered by both Sony and corel, feel free to check out whatvideoeditingsoftware.com

Digital Video Editing

Almost all video cameras are now digital. From mobile phone to digital cameras to digital video cameras, no matter where you turn, everyone is using digital technology to make sure the memories of a special day or some special occasion is saved forever. Therefore, everyone in the streets have become media professionals and they do the video editing with the help of thousands of software available on the Internet. And why not? After all there are many digital video editing manuals available online and at bookstores or any other place that has computer books for sale, and with a little time and lots of patience anyone can learn how to use digital video editing, and use it at home!

First of all, what is digital video editing? It is simply the process you follow to capture and edit the video footage for producing a meaningful video. And with just a computer at home, digital video editing can be done such that special effects are added to the video, parts are cut out, and new parts even added, so that the video turns out exactly like you wanted. There are many things you need besides a computer so that your digital video editing works smoothly. Computer storage is one of the most critical factors and you will need plenty of internal or external storage required. This is because you will need to be able to store all the raw footage you have shot and then use those raw data to edit the video and make it look like what you expect. Next, the video editing software plays an important role. This will help your digital video editing greatly, as along with the basic fact that it helps editing, it will also help you add all those special effects into your footage. Last but not least, you will need a video capture card. Capture cards help you to digitize the raw footage and transfer it to the computer. A capture card only required if the video camera is a traditional one. For the digital video cameras, no capture cards are required as the video footage is stored in the device in digital form when the recording is done. These video capture cards compress the raw footage recorded from a VCR or a digital video camera onto the hard drive.

Anyway, if you really like video editing, you always can watch free movies online.

Although digital video editing looks complicated at the beginning, it become easy with the time. All you go to have is the creativity, patience, and a good editing software. After all Rome was not built in a day, and knowing how to use digital video editing equipment is definitely much easier than building Rome now isn’t it?

For more information, you can watch free movies online.