Bluescreening

Newbie needs to know

[the_mean]

Ok, im new, and im looking around coz i need some help with making a scene and using bluescreen.
So from the start i got a digital camcorder. What do i need to do next? Set up some bluescreen yeah? using some blue sheets? and what software is the best for changing the bluescreen into say, a forest! Any help please!

[Leosghost]

Explain exactly what you want to do ..yeah I know its forests but what do you have in the way of graphics progs already and we'll see what you might be able to do..

no promises but maybe ...

[edited by: korkus2000 at 1:35 pm (utc) on July 12, 2004]
[edit reason] clean up from splice [/edit]

[korkus2000]

What you want to do is compositing. Some people remember using chromakey to get this done. Now we have better programs like adobe after effects. Honestly a lot of lower end programs can do this. You don't need commotion or after effects if your output quality will not be beta.

So do you have an editing software? I would be suprised if you could not do atleast a primitive form of compositing.

[the_mean]

well thats what im saying! I have no idea what programs are best for this! Whether or not im going about it right! From what i have seen, i need to obviously film it on a "bluescreen". DUH! but then from there i kinda dont have a clue! im a newbie to this, i dont know!

[korkus2000]

You want to film it on a color that will not be present on your subjects. Today we mostly use green screens. Green is easier to select. It is also not usually present as much as blue is. Bright green is best to use. Here is an article that may help you understand this process.

[dummies.com...]

[the_mean]

thanks for that! the means a lot!

[Leosghost]

Nice one Korkus ..My son who wants to make plasticene animations to gain his daily crust has been asking me how this works for ever ..always at some point there was a blank look in his eyes ( and I do explain good )..just couldnt find all the pics and the text ..this one "clicked" ...he's 11...thanks from both of us ...( there I was thinking it was someone elses question ...usefull place this ) ..

[JohnWhit]

Free info on blue and green chromakey compositing and using Photoshop using screens -

[chroma-key.com...]
and
[chroma-key.com...]

I've tried it - learn from my mistakes. It works great BUT you have to light the chromakey background or screen evenly. If you don't it's useless! When you light it evenly and use the correct color it's awesome.

[JayCee]

"Have to light it evenly.."

Yeah, that's why the first blue screens were made as light sources. ILM/LucasFilm used vertical blue florescent tubes behind sheets of white plastic diffuser material for a big, bright, even, shadowless blue big wall.

Have often thought that for small objects, you could use a computer monitor as your "bluescreen".

[the_mean]

well if it works it could be worth a go!