Bluescreening

Any easy way for this?

[kingkelly]

Are there any programs that let me replace a certain colour (BLUE, GREEN) and put in an image in that place. Like on weather casts. If i film a guy in front of a solid colour BG, could i replace that solid BG with an image?

They do this crap in movies, but would it be possible for an amateur to do it with a certain downloadable program?

[fathom]

Photoshop does this easily, if your doing stills.

[mivox]

I think any current digital video editing program ought to do this also... if you're doing video.

In photoshop you'd just use the magic wand tool to select your solid color, and use the selection to either mask or delete it... then place the background image you want to use in a layer beneath it.

[kingkelly]

Im thinking more of video. I dont know any video editing proggies that can replace a colour with an image. Also, would the backdrop have to be a really bright colour, or could i just stand in front of a red wall?

[korkus2000]

After effects does this. Premiere and other video editors do to like avid. Your looking for a program that does compositing. It needs to be a solid color and it should be different than anything in frame. You want to be able to select and render instead of frame by frame because the red wall has too much of a gradient or the subjects contain the same color.

I also think that the imac video package can do compositing also. Many packages do it. Real time stuff is more expensive.

[daamsie]

Final cut pro will do this also.. some programs do do a better job than others though (combustion is supposed to be excellent and aftereffects has some professional plug-ins that are supposed to do a great job).

One thing to keep in mind is that the original quality of the shot is critical! Any noise in the shot will make it harder for chroma-keying (technical term), so making sure that you record it on the best possible (budget restrictions usually) medium to start with will ensure a better outcome. Also load the footage at the highest resolution possible on your system (10 bit uncompressed would be ideal!) If it is anything serious I also recommend getting a professional lighting cameraman to shoot the footage. There is quite a skill in making sure that the blue is completely even and a 'perfect' blue. The more you look after the acquisition stage, the easier (and cleaner) the compositing stage will be.

Also, would the backdrop have to be a really bright colour, or could i just stand in front of a red wall?

Blue is generally chosen, because it doesn't play a big part in skin tones. If you were to shoot it on a red background, you would have a hard time making sure that the footage didn't show through the subject's face! Green is also an alternative, when blue needs to be used in the subject matter (for instance, he may be wearing a blue hat!). Make sure that you know the subject's wardrobe before getting on set!

[garry]

From a 30 second talk with some pro's once(that's pro's in the video game) (errr not xxxx video game) sheesh I'm getting deeper in it.

Anyway, they use any old background as it is the focus/depth of field or any distance beyond x feet that they can replace at the flick of a pc swich.

[daamsie]

Anyway, they use any old background as it is the focus/depth of field or any distance beyond x feet that they can replace at the flick of a pc swich.

I work as a video editor and have never heard of this technique. Please confirm whether you were being serious or sarcastic and if serious what phenomenally expensive hardware / camera gear you would need for this?

[diddlydazz]

IMO someone has been having you on garry ;o) I have seen many a set and never seen any technology like that.

blue works well and is the de facto colour, i would go with this.

So you are effectively cloaking the background :O)

Dazz

[kingkelly]

So if i put a bag over my head that is the same colour as the BG, i could have no head?!?! Thats awesome!

Was just wondering, prolly shoot come crappy home video witha few friends.

[daamsie]

that's right.. although because of the shadows in the bag.. it would be very hard to completely get rid of it :)

you really don't want to see your head? ;)

[kingkelly]

Au contraire, ill make my head floating as the bg image, and put a box on my head during filming!

I hope spielberg doesnt steal my idea.

[korkus2000]

You've never seen weather men on halloween do the weather cast with no body or no head(maybe just us Atlantans who get that almost every year)? I have been out of the industry for a couple of years, but I thought everything was going green screen.

[kingkelly]

I dont watch the weather on halloween :)

[SethCall]

since garry mentioned video games, I wonder if he meant the "z-depth" of a 3d image: an image rendered by a 3d engine (not a real pic or video)

if you created the 3d image yourself, using the "3d pipeline" or however else generically you want to name it, then yes, its then very easy to add whatever background you want, past a certain distance.

I am wondering maybe this is what he heard these pro's talking about and thought they were talking about regular video.