Days Before Chromakey

[Walter]

Well, I don't live too far away from the center. I am so happy that it is only an hour away. I heard that the center would be expanding their Jim Henson collection sometime in 2012...which might be the perfect excuse to visit! Also I know that a lot of places are kind of secretive on their effects...plus I'm 14 and no one takes me seriously until they see my puppet skills...hmm also the perfect time to show off a new puppet. I am a shy person, so I might as well try to email them prior to showing up. Thank you for the advice !

No Problem! I too have been awaiting the Jim Henson wing..I hope it hasn't been pushed back too far..

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

What about this: I remember when I took video production courses in middle school, we were able to use this kind of visual effect where on-camera, certain things could be "erased"... like for example, suppose you walk on camera, but everything below your neck is "erased", thus making it look like you're just a floating head? Anyone know whatI'm talking about, or what this technique is called?

i think i know what your talking about but if i remember right it wasnt so much a special effect as it was just "wiping away" between the person and the nothing scene..if that made sense...basically just a turn of the "nob" ( like we had in my class) you can "erase" certain parts even make a split screen...think you still had to be in front of some sort of green screen....or other brightly colored screen...and the background still put behind you

 

[D'Snowth]

Well, we achieved it with no greenscreen or bluescreen or anything of that nature, it was inside our little "studio", where for a short while, our production class toyed with a news program that broadcasted throughout the school, so our scenery was like that of a cheap-looking newsdesk and such (however, that idea was scrapped before we stuck with just voice-over DJs like myself and playing music while the visual aspect was a loop of school news and announcements and such).

 

[Alvin]

So I'm curious....what is the best way to do chromakey now days...I have tried it and failed every stinking time. What software do I use...any help would be so much appreciated.

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

from what i've learned most programs do chroma key..i myself jump between adobe premier/after effects and final cut pro...but those range in high price....the main thing ive learned is that green/blue ( or any brightly colores) screen needs to be well lit or it wont work right i have examples in my own vides heres 2 for example

recent Christmas vid proper lighting
http://youtu.be/1bSRC00gSZM

and one with really bad lighting that i had to try and fix...youll notice some of the chars disapear randomly show up and have parts missing

http://youtu.be/yR6goeN0G-M

 

[Alvin]

Yeah...I've got that software...maybe lighting was my problem. I've just never been able to pull it off quite right...is there a certain kind of green or blue to use? and where did you get it?

 

[Frogpuppeteer]

.is there a certain kind of green or blue to use? and where did you get it?

ive used so much in the past from from sheets, fleece blankets, going all the way to my school to use that green screen....they do sell official green and blue screen paint but its expensive as you can believe.

personally i recently got the idea to use those poster boards most of us used as kids in school for projects...the 3 folding ones...i find them great since they are flat dont have to worry about shadow grooves.

 

[Alvin]

OK...might give that a try...open to anything...lol

 

[Gonzo's Hobbit]

I'm no expert so someone elses opinion might supercede this but another thing a friend told me about Chroma key is that it's better if the surface is matte or something that will absorb the light more rather than something glossy that will reflect it. We were trying to do green screen at church off a wall that was painted that color and it was so shinky that if threw off the color a lot and we got a green highlight around everyone.

 

[Melonpool]

If you have access to a large flat panel monitor, you can usually get them to display a blue screen whenever there's no video inputs to them. They work great as an evenly-lit bluescreen.