Chromakey
Chromakey, often called Green Screen or Blue Screen, is a technique where you can remove a solid background color from a photo or video and overlay it on another background. This is the technique that weather forecasters use.
The background color for Chromakey is usually green or blue because these colors are rarely found in skin tones. That way when you remove the color from the image, it doesn't mess up the person's skin color. Our school uses a blue background because our school colors are green and white and students often wear green. We painted one wall blue, but you could also hang a cloth. Here is the color code for the exact color green and blue. |
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Here is an example from one of our projects:
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Lighting
In my experience, the lighting is the most important factor. You want an even color background and do NOT want any shadows. The better your lighting, the less post processing work you have to do. We recently bought two inexpensive softbox lighting kits and it made all the difference in the world. Here is our setup and some tips: 1. A chair
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2 and 3 Softbox Lights
4 and 5 Softbox Lights
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6. iPad & Stand
We are a 1:1 iPad school, so our students use the iPad to make video recordings. 7. Directional Microphone
We use a directional microphone to help boost the audio for videos. This is especially helpful with some younger students who are shy. Note: you can also increase the volume in post processing. 8. Easel
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Other Notes
- Sometimes it helps to put a light shining at the back of the person (towards the camera).
- We had to dim the overhead light because it was shining too brightly and creating hot spots on the person's hair and nose.
- If you are using a fabric background, try and get as many wrinkles out as you can.
- If you are videotaping the ground, you might want to lay the fabric on the ground, so you can replace it in the video.
Video Editing (Post Processing)
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Typical Project Instructions
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Instruction
Depending on what the class needs, we can do two short lessons.
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