This guest post was inspired when Bianca Estrada (@biancaest) shared with me what they had created for the videos @PayasaAgapita & Che Che are creating. We set up a time on a saturday evening and we quickly set up the green screen at my office. The lighting was not the most appropriate so feel free to blame me with the effect on the video.
Here is Bianca’s guest post and explanation ^Raúl
Creating a video using green screen is very easy, and you can achieve it with a very low budget.
I manage Payasa Agapita’s projects and events. I like to innovate and create funny skits using technology. Our inspiration to use a Green Screen emerged from creating videos for Payasa Agapita.
Why Use a Green Screen Background?
Making videos is fun, but each time we create a skit for a video, so many ideas come to mind which translates into different scenery. Recreating scenery each time we film is something difficult to achieve on a very low budget. At the same time, I do not want to limit the space or environment to one place because my wish is that each video offers something completely different.
iMovie
I use iMovie for video editing. This software is included in my Apple computer and I didn’t have the intentions of using another software without verifying what iMovie could do. And yes, iMovie works with Green Screen without installing anything else. Thank you, Steve Jobs!
Items you will need
– Any video camera: With capability of transferring files to your computer. Avoid using VHS, please!
– Neon green fabric: You can find it at any fabric store. You don’t need a specific green, just try to get it as close to the color as the one in the picture.
– Good-looking actors: Ok, if you are not as lucky then any person can participate 😉
– Mac computer with iMovie ’11: If you are using a past version, the instructions may be a little different for you.
Lights, Camera, Action!
Hang up the fabric and try to avoid light reflecting in the back of the green screen. You can hold it with tape depending where you will be using it. I held our green screen fabric to the wall with tape. Don’t worry about folding marks; it won’t be noticed in the final work. Just avoid hard shades.
Regarding clothes, actors should not wear green. (editor’s note: or anything close to Green as I did in our intro video) If so, you will have problems during the editing process
Having said that… Let’s film!
Thanks to Artifex creation for the background picture.
Editing and Final Product
As I said previously, these instructions respond to iMovie ’11. At iMovie, click iMovie > Preferences and then click on “Show Advanced Tools”. That allows more functions within the software.
1. Look for the picture that will substitute the green screen. I recommend a picture with no people because when you insert the clip, it will look strange that some people move and others (the ones at the pic) are frozen. It can be a park, a lounge, a beach, or anything you might need.
2. Place the picture at the video-editing space of the software. Give it more time than the overall clip duration.
3. Drag the green screen clip and drop over the picture, at the beginning of it. It will show you some options and you will select “Green Screen”.
The green screen effect is done and you can see it. Later you can modify the beginning and end, include other things in your video or crop something. But regarding the green screen effect, it is done.
Hope you have fun creating videos at “different places”. Included is a video with Payasa Agapita and Che Che that was filmed using green screen.