When you think of green screen, you may think of the weather report on television, or maybe you think of high-dollar Hollywood blockbusters. The reality is that it’s both, and it can also be a valuable tool for you!
Maybe you’re not really sure what green screen is at all! In this post, we’ll give you a quick course in green screen and why it might be right for you.
What the heck is green screen?
Put simply, green screen is another name for Chroma Key. Chroma Key is a technique that video producers use to composite two separate layers into one video. So if you take the example of the weather report, the weatherman is one layer, and the backdrop is the second layer. The producers then key all of the green area and replace everything in green with another image or video, in this case the weather radar map. This is also why if you wear green in front of a green screen, you’ll have a ghostly outcome!
Why green? Well, digital cameras’ light sensors are actually modeled after your eye, which is especially sensitive to the green color. So green is just the color that our cameras (and eyes) see the best and is therefore easiest to light well for the camera.
Why is it useful for me?
You might not realize it, but this technique of compositing is used in almost every kind of media you consume, from your favorite music video to Hollywood films (remember that blank, infinite space in The Matrix?).
If you want to get that same kind of unique, stylized look, then we can do that. Do you want to do something funky and creative? Embrace green screen fully and have the Swiss Alps fall into place behind your subject, or maybe they’re 20,000 leagues under the sea!
Maybe you need to illustrate a difficult concept or process. You can slide your subject off the screen and use motion graphics to visually show a complicated chemical reaction.
Or perhaps you just need a nice, clean, branded backdrop for your executives to address your audience.
If you have a video with an on-screen speaker, then green screen affords you an unmatched amount of versatility. Feel free to get creative, and whatever your needs, we can make it happen with green screen!