Video School / Lessons
Advanced Green Screen
Last time we took a look at the fundamentals of using a green screen. Now we've taken those skills to the next level and used them in an all new Vimeo original, where Casey Donahue gets thrown off our building without actually putting him in harm's way. Our all around favorite editor, motion designer, and fastest man alive Bill Bergen shows us the steps:
Check out the final video here:
Let's review:
Download the project file here.
- • When trimming your footage to use in the effect, make sure you're only using the parts where the actor appears to be realistically falling.
- • Use the Screen Matte view mode to see the foreground and background of your key. Remember to adjust the Clip White and Clip Black settings to remove any grey areas.
- • Garbage masks, a rough masking technique, are a great way to remove the excess footage from your shot. But be sure to scrub through your footage every couple seconds to see if they need to be moved.
- • When using the Vanishing Point effect in Photoshop, be sure to map alley ways and other spaces you may not be able to actually see in the photo. It's a bit of guess-work but it helps After Effects move the layers realistically in 3D.
- • Adding a depth of field and grain effect to the 3D camera makes the scene more realistic.
- • Using the Light Wrap effect will help blend your subject into the background.
- • Adding a final adjustment layer to color correct the scene as a whole will help sell the effect.
It's not so hard being green after all! Now that you've got some advanced green screen knowledge under your belt, have fun using and adapting these advanced effects into your next video!
Check out the other episodes in this series:
- Category:
- Behind The Scenes
- Editing
- Software
- Difficulty:
- Advanced
Lesson Summary
Our Senior Editor + Motion Designer Bill Bergen takes us through the advanced green screen effects used in a new Vimeo original!
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6 Comments
Dakota Wixom
Nice. Good ideas. Never knew about the film grain that's interesting.
Hahaha here is one of my attempts:
vimeo.com/42022611
There's something to be said for quality lighting in these set-ups it seems... an art I am yet to master...
Daniel Hayek Staff
Proper lighting is essential, check out our lighting lessons for some tips-
vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/248/light-em-up-basic-lights
vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/190/an-introduction-to-three-point-lighting
vimeo.com/videoschool/lesson/145/lighting-with-a-bounce
UnnarAri
nice! Im going to try this...
Lukas Müller
thank you!
really helpful!
julie murray
This is very helpful, thanks. I just wish it didn't have to came laden with such gender inequity in the (largely unnecessary set-up) plot line. It'd be funnier and would cut to the point quicker if he just tripped over his own shoelace and heaved himself over the edge of the building. I like the way the words fall after him and hit him on the head. That's cool.
Daniel Hayek Staff
That's an interesting perspective, thanks for sharing.