Easier than expected! How to make a full-fledged composite video with iMovie

MakeUseOf: Have you ever heard of the term chroma keying? It's also used in Hollywood action movies where you shoot a video in front of a green or blue screen, then remove the color of that screen and composite it on top of another video.

Theoretically, any color is acceptable, but green, which is a color that is easy to contrast with clothes and is almost nonexistent to the human body, is commonly used.

This time, I will introduce how to synthesize chroma key with iMovie.

Introduction

Of course, you need a green screen or something else. It will be difficult to recolor the walls, so you can buy a cloth sheet for chroma keying.

The key to successful compositing is to create an ever-changing background with the same colors and the same lighting. Let's erase the shadow and make the object stand out clearly.

Of course it's easier to shoot with a good camera, but it's okay to shoot with an iPhone. (By the way, you can't expect such a great result, but there is also an app for chroma key compositing.)

In the creation of this demo video, Vimeo user Phil Fried's material video is overlaid with my video taken in front of a green screen.

How to synthesize in iMovie

The method of chroma key composition in iMovie is almost automated. However, there is room for some tweaking. To use the green screen, first check "Show advanced tools" in Preferences.

Import the background video. Add a short video there, also taken on a green screen.

On the green screen video, drag the timeline of the video you want to use and drop it on the background video. When the green "+" mark is displayed, select "Green Screen".

If you want to change the stacking timing, drag it to move it.

This is completed. Take a look at the following video. Sometimes my body is missing, but it's not that bad, is it? It's really easy, so please give it a try.

How to Do Green Screen Video in iMovie and Adobe Premiere | MakeUseOf

James Bruce