Chroma Key Video

In my infant days of video production – when I first started in the business – I had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time in the studio producing talk shows and special promotions for television broadcast. And one of the tools often used was “Chroma Key.”

Sometimes referred to as the “green screen” (although some prefer blue), the effect is a very convenient method of putting your subject in almost any environment in the universe. Dating back to the 1930s and used quite extensively in movie production, probably the most common use known to most is in weather reporting. When you view your favorite weather meteorologist on the daily news or the weather channel, standing in front of a giant map or video footage of a turbulent weather scene, he or she is really standing in front of a blank screen. Blue or green is often used because it does not normally interfere with the color of human skin or hair (unless your hair, clothing or makeup is green).

When I initially began using chroma effects in the studio we would often utilize a blue curtain as the background matte and sometime faced the challenge of videotaping talent who were wearing the same-color clothing, eye shadow and/or lipstick as the curtain.

I prefer using green (I must remember to remind talent not to wear that color), and for the effect to work best – it is important to make certain that the screen your subject is sitting, standing or performing in front-of or surrounded-by is well-lit. Any fluctuation in material or lighting can cause problems in post-production or on a live set.

Although during the early years of film production the process of creating an effective key or matte effect was quite arduous and expensive, those who mastered the process were in great demand and considered pioneers in the movie industry.

Present-day digital cameras, video mixers, studio switchers and computer-based software have made the process much easier and cost-effective. When an expensive studio set or background is out of the question, and there’s no budget for travel to far-away lands, chroma key can be a very affordable and effective alternative.

Now your favorite super-hero can fly, jump higher and run faster due to the magic of the “chroma key” video.

American Video Productions has been in the professional video business since 1982 and recently produced a series of customer testimonials for G & A Partners of Houston utilizing chroma key video. Check out the following clip and many others at: http://www.americanvideoproductions.net/.