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Advice on chroma key editing software
I’m going to be working together with a client to produce short corporate videos shot against green screen. I would normally use FCP for editing this stuff, but they’d like it to be edited on PCs (as they are PC based). As I will have to learn to use this new editing software, can any one recommend a programme that is simple to learn (anything similar ish to FCP would be great!?) and straightforward to use the chroma key effect? The videos will only be viewed small on a website but I’d like to get a good quality finish with the chroma key.
It will be a small studio set up with static presenters against the green screen with a head and shoulder shot. We are going to start out shooting with my Canon XF100 and then the client plans to invest in the camera equipment. What would be the cheapest camera that would do this job?
Thanks
Zara
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2 Replies
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Hey Zara,
When it comes to good Chroma Keying, the secret is in the lighting of the subject. Make sure that your background is evenly well lit and that you have a back light on the subject too. If you get this right, you should be able to use just about any piece of editing software with Chroma key build in.
In regards to software to use, it really depends on your hard-ware platform and whether you need to do the turn-around in real time?
Avid is very aggressively priced for people who want to move from FCP.
Adobe Studio with Premiere Pro and Adobe After Effects is very good too – but Adobe still doesn’t seem to want to pleasure the mind of an editor + price is not matching the competition.
Lightworks is about to re-release – I like their $60/year very much + I’ve done some of my most memorable edits on the old Lightworks.
Check out Avid and Pinnacle studio too – can’t remember if they do Chroma key, but they’re certainly a cost effective way of getting into PC editing.All the Best
Mads
London, UK -
Thanks Mads,
Looks like the basic free version of Lightworks allows chroma keying. I think I’ll start with that and maybe upgrade if I need to do a more technical edit. It looks fairly simple too.
Thanks for your advice. Any thoughts on a camera that could do the job?
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