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Color Keying in FCP
I am attempting my first color key project in FCP.
Have HDV footage shot in front of green screen.
I applied COLOR KEY filter, eye-droppered a mid-level gradiant of the green (light intensity wasn’t dispersed evenly).
When applied, the canvas and viewer did not remove anything. What am I forgetting to do here?I’ve worked a little in Motion with color keying, and have done it successfully. Would it make sense to color key it in Motion first, then bring in to FCP?
Thanks,
JB -
5 Replies
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The green/blue key filter or the chroma key filter are better than the color key filter. I find the green/blue works OK for a quick key, wih the chroma key filter giving a bit better control. However, if you know how to get a good key in motion then that may be better than FCP. I have also just purchased the Nattress filters which are meant to help particularly with DV and HDV to smooth and process chroma to give better keys using the FCP keyers.
I have had fairly good results with the FCP keyers, but using well shot digi beta, I know there are other key software packages out there that make FCP seem ordinary.
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If you have experience and have had success keying in Motion, I would definitely stick with that. Given the tools that I have available, Shake, Motion, and FCP, keying with the standard filters in FCP would be my last choice. Even without Shake in front of you, the standard toolset in Motion will almost always produce better results than that in FCP.
3rd party filters and plug-ins are be a different story , but my experience there is incredibly limited, so I can’t speak much to that option.Hope that helps,
Zak -
I just had another thought as I de-interlaced about 400 still images from HDV footage…
Is your footage, 1080i or 720p? I’m dealing with Sony’s 1080i, which can get a lot of field offset (I’m sure there’s a real term for that, but I don’t know it) with fast motion.If your footage is interlaced, you may want to de-interlace it before attempting your key. You’re already working with less color info in the HDV space than you have in the past with DigiBeta… I could easily see interlaced footage causing you nightmares.
Zak
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Hate to ask what may be a basic question but HOW do I de-interlace my 1080i footage in FCP?
I have Cinema Tools but havent’ even opened it yet. Do I need this type of program or will FCP do the job? -
Effects>Video Filters>Video
Stephen Eckelberry
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