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Green Screening silhouettes
Hi all!
Apologies: I mistakenly posted this same query in the Motion Forum… (I’m assuming that this forum would be more appropriate).
Anyway, here’s the situation: I’m sure that there’s a simple solution that I’m missing (due, I’m certain, to a serious lack of caffeine on my part)…
1. the client has provided me with footage of an audience in front of a green screen
2. he would like the audience (lit) to appear in silhouette (background will be keyed in)
I can pull a decent key, but my mind is blanking on how to have the audience appear in silhouette (especially since they did not light the audience for this)
BTW: I’m using FCP 5.1.4 with DV Matte Pro 1.5 — could also use Motion 2 (as I’m not as comfortable yet with After Effects or Shake)
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!
— Sue
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8 Replies
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you could put a color corrector on it and turn all the levels down so everything goes black. ta da!
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You can also use the alpha channel as a ‘travel matte’ on a black solid.
Jeremy
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I think Jeremy has the right idea, that is, if the client meant complete sillouette.
David Roth Weiss
Director/Editor
David Weiss Productions, Inc.
Los AngelesPOST-PRODUCTION WITHOUT THE USUAL INSANITY™
A forum host of Creative COW’s Business & Marketing, and Indie Film & Documentary forums.
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Thanks, Charlie.
I’m probably missing something very basic, but if I turn all of the levels down so everything goes black, won’t that prohibit the use of the greenscreen in front of which they are seated? I mean wouldn’t that also make the green screen black in which case there would be no definition between the audience and the (now black) green screen?
— Sue
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Thanks for the response, Jeremy. So… I need to create an alpha channel just for the “audience” while maintaining the green screen in front of which they are seated?
— Sue
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No worries, Sue. Once you have pulled the key, your alpha channel has already been created and then you use that information to cut a hole in a layer above it.
What you want to do is put your BG on track 1, your audience with your key pulled on track 2 and a slug or black color solid on track 3. Then control click on the track 3 and change the composite mode to “Travel Matte – Alpha”.
Walter Biscardi explains this and other transparency methods very well in his tutorials here:
Part 1:
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/biscardi_walter/FCPTravelMat1.phpPart 2:
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/biscardi_walter/FCPTravelMat2.phpPart3:
https://library.creativecow.net/articles/biscardi_walter/FCPTravelMat3.phpHope this helps.
Jeremy
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Fabulous! Thanks a million, Jeremy!
— Sue Lawson
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You’d need to do the key first and apply the levels adjustment to the results of the key.
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Video Photographer / Avid Editor / Final Cut Neophyte
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