Keying in FCP 5

[Kevin Monahan]

Hello Dave,
I think that with proper technique, you can do a pretty good job of keying right in FCP.

You might start by reading this article I wrote:
https://www.kenstone.net/fcp_homepage/chroma_key_fcp_hd_monahan.html

You may also check out more techniques with my book (see my sig file).

I would say that most people would recommend an additional keying plug-in as well, like DVMatte Pro, Boris Continuum, or Ultimatte (there are many, actually). If you have the dough, it’s nice to have one or two of these if FCP can’t do the job.

To take it to another level, others may recommend using a standalone video compositing program like After Effects, Combustion, Motion or Shake.

Above all, it’s mostly about technique over tools. So read before you tweak. If you just play around, you might get frustrated without some base knowledge.

Good Luck.

Kevin Monahan
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro
fcpworld.com