One of the most useful effects in cinema is Chroma Keying (a.k.a. Greenscreening). Using Chroma Keying can help you put your actor in the most extraordinary backgrounds like Tatooine:

How to do this is quite simple:

You will need:

1. A large green/red/blue sheet

2. A digital camera

3. LOTS of lights

4. A video application that supports Chroma Keying (Studio 11 or After Effects)

5. Footage of what will be your background

Step by Step:

1. Set up your background - Put up your paper or fabric, or paint your wall, making sure that no edges, marks, creases, or wrinkles are showing. A cyclorama, or two curved walls to a floor with a curved corner between them, perhaps even a curve to a brief overhang, is the preferred background. Paper can be hung so that it curves off the floor, simulating this. Sharp dark corners will be difficult to key out. If you don't need to see people's feet on the ground, this won't be a problem.

2. Position your subject - Be creative. Subjects can walk through the frame, and even disappear behind objects covered with your blue or green material. Keep them away from the screen to minimize spill.

3. Frame your shot - Make sure that your subject is placed in the manner that you want it to appear in the final shot.

4. Light your scene - As mentioned above, pay special attention to shadows and bright spots on the background and reflected light on the subject.

5. Shoot your shot - Take as many takes as you need. This is a complicated processes, so give yourself enough footage to choose from in editing. If you move the camera, make sure that you avoid the edges of your background and that the change in perspective doesn't adversely affect the lighting. It can be easiest to reposition the subject. Change lighting if necessary.

6. Import your footage - On the Studio

7. Position your background footage and blue or green screened subject on different layers - You'll need to put your blue or green screened subject on a video layer above the background subject, to set up the transparency. You shouldn't be able to see the background until you apply the key effect.

8. Apply the Chroma Key effect -

9. Adjust the effect -

10. Keep practicing! The more you do of this, the more you'll learn.

Have fun,

SavouroFilms Productions