How to Use Chroma Key With Pinnacle 12
Chroma Key technology allows you to superimpose an image recorded with a green or blue screen onto any background or video. Pinnacle Studio 12 video editing software has a Chroma Key that is easy to apply and adjust, so the green or blue screen goes away and your new background image shows up. Some Pinnacle products come with a green screen, but a solid green sheet will also work.
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Things You'll Need
- Windows Vista or XP
- Pinnacle Studio Video Editing Software
- Green or blue screen
Instructions
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Videotape a person or object in front of a well-lit green or blue screen cloth or bright green sheet. Make sure the green screen fills your entire viewfinder without any black edges or spaces on the sides. Most consumer green screens are not big enough to show an entire person. You can shoot your subject from the waist up or get two green screens for a full body shot.
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Upload your video footage into Pinnacle Studio using the Capture tab, and follow the instructions for the type of footage you are capturing. Use a Firewire DV cable from your camcorder to your computer to capture videotape footage. If you have a hard drive or hybrid camcorder, use the USB cable or docking station that came with your unit.
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Click and drag your green screen footage onto the overlay track in the Pinnacle timeline.
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Click the photo or video icon on the tool menu to choose the background image or video you want to go behind your green screen footage. Click and drag this video or still image onto the video track.
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Double-click the green screen footage in the timeline to open the clip viewer and select the Picture in Picture/Chroma Key icon in the tools menu.
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Select the Chroma Key tab and locate the Preset menu to choose the green or blue screen key as appropriate. Immediately, you will see the green or blue screen disappear in the preview monitor, replaced by the background image you selected.
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Adjust the video transparency slider bar to fine-tune the green or blue screen image in the Key Channel. Carefully adjust the tolerance, saturation, softness and spill suppression to remove green or blue edges and smooth out the Chroma Key.
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Correct a green or blue screen edge problem by double-clicking the footage in the overlay track to bring up the clip viewer. Select the Plug icon in the tool menu and click Add New Effect. Choose the category Standard RTFX, select the Pan and Zoom effect, and click Ok. This effect allows you to adjust the video to the right or left, up or down, or zoom in to eliminate any edges not covered by the green or blue screen.
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Tips & Warnings
Lighting is the most important part of successful Chroma Keying, so use extra lights directed at your subject and the green screen. Also, to avoid shadows that are difficult to Chroma Key, move your subject away from the green screen about five feet.
Any wrinkles in your green screen will cause problems with the Chroma Key. Stretch the green screen as tight as possible, or gently steam out any creases or wrinkles.
