Green screen special effects have been around for a while.  You see it everyday when you watch the weatherman and his changing charts.  The screen he sees doesn't have pretty pictures on it.  It is a screen that is a plain chroma color, either green or blue. 

 

On the television, this process happens instantly.  But in the movies, its a kind of magic.  A lot of work goes into production quality special effects.  Skill, talent and technique all play a part. 

 

But the process itself, really isn't that difficult.  It is use everyday by amatuer photographers and movie makers in their backyards.  They use the abilities inherent in commercial video or photograph editing programs.  Or they use standalone green screen software made specifically for the process of green screening.

 

Basically the technique uses what are called chroma colors.  These are colors that can be replaced bye the green screen software in the final edit with any image the editor wants to use. If you photograph your subject in front of a green screen, you can later substitue the green background with a picture of the beach, or the Eifel Tower or a Tyranasaurus Rex or anything else.  The result is that you put your subject into that background.  This allows for some really cool home made special effects.

 

Make a picture of yourself with a world leader, or a movie star, or walking on the moon.  Any location or situation becomes possible with a little imagination. 

 

Usually the chroma color ability of general purpose commercial editing programs is limited.  They are good, but need to provide so many features.  Sometimes the process is a little complicated.  Green screen software made for only for the purpose of doing green screen photography tends to be a little easier to use, and provide more features that are oriented toward helping you turn out better chroma color pictures.

 

Chromakeying makes the old fahioned matte and background artwork and painting completely obsolete.  A subject is captured on a photograph or video, and the subject is in from of a green screen ( or blue screen ), the background can be anything that the director wants.  And can be changed with the stroke of a few keys in the green screen software. 

 

The technicque doesn't cost much, and thats what makes it useful and fun for the home photographer and amatuer.  The software and equipment is inexpensive, easy to use and can be learned quickly.  High tech looks can be achieved on the cheap by virtually anyone. 

 

Programs like Photoshop can do chromakeying natively.  But in my opinion the features are limited to only the basic functions.  Other green screen software products like "Green Screen Wizard" are highly specialized photography applications that are still easy to use and can be run as either stand alone applications, or as plungins to other professional editing products like Photoshop.

 

Whichever way that you decide to go, I'm sure you will enjoy the results.  So get to green screaning! And have fun.