Pulling a Green Key with Something Green in the Shot (AE Tutorial)

Your greenscreen footage has something green in it? Well it's not a complete death sentence - as long as it's not identical to the green screen color you may be able to tease it out using the Screen Balance properties of After Effects' Keylight - John Hess walks through the steps in this "Just One Thing" tutorial.

[@merylcando]

The bunnies deserve a treat! They really hammed it up!

[@paulsmith554]

I've watched quite a lot of green screen videos (some hours long) yet I still learned a few things from this video. Most people concentrate on how to pull the perfect key but it's also useful to know a few of the quick techniques that are good enough for when you're on a tight deadline. It would be great if you could do a video with some tips on how to do rotoscoping quickly while still looking good for those times when keying isn't an option

[@KenParrish61]

Enjoyed this, as well as your other videos. Looking forward to orhers in this series.

[@merylcando]

Love the Pink Pantheresque music at the beginning, very mid-century...ha!

[@BoyceBailey]

I think I'm going to enjoy all of these. thank you.

[@HenryLoenwind]

When you're masking areas anyway, you can also use masks to run 2 different keying passes. A normal one for areas that don't have any green, with nice edge blending, and one for areas that can have green with a harsher replacement. And while you're at it, mask out those areas that only have green screen but may not be well lit (not an issue with this footage, but you see this issue on KZbin all the time).

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Absolutely! There's so many techniques like that, I was hoping to get the message across that just because you can't do it with one click, doesn't mean it can't be fixed. :)

[@changkakaman]

I did the exact same thing last time, 1 layer with green object cut out but shaggy green lines, 1 layer with perfect cut out but lack of green in color. I used that as a alpha matte and worked out as fine, but still it requires 2 more layers. It was the best solution I could think of within so limited time. "Thank you Filmmaker IQ, this is the technique I was looking for so long, finally can do this in just 1 layer :D

[@deomabieno8639]

Man you saved my life for real ... love you

[@TanishkaFilms]

Awesome.. Please make more tutorials like this

[@nellomaxim]

Who would give this a thumbs down...its liquid gold incarnate

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Bunch Elmer Fudds who don't like wabbits

[@yellowbird8690]

In the film "Spider-Man 2" (2004), the character Dr Octopus (Otto Octavius) falls to his death into a fiery pit (or something). This effect is done using a notable CGI Dr Octopus. "WHY DON"T THEY USE GREEN SCREEN?!" shout the critics. I hope this show that "green screen" is not a totally automated technique. There is a lot of manual work to do with it. Hence, the CGI option was quicker here.

[@northwestimage]

You're doing the lord's work - thank you so much for this tip!

[@johnd2631]

Yes! Another bunny lover. I have one too and she's so cute. :)

[@HansvanPutten]

Thank you, finally a workable solution to green objects in front of green screen! 🙂

[@IAMDIMITRI]

Professional green screen is done like this -> Shoot everything on green screen with markers. Hire artists to rotoscope everything manually. xD

[@jocelynmagtubo6505]

IT WORKED FOR ME 😭😭😭😭😭😭 THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! ❣❣❣❣❣❣

[@merylcando]

You look great John!

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Thank you! And thank you for being a patron!

[@vasiliyivanishvili9025]

Bunnies so cute! ;) Thank you for video!

[@SaturnCanuck]

Great. I can't wait for more, John

[@dilharabulathgama8459]

Thank you So much! You are a lifesaver sir. God bless you! ❤🙏

[@Sergeant_Blain]

just great great great video man

[@racecar_spelled_backwards868]

Came for the bunnies... did not leave disappointed! The bunnies need more screen time... and their own trailer... full of fresh Timothy hay... and... assistant... bunnies. I like rabbits if you can't tell.

[@expatriatediary]

Great to see you again master!

[@MirekFe]

100th like. Also thank you very much for this tutorial, John. 👍

[@avi8r66]

I was just thinking about you today, hope all is well.

[@technosworld2]

Great job. I've seen similar things covered before, but not with cute bunnies. Also, is there a joke in there about Axle next to a rose?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

I wish I could say yes haha

[@thumbwarriordx]

I love seeing someone do something I've done countless times in different software. Hit all the steps. Not as customizable but boy howdy is After Effects a faster renderer than the Blender node compositor though... oof.

[@michaelysmaelfernandez4444]

you're awesome!!!

[@BadKarma714]

Good video John when this Covid crap is over I would like to shoot a video with you or something.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

We're all waiting for the Covid crap to be over - this is depressing... can't even go to the movies.

[@simontrickfilmer]

@@FilmmakerIQ say thx to your president

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Thats not actually how our system works. The responsibility lies on the state governors and then the actual decisions are made at the county level. That people don't understand this is also a source of depression.

[@simontrickfilmer]

​@@FilmmakerIQ it would be fast over, if you have a more responsible president. anyway, you have the chance soon. But, thanks for your neutral response

[@FilmmakerIQ]

That's really questionable. Like I said, the President doesn't run the states. I live in California which is HEAVILY controlled by the oppositional party, and we're stuck on lockdown mode. This disease isn't political, and yet this comment thread has already gone there, and no doubt by people who don't even live in the country, just regurgitating the vile crap they hear.

[@MrSb192]

I really do miss your red shirt and the chalkboard background! And the faceless teacher with the runaway film reel intro. God, can't believe it's been six years since I first saw your video on dolly-zooming! My favorite was the one on blocking and staging, where we even shared some ideas in the comments. You were a big inspiration for me to start my own filmmaking journey, and I still swear by your content to this day. I know you are really busy working on new content, but if you do get the time please do stop by my channel! I have made some short films and a few audio dramas with the limited resources and knowledge I have and I know they're pretty messy. But it would be awesome if you could check some of them out and let me your thoughts. As always, love your videos and look forward to more IQ lectures that always inspire us to "make something great"!

[@CuriousFilmsbd]

Thank you & welcome to my channel...

[@genghisbunny]

Does Axel help with your Foley?

[@StefanoBorini]

Don't get me wrong, but it still feels "weird". Why? Is it the different lighting conditions of the bunnies vs the beach? what would you do to make it spot on, given an unlimited amount of time?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

If you're going for a spot on you need to match lighting between the foreground and the background. These shots are close but they're not exactly the same texture of lighting.

[@HarryRobins]

Hey, do you think it would be possible to create a digital equivalent of the sodium vapour process?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

It would require a second camera and a beam splitter and would have loads more problems than it's worth. (Remember that sodium vapor couldn't work on the ground, in Mary Poppins the floor was always real)

[@thesa5291]

What do you do when the masking a moving objects?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Animate the mask ;)

[@nicd10541]

do you know if this is a similar technique to what they did with nebula and yondu on the marvel movies on front of the lue screen? i've always wondered how they did that

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Maybe. Also lots of rotoscoping... There are a lot of techniques that go into a major Hollywood movie where the literally have dozens of people working on a single shot.

[@nellomaxim]

After effects has a force motion blur effect

[@Adv.SarthakSinghThakur]

How do I do this same thing on premiere pro ?

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Right click on your clip and select... Edit in After Effects. ;) Premiere Pro isn't the tool to this unless you buy some decent plugins.

[@AnotherGradus]

The one true fail state for green screen jobs: when mind numbing frame-by-frame rotoscope masking work is required.

[@nethoncho]

...give the bunnies a hair cut... lol

[@cookiecaroline1355]

BUNNIES

[@FlauntitNatural]

I adore your video! Your video was suggested so I checked it out. Just wanted to show some support ❤️ I have a channel too. If you could have a browse that would be amazing! 💚

[@HarryCOBEURE]

two diffrents greens

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Yes. But green is still green, which is the challenge.

[@IanWilkinson]

It isn't easy... ;)

[@chrisklugh]

Davinci Resolve is way better for green screen stuff.

[@FilmmakerIQ]

Better than After Effects? Not by ANY stretch of the imagination. You clearly don't know anything about After Effects.