Advanced Green Screen Effects with Chroma Key
With VideoStudio, you can use the Chroma Key tool with green screen footage to create special effects. Ideally, your green screen footage will be well-lit with a perfectly even tone of bright green. However, if you have taken the footage at home or in a poorly lit area, you might have some shadows that create imperfections when using the chroma key tool. In this tutorial, I’m going to teach you how to work with difficult green screen footage that contains shadows or isn’t perfectly lit by using the NewBlue Chroma Key filter.
Thanks for watching! We hope you found this tutorial helpful and we would love to hear your feedback in the Comments section below. You will find a written version of this tutorial below, and a printable PDF copy to download on the Download Resources tab above.
With VideoStudio, you can use the Chroma Key tool with green screen footage to create special effects. Ideally, your green screen footage will be well-lit with a perfectly even tone of bright green. However, if you have taken the footage at home or in a poorly lit area, you might have some shadows that create imperfections when using the chroma key tool. In this tutorial, I’m going to teach you how to work with difficult green screen footage that contains shadows or isn’t perfectly lit by using the NewBlue Chroma Key filter.
此影片教學提供繁體中文字幕。若要顯示字幕，請按一下 [設定] 圖示並選取想要的字幕語言。
このチュートリアルビデオには日本語字幕が用意されています。「設定」から字幕言語を設定できます。
Thanks for watching! We hope you found this tutorial helpful and we would love to hear your feedback in the Comments section below. You will find a printable PDF copy to download on the Download Resources tab above.
Download these free resources:
Written tutorial for VideoStudio 2020 (PDF, 781 KB)
Written tutorial for VideoStudio 2019 and earlier (PDF, 435 KB)
Free trial of VideoStudio
Tools You Need
VideoStudio Pro 2021
VideoStudio Pro 2021 makes it fun and easy to create impressive videos, with hundreds of drag and drop filters and effects plus new templates and AR stickers.
Slices Slideshow
A kaleidoscope of collapsing and expanding slices are accented by light particle effects in this stylish slideshow template for VideoStudio.
VideoStudio Ultimate 2021
Turn your best moments into unique movies with the streamlined tools, premium effects and new creative extras in VideoStudio Ultimate 2021.
Falling Snow Overlays
With this 4-pack of animated overlays you can easily add a gentle swirling snow effect to your VideoStudio video projects.
Advanced Green Screen Effects with Chroma Key in VideoStudio 2020
With VideoStudio, you can use the Chroma Key tool with green screen footage to create special effects. In this tutorial, I’m going to teach you how to work with difficult green screen footage that contains shadows or isn’t perfectly lit by using the NewBlue Chroma Key filter.
Click on any of the images below to view full-size.
Ideally, your green screen footage will be well-lit with a perfectly even tone of bright green. However, if you have taken the footage at home or in a poorly lit area, you might have some shadows that create imperfections when using the chroma key tool.
How to Use the NewBlue Chroma Key Filter
- Double-click on your green screen footage on Overlay Track 1 to bring up the Options panel.
- Click on the Blending tab.
- Under Matte Modes, click on Mask Frame.
- Scroll down until you find the full screen mask frame and select that.
- Click on the Filter tab and select NewBlue Video Essentials II from the dropdown menu.
- Drag the Chroma Key filter onto the green screen footage on Overlay track 1.
- Click on Customize Filter.
A pop-up box will appear.
- De-select Use Keyframes so that your edits will be consistent throughout the clip.
- Click on the color Eyedropper icon and select the background color of your green screen footage.
You will see that the subject may be blended with the background. Instead, we want a clear contrast between the subject and background. The easiest way to do this is to select Show Mask.
You want to see a crisp black subject against a white background. Depending on the green screen footage you’re working with, you’ll either need to increase or decrease the Sensitivity level to create this contrast.
- Adjust the Sensitivity level until the subject is visibly black and the background is completely white.
- De-select Show Mask and make sure that the subject is perfectly visible against the black background in the pop-up window, then click OK.
If you’re not 100% happy with your results, you can always go back into the NewBlue customize filter and adjust the Soften or Shrink settings to get rid of any faint green outline that you might have left around the subject.
You can now zoom up again on the Preview pane and you can see that the subject will be clear against your chosen background.
Comments (7)
Hello I have Video Studio 202 and have tried the advanced green screen but I when I get to the bit to select the New Blue Video Essentials 11 its not there. Can you help please
Hello Chris,
Do you have the Pro or Ultimate edition? The NewBlue suite is only available in the Ultimate edition. If you have the Ultimate edition, be sure to check your order confirmation email for the download link to the ultimate content pack – you may have installed VideoStudio without the additional content!
Discovery Center Team
Richard and I have the same problem. I am using 2019 Ultimate and can not find the “X” needed to bring up the chroma key. Very frustrating. Please fix it.
Hi R Vell,
We have created a new video for VideoStudio 2020, hope this helps!
The Discovery Center team
This is all very nice, but little of what is here applies to VS2020 and I simply cannot find the buttons referred to. This looks good for prior versions, but not for VA2020. Corel needs to update this tutorial.
Hello Richard,
Thank you for the feedback! We are always on the lookout for new tutorial topics or topics that may need revisiting. We have passed your comment on to the VideoStudio team for their consideration.
Discovery Center Team
Hi Richard,
There is now an updated version showing the process in VideoStudio 2020, at the top of the page.
Hope this helps!
The Discovery Center team