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How to Use Green Screen in Final Cut Pro [Guide 2024]

James Hogan
James Hogan Originally published Aug 03, 24, updated Dec 05, 24

Did you ever watch a movie and wondered how they made it look like someone was in a different place? Or maybe you’ve seen a news anchor standing in front of a beautiful, changing background? The reason behind this is a green screen! It’s a big green sheet that you stand in front of while you’re making a video.

Using a green screen, you can put yourself anywhere you want! Want to pretend you’re on the moon? No problem! Want to be in a jungle? Easy! Green screens give you never-ending possibilities to be creative.

To make these green-screen videos happen, you need video editing software such as Final Cut Pro. You can use the chroma key in Final Cut Pro to change the green screen into any picture or video you like.

In this guide, we’ll discuss how to use green screens in Final Cut Pro to create amazing videos. Keep reading!

chroma key in Final Cut Pro
In this article
  1. Use Green Screen in Final Cut Pro
  2. Best Final Cut Pro Alternative: Wondershare Filmora
  3. A Quick Comparison of Final Cut Pro and Wondershare Filmora
  4. Tips to Shoot Great Green Screen Footage

Part 1. Use Green Screen in Final Cut Pro

Final Cut Pro is a professional-grade video editing software for making videos on your Mac computer. It's used by big movie makers and people who just love to create cool videos. While it offers a learning curve, its powerful features make it a favorite among pros.

Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned editor, Final Cut Pro has tools to help you create stunning videos. Besides Green Screen, its features include multi-camera editing, advanced color grading, and 360-degree video support.

FCP's Green Screen Keyer has amazing chroma key capabilities. This effect analyses the green pixels in your footage and replaces them with transparency. It allows you to overlay a new background.

add chroma key in FCPX

Steps to Use Green Screen in Final Cut Pro

Here are the steps to use the green screen effect in Final Cut Pro:

Step 1. Create New Project

Download and install Final Cut Pro on your device. Open it and click Create New Project.

Step 2. Import Footage

Go to File-Import-Media. Select the green screen video and the background video you want to use in Final Cut Pro.

import files in Final Cut Pro

Step 3. Set Up the Files

Drag and drop the green screen background and your video clip on the timeline.

drag and drop green screen video in FCPX

Step 4. Apply the Green Screen Keyer

Click on your green screen video. Go to the "Effects" button on the right side of the editing panel and click it. Scroll down and click "Keying" and drag it onto your green screen video.

apply keyer effect in Final Cut Pro

Step 5: Refine the Keyer Effect

You can make the green screen look more real by adjusting the keyer settings. Go to Inspector Window, click Sample Color, and fine-tune to correct the color of the green screen.

adjust the chroma key settings

Step 6: Final Touches

Once the green screen looks good, you can add music, sound effects, or other cool stuff to your video. When you’re done with editing, go to File-Share-Export File and save your video.

adjust the chroma key settings

Pros and Cons of Final Cut Pro

Pros
  • Powerful features for professional-level video editing, including multi-camera editing, color grading, motion graphics, and 3D titles
  • User-friendly, and widely used in the professional film and video editing industry.
  • Supports high-resolution high-resolution formats like 3GP, AVI, MOV (QuickTime), MP4, MTS/M2TS, MXF and many more
  • Integration with other Apple products like Motion and Logic Pro
Cons
  • Expensive, Requires a paid subscription, making it less accessible for casual users
  • Limited to only Mac computers, excluding Windows users
  • Has a steep learning curve for advanced features
  • Demanding system requirements that may not be suitable for all computers

Part 2. Best Final Cut Pro Alternative: Wondershare Filmora

Final Cut Pro is a professional video editing software but it comes with a steep learning curve. Also, it's only available for Mac. If you think Final Cut Pro sounds too tricky, don't worry!

Wondershare Filmora is a great alternative to Final Cut Pro with professional-grade capabilities and powerful results. This amazing software doesn’t compromise on quality. It's designed for both beginners and experienced editors, providing a smoother learning curve and a wider range of accessible features. It's easy to use and much easier on your wallet than Final Cut Pro. Plus, Filmora is available on both Mac and Windows, making it a more versatile option.

Like Chroma Key in FCPX, Filmora also has a Chroma Key that removes the green screen background quickly and professionally. You can replace it with anything you like.

So, if you want to make awesome videos without getting lost in complicated settings, Filmora is the way to go.

add green screen effect in Filmora

3 Green Screen Tricks That You Must Know About Filmora

  1. Background Replacement
  2. Filmora has a super cool feature that can automatically remove the background from your green-screen video. This saves you time and makes it easy to replace the background with something awesome. Compared to the green screen in Final Cut Pro, the Filmora chroma key tool is less complicated with an intuitive user interface.

  3. Achieve Realistic Blending
  4. To make your green screen video look real, you need to make the person and the new background look like they belong together. Filmora has tools to adjust the lighting and shadows so everything matches perfectly.

  5. Add Creative Flair
  6. Once your green screen is looking great, it’s time to get creative! Filmora has tons of filters, effects, and music that can make your video stand out.

How to Use the Chroma Key in Wondershare Filmora

Step 1.Download and install Wondershare Filmora on your computer. Launch Filmora and Click Create New Project.

create a new project in Filmora
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Step 2.Import your green screen video and the background you want to use into Filmora. Drag and drop them on the timeline.

import files for making green screen video

Step 3.Click on the green screen video and go to the Chroma Key tool.

chroma key feature in Filmora

Step 4.Adjust the chroma key settings to make the green screen disappear completely.

chroma key settings

Step 5.Add music, cool transitions, or other fun stuff to your video. Click Export to save your video.

save your green screen video

Part 3. A Quick Comparison of Final Cut Pro and Wondershare Filmora

Final Cut Pro Wondershare Filmora
Used by professional video editors and filmmakers Used by content creators, professional video editors, beginners, and hobbyists
Dedicated Green Screen Keyer with advanced controls for color sampling, edge refinement, and spill suppression. Chroma Key effect with all the adjustments for color selection, and edge smoothing.
Requires a learning curve to master the advanced features. Offers a user-friendly interface with simplified controls.
High performance for demanding projects Suitable for all kinds of video projects
Subscription-based, higher-cost One-time purchase or subscription options, more affordable
Available on macOS only Compatible with both Windows and macOS
Lengthy render times for complex green screen projects It works smoothly and consistently

Part 4. Tips to Shoot Great Green Screen Footage

Whether you are using a green screen in FCPX or Filmora, you need to start with great footage. It makes your green-screen videos look professional. Here are some tips:

how to shoot a green screen video

Background Preparation

  • Use a big, flat green sheet as your background. Make sure it's smooth and without wrinkles.
  • Keep the area around your green screen clean and free of stuff.
  • Don't wear green clothes when you're in front of the green screen. It will be hard to remove the green color later.

Lighting Techniques

  • Light the person in front of the green screen separately from the green screen itself.
  • Make sure the light is even and doesn't make any bright spots.
  • Be careful not to let the person's shadow fall on the green screen. This will make it hard to edit the chroma key in Final Cut Pro.
  • Use different lights to light the person, like a main light, a fill light, and a backlight.

Camera Settings

  • Pay attention to how you set up your camera.
  • If you move quickly, the camera might make you look blurry. This will make it harder to remove the green screen later.
  • Use a faster shutter speed, like 1/100 or 1/80, to make sure you look sharp in the video.

Conclusion

After going through this guide, creating impressive green-screen videos is now easier for you! We've shown you how to shoot great green screen footage, and how to use chroma key in Final Cut Pro and Wondershare Filmora.

You can use green screen effects in your videos by following these steps and understanding the basics of the green screen.

While Final Cut Pro offers advanced tools, Wondershare Filmora provides a user-friendly and affordable alternative for professional results. The green screen in Final Cut Pro gives amazing results. However, it can be tricky to learn and is expensive. That’s why we recommend Wondershare Filmora because it's easy to use and much cheaper.

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FAQ

  • How to change the background on Final Cut Pro without a green screen?
    Final Cut Pro doesn't have a direct feature to change the background without a green screen. You can use masking techniques or the Scene Removal Mask effect to isolate the subject and replace the background manually.
  • Which key is used to remove the green screen?
    You'll use the Green Screen Keyer effect in Final Cut Pro to achieve this. You can also use the Chroma Key in Wondershare Filmora.
  • What is the best way to add a green screen?
    The best way to add a green screen is by using a solid, wrinkle-free green sheet as your background. This will make it easier for video editing software to accurately remove the green color and replace it with your desired background.
James Hogan
James Hogan Dec 05, 24
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