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!
In this article
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.
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.
Step 3. Set Up the Files
Drag and drop the green screen background and your video clip on the timeline.
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.
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.
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.
Pros and Cons of Final Cut Pro
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.
3 Green Screen Tricks That You Must Know About Filmora
- Background Replacement
- Achieve Realistic Blending
- Add Creative Flair
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.
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.
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.
Step 2.Import your green screen video and the background you want to use into Filmora. Drag and drop them on the timeline.
Step 3.Click on the green screen video and go to the Chroma Key tool.
Step 4.Adjust the chroma key settings to make the green screen disappear completely.
Step 5.Add music, cool transitions, or other fun stuff to your video. Click Export to save your 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:
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.
