In this tutorial, I will explain how to remove green screen from video incredibly quickly. After installing the software I am about to offer, the whole process will only take a few seconds.
Follow the instructions below to find out how it’s all done. I will also explain how you can add your own background to the video or add other effects.
The entire process should take less than an hour if you have a reliable internet connection to install the software.
Getting started – install a free video editing program
First you need to install a video editing program. I suggest Hitfilm Express as a guide. You can download it for free from their website.
All software is free if you give them the option to share it on Facebook or Twitter. You can delete your shared folder after downloading the software. After downloading the software, it’s time to get started. Click File in the upper left corner, then click New.
You can choose the defaults which should be 1080p Full HD @ 60fps. Once selected, click OK. If your video has other dimensions, don’t worry, the correct dimensions can be applied automatically after adding the video.
After completing the steps above, you will be taken to the editor. The only parts you need to pay attention to are the media and editor tabs at the bottom. The media tab is where you need to place the imported green screen video. The editor tab acts like a timeline and you can drag and drop imported media into it.
So let’s get started. Drag the video from the green screen to the Hitfilm Express media tab. It’s easy to do: find the green screen video on your PC, then click and drag it to the media tab.
Then drag the green screen video from the media tab to the editor tab in Hitfilm Express You will see the outline of the clip in the timeline. Release the mouse button and the video will be placed on your timeline. If your video resolution is different, a popup will appear, here you can click OK.
Then click the Effects tab in the lower left window. In the search bar of this new window, find the color difference key. Then drag the color difference key text onto the video clip in the editor’s timeline.
The green screen will be removed. Generally, the end result will be good if the video used has good lighting conditions
Once you’ve removed the green screen, it’s time to add your background video. If you don’t need a background, skip this step.
How to add a new background to a green screen video
First, you need a suitable background. It can be a video or a picture. Ideally, for best results, it should be the same resolution as the original green screen video.
Once you have a suitable background, find the file for it on your PC and drag it to the media tab in Hitfilm Express, just like you did earlier with the green screen video.
Next, it’s important to understand how the timeline works. When you add a new clip or image on top of another, it appears on top of it in the final video. You will need to move the background under the green screen of the video.
To do this, first click and drag the green screen video from the editor timeline and drag it to video slot 2.
Now that your green screen video is in video 2, you can click and drag the background media into video slot 1 in the editor’s timeline.
Once it appears in video 1, you can use the playback tools in the upper right corner to check the results. As you can see from our sample video, we managed to get our green screen video to appear above the background.
You can go back to the editor’s timeline and press C to select the slice tool. This will allow you to cut out unnecessary background frames. With the cut tool selected, hover over the edge of the green screen of the video and click to cut it.
After the excess material is cut out, you can press V to select the selection tool. Now click on the excess material to the right of the cut. Now you can click “Delete” to remove it.
Finish your green screen video by export
If you are happy with the result, you can export it. At the moment, this is just a Hitfilm project file. To export your video, click Export on the right side of the screen, right above the editor tab. After that click on “Contents”.
You will be taken to the export screen. Click “Start Export” at the bottom of the screen. Your video will be exported. The time it takes will depend on the length of the video and the power of your processor. When done, you will hear the familiar Windows beep. The Hitfilm icon in the taskbar will also turn orange.
You can open Hitfilm again and click the link in the Output box to locate the file on your computer.
Summary
If you’ve read this far, you should now know how to remove green screens from videos and how to add backgrounds using free software. If you have any questions about this tutorial, please leave a comment below and I will answer you when I can.
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