The Use of Chroma Key Technology
in the Classroom
Presented by Dean Pomfrett
Wenona School
2009
What is Chroma Key?
 Chroma key is often referred to as Green Screen or
Blue Screen techniques
 Chroma Key allows you to replace the background
of a video with any still or moving image of your
choice
 Chroma Key is a simple yet powerful tool in special
effects video making
How does Chroma Key work?
 Chroma Key is a function built into certain video
editing software
 The computer recognises a certain a colour
(usually bright blue or green) and makes it ‘see
through’
 This allows a background image or video to be
seen wherever that colour was
 This colour is usually
used as a background
Justification to the
use of video making in
the classroom
 Watching films, TV or Video is moving from a very
passive activity to an interactive one
 Education always keeps up with technology, from
early film projectors to television and the internet
 Interactivity and control of visual imagery is becoming
more natural and even expected by students
 One way we can allow creative use of visual imagery
is to allow students to create their own videos in the
context of the curriculum and the classroom.
Using Chroma Key in the classroom
 Chroma Key can be used to enhance any video
being made by the students in any KLA at in any
stage
To do this, the video must be shot in front of a green
(or blue) screen. When editing this video, you tell
the computer to replace this green colour with a
background of your choice.
Ideas for using Chroma Key

Read stories to the camera as an alternative publishing method

Make a movie or video play

Make a news show – either real or fictional

Present scientific reports in character

Make a documentary on a studied topic eg hiccups

Record election speeches or pledges from school leaders to play back during the year of
office to reinforce their commitment

Make simple trick effects like making people disappear

Animations, using drawings or photographs

Make a promotional video for the school

Make a musical video clip – as easy as random ideas edited together with a sound track

Memorabilia clip for an outgoing Year 6 or Year 12

Read a poem with a musical background and drawings inspired by the poetry

Make a simple game show with questions from a studied topic
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 1
Set up a green (or blue) background screen, the
size you want your background to be.
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 2
Film your subject filling the background with the
green/blue screen.
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 3
Import your movie into your computer editing
program which contains a chroma-key function.
Example shown here Pinnacle Studio.
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 4
Determine your background, either moving or still
and import this into your computer editing
program.
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 5
Activate the Chroma-key function on the software
and watch the magic begin.
5 Simple Steps to Chroma Key
STEP 5
Activate the Chroma-key function on the software
and watch the magic begin.
Popular programs that support
Chroma Key
For PC
 Pinnacle Studio
 Sony Vegas
 Adobe Premiere and Premiere Elements
 Corel Video Studio
For Apple
 imovie Vers 9
 Final Cut Pro and Final Cut Express
Some tips for using Chroma Key
 Try to have a smooth as possible colour background
with as much even light as possible
 More than fill the screen with green/blue because
often the viewfinder on the camera doesn’t show
complete coverage but the computer will
 You can edit in Windows Video Maker then just
transfer to a different program for the Chroma Key
 Use a tripod (or static camera)
 Don’t move the camera while shooting since the
background will stay still once edited in Chroma Key
 Don’t use the background colour in clothing or props,
if this is unavoidable, switch background colours
Final Thoughts
Tapes, discs and memory are now all
very cheap… and are re-usable!
Some of the best ideas come out of
experimentation.
Remember – Long after the event, the
video lives on.