How to Use Green Screen in iMovie
In this article, I explain how you can use the green screen effect in iMovie. More specifically, I will explain how you can remove a green (or blue) screen background from your videos and then how you can replace the green background with any background of your choice in iMovie on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, or Mac.
The green screen effect (also called chroma key) is when you remove the real background of a video and replace it with a digital background. This is a technique used in a lot of blockbusters movies, television shows. They were filmed in front of a green or blue screen. In fact, everyone from Hollywood producers to YouTubers utilizes the power of a green screen. You can easily replicate this technique.
The process is really simple:
- Record your video in front of a green or blue screen. You can use your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to record your movie. You can also use iMovie to record.
- Then the background is removed and replaced with whatever background image or video you want digitally in post-production editing, using video editing software such as iMovie.
For example, you can record yourself in front of a green screen, and then you can replace the background with an exotic destination.
See this article if you are having issues with iMovie.
Green Screen in iMovie on Mac
1. Open iMovie, and create a new iMovie project. And import your green screen video. In this video, we are using a drone video. Now add your background video (it can also be an image). We are using a wind turbine screen.
2. Now drag and drop the background video or image into your timeline.
3. Now drag and drop the green screen video above the background video or image.
4. In the timeline, click the green screen video and then click the Video Overlay Settings icon.
5. A new drop-down menu will appear. Cutaway is selected by default. Open the menu and select the Green/Blue Screen option.
6. Now you should see that the green screen is removed and replaced with our background video.
Now you are done. You can save your new video.
Editing
1. You can make the background longer or shorter so that it matches your green screen video. Simply, drag the end of the clip to make the background longer. In fact, you may want to do this, because now two videos are connected. Thus, the length of your background video clip should match the length of your green-screen clip.
2. You can add additional background images or videos. Simply keep adding them if you want.
3. Click the green screen video, and then click the Video Overlay Settings icon. This will reveal additional settings:
- Softness: This will help you adjust the transition
- Clean-up: This has Crop (this is to isolate areas of the green-screen video) and Clean-up (this is to mask parts of the green-screen video) buttons.
4. You can also add texts etc.
Green Screen on iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
1. Open iMovie on your iPhone or iPad, create a new project, and then tap the (+) add media button.
2. First, add the background clip.
3. Tap the (+) icon again and add the green screen clip from a category. But this time when you adding the green screen clip tap once and then tap the (…) more button.
4. A new popup will appear saying “add as…”. Select the Green/Blue Screen option.
5. Now you have your video.
See also: iMovie: How To Remove Automatic Zoom Effect
Editing
1. You can again trim match the length by dragging the ends.
2. You can also tap the Adjust button to adjust the amount of green or blue.
3. You can tap the Mask icon to crop parts.
See also: iMovie Won’t Export: The Operation Couldn’t Be Completed, Fix