What's the best software for chroma keying?

[OM2]

Can someone advise me: what's the best software for chroma keying?

(I don't know if I have got the terminology right: I need to film with a blue or green background and then cut out the background.)

I'd like to know:

1. What's the recommended list of free software.

2. What's the recommended list of commercial software.
(I assume all of the commercial software does the chroma keying... so I'd like some recommendations on whioch are the best.)

Thanks.


OM

[guns1inger]

If you are using DV as your source, then you have your work cut out for you. DV is difficult to key well because of the way it records the colours. That said, most commercial software is getting better at dealing with it.

Vaguely in order of quality (and also cost, for the most part)

Eyeon Software's Digital Fusion
Serious Magic (now owned by Adobe)
Shake (Apple - available for Linux and there is an old Windows version as well)
After Effects with the build-in Keylight keyer
Combustion (Autodesk)
Primatte and other assorted keying plugins

Most NLE's have rudimentary keying built in, so have a look at your manual

One the free front, consider WAX2 and ZS4. I don't know if it is possible in avisynth.

However, before investing too much in software, make sure you leave budget for lighting and getting the correct chromakey paint. Even the best software will struggle to pull a good key from poorly shot footage, so the key (no pun intended) to getting the best results is shooting it properly in the first place. If you set it up. light it well, and get a good clean source then you can get good results from cheaper software.

[OM2]

wow... thanks for the reply.
i'll look up those software now.

dv as source?
well... yes... i'll be shooting with a camcorder.

how else could i get a different source?
would it be a goo didea to get the source as dv... then convert to something else before chroma keying?
please advise.

i've invested in getting lighting...
and a background system.
i'm trying to decide whether i should just go to a fabric shop and buy 'greenish' or 'bluish' material OR buy from someone who sells the material specifically for chroma keying.
for the second option: it cost much much more.
any advice for this?
(i need material because i need to film head to toe - so i assume a pianted background wont do?)

[guns1inger]

Pro cameras don't compromise the colour during compression the way consumer DV cameras do. Even converting to a different format won't help, as the damage was done when it was recorded.

Nothing is stopping you doing some tests. I'm not sure what you mean by head to toe meaning painted backgrounds won't do. I guess it depends on what you need to paint. The problem with fabric backgrounds is getting a smooth finish. They tend to stretch and bow, causing uneven lighting and surface colour. However, you can always buy a couple of metres of cheap fabric in approximately the right colours and shoot some test footage.

[mpiper]

We use Serious Magic Ultra 2 (Now owned by Adobe as previously mentioned) at work. Best software around. DV is still hard, but this is the best we've been able to find.

It is a vector-keying software, vs. a straight chroma key.

Basically, you tape the clean background with nothing in front of it for 1 second. Then, making no changes (lighting, camera focus, positioning, etc.), you film the scene you need. Load the video into Ultra, set the keyer to use the first, blank clip as the master. From that point on, anything different from that first frame will be visible, with the background dropped completely out of the video.

Since DV has challenges with bleed, etc. Ultra 2 includes tons of key point, bleed, alpha etc. adjustments so you can get the best key possible.

Not sure if you can still get it separately, since they got bought by adobe, but since CS3 is still in pre-ship, you might be able to get it at the Serious Magic price from their website.

Mike

[OM2]

hmmm sounds as though i need to get ultra 2.

i'm still unsure about the dv being the source issue: how can i get a different source other than dv?

I'm not sure what you mean by head to toe meaning painted backgrounds won't do.

well... i want to film someone and show all of their body: head to toe.
i assumed that the part of the screen background where the wall meets the floor would be a problem?

ALSO: i've got another software that i use every now and then - Ulead Video Studio (V9).
they have a sample clip of someone with a green background.
there's nothing special about it... and there's evena shadow behind the figure that you can see.
but... using the chroma key, you can get rid of all of the background completely very easily.
hence i thought: chroma keying is easy!
(i haven't been able to figure out how to make the background white though... it makes the background go black.)
but fromt he replies: apparently not?