If you want to bring bigger, better, and flashier effects to your video productions, go green! Green screen, that is. With a green screen you can film anything you like in front of any backdrop you prefer. Whether you want to be seen soaring through space or simply want your company logo and the latest statistics to appear behind you during a presentation, a green screen makes it all possible. But while the shooting takes place in your studio, the magic only really happens in postproduction when you run your recorded video through an editing program. If you’re looking for the best or most affordable programs to use, here are some of the best green screen software you should try for your project.
Adobe Premiere Pro CC
The industry standard is Adobe Premiere Pro CC. At least, it’s the one that most professionals swear by. Adobe Premiere presents the chroma key effects required to produce a green screen video, but the software goes beyond simple special effects. You’ll find all the video tools you’ll need to produce professional-looking videos. The program offers more than you might need for a simple presentation or an interview, but as your skills grow, you’ll discover new ways to achieve the look and feel you’re going for. And if you’re serious about getting better with chroma-key, Adobe Premiere can achieve effects unheard of in lesser programs. The software isn’t cheap, but you get what you pay for and more.
iMovie
If you’re an Apple fan and plan to keep your editing and effects casual (for now,) iMovie is available for iOS, which means you can start editing on the iPhone with which you shot your movie. Even better, iMovie is free and available for iPhones, iPads, Macs, and other Apple devices. Honestly, while iMovie is a perfectly great editing program, it’s best for putting together family videos and other amateur fare. Again, if you intend to create better productions, you should eventually make the upgrade to a pro style editing program (not to mention a cyclorama wall kit). Until then though, you can do quite a bit with iMovie and have plenty of fun.
Final Cut Pro X
When choosing the best green screen software you should try for your project, complex doesn’t have to mean difficult to use. Final Cut Pro X can achieve the pro-level effects of Adobe Premiere, but it’s still easy enough to use by beginners and amateurs. Besides chroma key, Final Cut allows you to create complex effects, animation, 3D effects for VR, and more. But if you’re just worried about using it for green screen, you won’t get lost navigating its features. Although it’s another program you must pay for, nevertheless, it’s worth every penny.
