Suggestions If Green Screen Isn't Wide Enough?

KRyan wrote on 7/2/2014, 3:57 PM
I have a 10x10 muslin green screen backdrop, and I like it a lot. But for some longer shots, it isn't wide enough to cover the screen. I assumed I'd just have to get a wider screen, but I heard mention of a technique one could use in order to deal with this. I think it was "garbage matting?" Is there something I could do in Vegas (12) to compensate for lack of width in my green screen?

Thanks!

Ken

Comments

KRyan wrote on 7/2/2014, 4:16 PM
As is so often the case, I think I figured this out (after searching for hours:-P) about 10 minutes after I posted this. And may I say "OMG!" This technique is incredibly awesome!! I've been putting up with imperfect sections of green screen work due to shadows or other imperfections in the actual green screen in areas where there wasn't even any action. I could have just cut a mask around the person and let the unblemished background picture show through!! Holy crap!

Okay. I'm taking a deep breath and proclaiming this a great day's work:).

In case someone else wants to know what the heck I'm talking about (in case I wasn't the only one who wasn't born with this knowledge) - You just go into Event Pan/Crop screen. PUt a tick in the "Mask" box in the bottom left corner, and then draw a mask (I used the anchor creation tool) around your subject large enough to encompass all their movements in that scene, and boom! You're done. The background track shows through the area not included in the mask. In my case that meant all I had to do was make a mask large enough to exclude the sides of the scene beyond the edges of the actual green screen.

Awesome sauce!

Ken
VMP wrote on 7/2/2014, 4:18 PM
Yes you can use the mask tool in the pan and crop window to do that. Like the Photoshop's pen Tool and tangents.
But it would be easier to use a larger green screen.
According to each shot sometimes you would have to work keyframe by keyframe to mask out the unwanted things behind the main subject.

VMP
farss wrote on 7/2/2014, 4:19 PM
[I]"I think it was "garbage matting?" Is there something I could do in Vegas (12) to compensate for lack of width in my green screen?"[/I]

Yes, one uses a garbage matte and with Vegas one can uses a number of tools to mask out static parts of the frame. My go to tool is the Bezier mask(s) in Event Pan/Crop.

Just to be clear, this only works if nothing moves outside the limits of the screen.

Bob.
rmack350 wrote on 7/3/2014, 12:28 PM
Yes, your solution is a garbage matte. The import of that is that you only need your green or blue behind the action. You could stand up black or white foamcore at the frame sides and suppress some of that green spill you get off the backdrop. The foamcore could be in the shot if you're just going to matte it out anyway.

Rob