Goal
How
You get to recreate one of three model videos: “How to Fly an Airplane,” “How to Shoot a Basketball,” or “ How to Play the Piano.” These three videos were shot entirely in front of the green screen in class. The world famous training instructor, Anna, will show you what to do.
Step 1: View the following movies clips. These segments are examples of films that use ‘Green Screen’ backdrops and/or ‘Misleading Events’. All films continually rely on these techniques to not only make the unbelievable, believable, but more importantly, to keep their costs down.
(Note the importance of sound effects in maintaining the illusion in all these clips!)
| "Herbie The Love Bug" You feel like you are driving in San Francisco, but you are actually in a studio in front of a green screen. |
"Strongest Man In The World" We are lead to believe that these two gentleman are interacting on the scafolding three stories up. We believe this because the first scene and the last scene have two stunt men, whose faces we cannot see, are bumbling on the scafolding. All the conversations and interaction between the two actors, whose faces we do see, takes place on rigging that is only two feet off the ground, but we are lead to believe that they are 30 feet up. |
"Kelly's Heroes" We are lead to believe that the ropes that the man is pulling are connected to the bells in the tower. How was this accomplished? By constantly changing scenes between images of the bell tower and scenes of the man pulling the rope. The sound of bells ringing also adds to the illusion. |
| "Top Gun" The initial scene shows a model plane in front of a green screen. By adding a sky and sound effects, you actually think the plane is flying. The subsequent scenes make you believe that the pilots are in a fighter flying. This is achieved by switching back and forth from a view of a pilot in a pretend cockpit to a scene of an actual plane flying. Our mind is lead to believe that the pilot we saw in the first scene must be in the actual plane we see flying. |
"Herbie The Love Bug" The first scene shows the man standing near the car. The next shot, we are lead to believe that that same car is spraying oil on the same man. That scene is actually a small carboard replica and someone else's feet. |
"Star Wars" We are lead to believe that the Jedi Knights are driving a very cool underwater glass boat. Again, the illusion is created by filming the actors in a cockpit in front of a green screen and alternating this scene with a clip of a glass boat speeding through the depths of the sea. |
| "Strongest Man In The World" Individual is driving a car that is out of control. He stops at a stop light. We are lead to believe that the brakes are not strong enough to stop the car, so the individual is using his feet. But notice how they keep switching from a view of just his feet to a view of just him looking very strained...but never both at the same time. Also notice that when the light turns green, the car burns rubber and speeds away, but in all honesty, all we see is the officer with smoke shot at him and the sound effect of burning rubber and eventually the scene of a car racing off in the distance. |
"Star Wars" We are lead to believe that the child is flying a star fighter. This is accomplished by constantly switching scenes from the kid acting in the cockpit to scenes of the fighter flying. |
"Unforgiven" The man is taking target practice. We are lead to believe that he is the one firing the gun, and missing. But do you notice how we see the gun fire and we see the can sitting on the log...but never together. |
| "Star Wars" A deadly bug sneaks up to the intended victim hoping to sting her. The Jedi run in and with one swing of the laser, the bug is cut in half. But that is what we are lead to believe. The laser never touched the bug. We see the laser swung, a great sound effect, then the bug falls to the floor. |
Anytime you watch a movie in the future, see if you can spot the scenes in which the film is trying to have you believe something occurred, which never really occurred. | |
Step 2: View Anna’s training videos and choose the one you would like to recreate.
| Anna's Training Videos: | ||
| "How To Fly a Plane" | ||
| "How to Play the Piano" | ||
"How to Shoot a Basketball" |
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Step 3: Download the files you will need to make your film from the server to your desktop.
Step 4: Begin filming your scenes in front of the green screen.
Step 5: Import your films into Final Cut Express. You will now learn how to edit green screen backdrops.