Video Editing: Removing background

[Mylenium]

Hey people i was wondering how can i remove a black background(pure black) from a video.. there are no elements of black in my character.. color key is not really giving me the best effects... it gives a blackish outline.. any ideas how can i make it better.. or should i use some other software??

Well, no offense, but you are merely not trying hard enough. You are working under the wrong assumption, that a good key is a one-step process, which usually isn't the case. Under the same conditions, alternate programs wouldn't necessarily provide a better result, either. If one effect isn't giving you the expected result, combinations of them might. This can also include any number of layer duplicates and compositions which you re-combine using matte modes. Therefore dig into it. Matte Choker, Simple Choker, Shift Channels, Channel Combiner, Alpha Levels and an assortment of other tools are also part of the game.... Also look into different keyers, e.g. the Luma Key or Color Difference Key and modes for luma mattes. After all, what prevents you from making pre-key adjustments and applying the result as a matte to the original footage?

Mylenium

[Speedz]

Well i am just a novice in this field.. i m just 16 yrs n learning the tricks of the trade as a passion... trust me i hav been trying very hard to find a solution but to no avail over the past 3 months... so finally came in here.. will research on the various keys n choker effects mentioned.. nething else that will give me a head start???

[Chugach3Dguy]

Try using a luma key instead of a color key. Luma looks at your black and white levels and creates a key from that as opposed to a color key which looks at RGB values. Also, if you're working with a character you rendered form a 3D app, you'll have an easier time if you render with an alpha channel. Hope this helps, and good luck!

[Mylenium]

nething else that will give me a head start???

Not really. As suggested, try a luma key first and work your way from there. Keying and roto work in general are tricky, even more so under non-ideal lighting conditions, so don't expect any quick solutions. You really must stick with it until everything falls in place in your mind. Once you have figured it out for the first time, you will eventually be able to see this as a natural thing. You learn from experience. And as I said: For the most part you must simply get away from trying to do this on the layer/ composition you will use as your final insert. Nobody really cares how transparency is created, as long as it gives the correct result. So by all means, crank up the contrast in your image with whatever tools you find appropriate, unify the overall color, pul la key and superimpose the resulting layer with Alpha as a matte on your original. And sorry, if my otehr post came across a bit too harsh. No harm intended.

Mylenium

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