Keying and Compositing in FCP By RippleTraining

RippleTraining – Keying and Compositing in FCP

Understand keying vs. compositing
Understand how to produce a clean key
Work with advanced keyer controls
Avoid guesswork by working logically
Combine keying with masks & color correction
Covers from FCP 10.4 to 10.5.2

Who this Tutorial is for:

Editors, producers, and content creators who need to a thorough understanding of the keying and compositing process in Final Cut Pro X. Users who are new to Final Cut Pro X should purchase our Final Cut Pro X Core Training or Final Cut Pro X Essentials Bundle before working through this tutorial.

Anyone who needs to key a shot to replace a background in Final Cut Pro X or anyone who shoots subjects with the intention of replacing the background.

Software Version: Final Cut Pro 10.4 and later.

Run Time: 2 hours 22 minutes

Type of Tutorial: Workflow Focused

Project Media: Project Media is Included

Keying and Compositing in Final Cut Pro 10.4

1. Goals

2. Keying & Compositing Defined

3. Key Factors

Keying Factors
Compositing Factors

4. Why Green?

5. Evaluating Greenscreen Setups

1st Setup: Lighting & Camera
2nd Setup: Lighting & Camera
3rd Setup: Bulbs
4th Setup: Proximity & Scopes
5th Setup: Camera
6th Setup: Wall vs. Fabric
7th Setup: Tight Quarters

6. Evaluating Shots

UI Setup
Greenscreen Saturation
RBG Parade Luminance

7. One-click Keying

Applying the Keyer Effect
How Auto-Keying Works
Keyer Paramaters
Identifying Keyed Hue, Saturation, and Luminance
How the Strength Parameter Works
Keyed Luma

8. Refining a Key

Evaluating the Automatic Key
Evaluating the Matte
Manual Sampling vs. Adjusting Auto-Sampling
Understanding the Spill Level Parameter
Reducing Spill Fringing with Color Selection Controls
Using Fill Holes + Edge Distance to Repair the Core Matte
Using Chroma Rolloff
Adjust Luma Selecting and Rolloff
Fix Video Checkbox
Using the Matte Tools
Fixing the Table Key
Using the Draw Mask Effect
Removing Green Reflections with a Hue/Sat Curves Correction

9. Hair Challenge

Greenscreen Cyclorama Shoot Overview
Locating the Shot to Key
Evaluating the Shot for Keying
Evaluating the Automatic Key
Restoring Hair Detail with the Strength Parameter
Smoothing with Matte Tools
Using Light Wrap to Improve the Composite
Workflow Review
Grading to Improve the Composite

10. Lighting Variations

Analyzing 3 Lighting Setups
Evaluating the Automatic Key
Identifying Lost Hair Detail
Masking Transparency Issues
Solving Core Matte Transparency
Keying an Underexposed Greenscreen

11. Proximity

Analyzing Greenscreen Shadow
Manual Sampling
Addressing Edge Detail
Addressing Core Matte Transparency
Masking Off Problem Areas
Softening the Matte
Eliminating Fringing

12. Motion Blur

Adding Transparency
Smoothing Edges
Working with Spill Suppression
Keying with Less Motion Blur

13. Keying Compressed Footage

Keying ProRes
Automatic Sampling of Compressed Footage

14. Keying a Log Clip

Adding a LUT Before Keying
Manually Grading a Log Shot Before Keying
Keying the Log shot

15. Improving a Key with Targeted Grading

Analyzing an Outdoor Greenscreen iPhone Shot
Isolating Greenscreen for Analysis
Analyzing the Automatic Sampling
Removing Blue from a Greenscreen
Keying the Graded Shot
Comparing Graded vs. Ungraded Mattes

16. Split Keys & Full Manual Keying

Identify Areas to Fix and Approach
Adding Samples to the Automatic Key
Splitting the Key
Working in Manual Mode
Tweaking the Core Matte
Cleaning up Hair Detail with Spill Suppression

17. Keying Sideways

Analyzing the Shot
Keying Tips for Sideways Shots
Adding Samples to the Automatic Sampling
Working on Hair Detail
Options for Core Matte Repair
Transforming the Shot
Masking

18. Wide Shot Keying

Analyzing the Shot
Using Built-in Content for a Background
Applying and Analyzing the Automatic Sampling
Evaluating Floor Shadows
Creating the Garbage Matte
Grading the Keyed Shot
Adding Bullet Point Titles
Transforming the Shot

19. Keying & Compositing

Shot Evaluation for Both Keying and Compositing
Applying and Evaluating the Initial Key
Improving the Composite With Primary and Secondary Color Corrections
Recovering Hair Detail
Masking Off Elements
Transparency Issues
Reflection Issues

20. Keying Workflow Review

Step 1: Evaluate Auto-sampler in Matte View
Step 2: Masking
Step 3: Color Selection for Edge Detail
Step 4: Core Matte Restoration
Step 5: Shrink/Expand/Soften
Step 6: Spill Suppression
Step 7: Light Wrap
Step 8: Grade for Composite

21. Cutting Between Keys

Evaluating the Shot
Examining the Initial Key
Core Matte Adjustment
Garbage Masking
Animating the Mask
Evaluating Shadows
Animating the Key
Grading To Match the Scene
Matching the Close Up Shot to the Wide Shot
Transformations on Subject and Background

22. Animated Keying

Shot Analysis: Keying & Compositing
Keying and Initial Evaluation
Addressing the Core Matte
Animated Garbage Masking
Adding Shadow Detail
Addressing Spill Issues
Grading
Splitting the Key

23. Removing Markers

24. 3-Way Challenge

Analyzing the Shot
Keying Approach
Correcting the Greenscreen
Analyzing the Automatic Key
Working on Hair Detail
Manual Core Matte Adjustments
Fine-tuning for Spill Outlining

25. Keying on White

Shooting on a White Cyclorama
Luma Keyer vs. Keyer Effect
Sampling from 0 Strength
Garbage Masking
Placing the Subject in the Composite
Integrating the Subject with a Masked Correction
Closing

Keying vs. Compositing

Creating a clean key and a convincing composite are separate processes with different requirements. This tutorial will help you differentiate between the two, and give you the practical know-how for tackling a wide variety of green screen subjects.

The Keys to Success

Creating a good key requires the right type of subject, lighting, background and other factors. You’ll learn how to quickly evaluate your shots in order to determine if your subjects will key with very little adjustment or will require more of your time to finesse the key.

Become a Key-master

The Keyer effect in Final Cut Pro X works automatically as soon as you apply it but it’s rarely perfect. Learn when you should tweak your key vs. building one from scratch, and how to work through the keying parameters in a logical fashion in order to get the best results.

Make it all Come Together

Even if you’ve achieved a clean key, your subject may not composite well depending on factors such as perspective, lighting, reflections, choice of background and more. We’ll show you how to improve your composites through a combination of tools and techniques that will help sell the shot to your viewers.

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