Friday, December 25, 2009

Green Screen Hollywood - Brief History

By Phillip Guye

Green screen Hollywood technology, a. K. A chroma key is a technique used by filmmakers to mix 2 separate pictures together. This works by making the background ( a solid color which is usually green or blue ) clear in order to show another image which is the particular background that'll be shown on film. This strategy of filming is a. K. A color keying, blue screen, and color separation overlay ( CSO ). It was primarily used for weather reports. Forecasters were shot in front of chroma key screens and the background was replaced by actual maps that indicate weather predictions. The chroma key strategy is also used by filmmakers and photographers alike.

The green screen first made its appearance in the 1930's at RKO Radio Pictures. The background used back then was blue. This technique of film making was developed in order to create special effects for the film "The thief of Bagdad." aside from the chroma key strategy, filmmakers trusted a really tedious and laborious process called "travelling matte." This made transition such as "wipes" possible.

Larry butler is understood to be responsible for pioneering the blue screen method. In reality, he even took home an Academy Award for visual effects for his work in "The thief of Bagdad." After his pre-eminence in the 30's, servant was the first person to use chroma key technology in Technicolor, clearing the path for modern green screen Hollywood technology.

The 1st films to take advantage of Chroma Key technology was the film adaptation of Ernest Hemingway famous novella, "The Old Man and the Sea," starring Spencer Tracy. After the "Old Man and the Sea," more films used the chroma key methodology. Some famous film that make use of chroma key technology are The Empire Strikes Back, Lord of the Rings, Titanic, Star Trek, and even 300. Films that employ CGI or computer generated photographs are also made with the assistance of green screen technology. This is how having out of this world settings and fantastic creatures can be shown on film.

Today, green screen Hollywood technology isn't just restricted to big budget flats. It's also utilized in photography. From the initial blue screen, green was used later on because filmmakers discovered that a green background doesn't need boring lighting. Cameras are most delicate to this color, so the result of films shot on green screens are easier to work with and manipulate. With that said, chroma key technology is now known to photographers and filmmakers' best friend.

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