This 2-day weekend course is for anyone with basic familiarity with green screen production and a desire to learn some new tips and tricks. It caters to both filmmakers and to visual effects artists.

By the end of the two sessions, participants will have increased knowledge of the entire production process from the acquisition stage all the way through to keying and roto preparation. By using a mix of cameras and a range of postproduction software, participants will leave the course with a much more robust understanding of how on-set production decisions will impact factors such as quality, time and cost during postproduction.

Day 1

In the morning session of the first day, participants will work with a filmmaking tutor to light and shoot some locked-off shots in a green screen studio using a range of digital cameras. In the afternoon, participants will work with VFX software, under the guidance of a VFX tutor to key the footage. By the end of the day, students will have a completed at least one shot of live-action foreground composited over a background plate. Additionally, students will have to opportunity to discuss the pros and cons of the production and postproduction decisions that were made throughout the day.

Day 2

On the second day, building upon the work from the previous day, students will explore how to set up tracking shots when shooting against a green screen. The results of the morning session will be used in the afternoon session, where students will combine their knowledge of keying with additional skills in camera tracking. By the end of the day, students will have a completed shot of a tracked foreground live-action image composited over a background plate.