Question / Help Can I record a blank green screen and choose the background later?

[Sentient Anomaly]

So I finally got my green screen set up after a few difficulties. It's not the best ever but it's good enough.

Now I wanted to ask, can I just record myself on the green screen without any over-imposed background yet, and select one later when I'm preparing the video in the editing software?

Basically I want to have a recording of me, and be able to try various backgrounds later to go on the green screen, instead than record directly with one playing on the green screen.

How do I do that?

 

[Simes]

It's straightforward enough to do, record yourself against the green screen and in the editing software use a chroma key to remove the green background. Then just put whatever you want to have behind you in the layer underneath. Don't apply the chroma key filter in OBS, you don't need it there.

 

[Sentient Anomaly]

Oh I didn't know editing software would do that too. I'm new to it, I guess I have a lot to learn about what programs can do with it.

So, in OBS I don't turn the green screen to grey, and leave it green?
And what editing software do you use? I use Powerdirector, I'll have to see if that program can do the chroma key, otherwise I'll have to look for alternatives.

 

[Simes]

Yep, leave it green in OBS, it's essential so that the chroma key can key it out properly. Also don't wear anything green but you probably knew that already. :)

As far as I know PowerDirector can do chroma keying, most halfway decent video editing software should be able to. I use Davinci Resolve (free version), HitFilm Express (also free) can do it too but last time I checked had pretty slow handling of h264 video files. And even if your video editor can't directly use chroma key, you could grab a vfx tool (such as Blackmagic Fusion, also free), and use the chroma key feature in that to produce a video with a transparent background, then import that into your editor. But I doubt that'll be necessary.