March 20, 2023

Rumor has it, the largest amounts of green cloth in the world are purchased by Hollywood. That magical combination of green color and a proper green screen software makes it possible for film crews to remain in cozy studios - whether they are shooting a romantic dinner in Paris, or a deadly fight between dinosaurs in Jurassic world. Disclosure: most movie fights are made with green screen, even if there are no dinosaurs involved.

Anyway, now that the technology is not a privilege of filmmakers only, you can bring magic to your videos too! And you certainly won't need Hollywood budgets for that. In fact, you'll be able to do it at zero cost. Keep reading, and you'll find the best free green screen software for Windows and for Mac preceded by expert advice on bringing your idea to life without spending a dime.

What you'll need:

• Green screen.
• Steady light.
• Camera.
• Picture to replace green background with.
• Green screen software (for Windows, download VSDC Free Video Editor. For Mac, iMovie is the best choice).

In this article, we'll walk through each part to explain the details and prevent you from making the most common mistakes.

Ah, one more important thing. We forgot to include imagination to the list! Although, since you're reading this, you probably have a brilliant idea already, don't you? If not, scroll down to the bottom of this post - you'll find 6 inspiring ideas for how to use green screen in your videos. But careful: after seeing this, you may never want to shoot regular videos again.

What is green screen and where to get it?

So what do they mean when they say "green screen", eh? Technically, we're talking about any (and I mean ANY) surface evenly coated with green cloth or evenly painted green. In fact, according to some video production experts, shooting in front of a painted wall is easier than stretching a piece of cloth onto a large object or a frame.

Of course, you can go to Amazon and order a ready-made collapsible green screen - affordable ones are often made of cardboard, thick paper, or fabric. Yet, we encourage you to keep your eyes open for zero-cost solutions. Is there a green wall in your building? A green chalkboard in your classroom or in the office? Hey, perhaps your friend owns a billiard table you could make use of! If you, however, choose to follow the DIY spirit - say, you've found a piece of green cloth in the attic - make sure to eliminate all the flaws affecting color evenness. Even the most professional green screen software won't be able to do the job properly if your background is heavily stained or wrinkled.

Advice for DIYers: when using green fabric, we recommend you to steam it well before shooting, or even better - wash it and let it dry hanging or stretched.

Let there be light

This one is important. Thick shadows will ruin your green screen effect, as well as reflections - see the part about color evenness. Here is a couple of tips on how to lighten it right.

• First, place the camera right in front of the scene object. If the room allows, don't place it too close, because later you'll have to maneuver between the green background and the camera to avoid dark shadows - you'll learn about it in the next paragraphs. Several feet is a perfect distance.
• Second, you'll need at least two sources of light positioned slightly higher than the scene object. Ideally, they should be hanging or fixed on two tripods, however, the placement doesn't matter much as long as there is a 45-degree angle between each light source and the center of the scene. Fluorescent or any daylight bulbs you probably have in your house, will do.
• Third, you'll have to spend some time finding the best spot for yourself (or the object you’re shooting, if it's not you). Your shadow is almost unavoidable, but your aim is to have it either outside of the camera frame, or smoothly and evenly spread inside. To achieve it, make sure there is a solid space between you and the green screen. In other words, step forward from the background – you’ll notice how the shadow becomes more transparent with each move. Keep experimenting with the distance until you find the optimal position.

One of the best how-to illustrations of how to lighten the object when shooting with a green screen has been published by Videomaker online magazine. Here it is below:

Do I need a special camera for that?

No, you don't. As long as you have a decent piece of green screen software and managed to achieve smooth light, you can use any device to record the video, even if it's your iPod. It all comes down to the overall footage quality.

Where do I get images or videos to replace green background?

That depends on what you have in mind! You can use photos and videos shot by you in advance, stock materials, or a fragment from a famous movie – it is entirely up to you. We just have a couple of recommendations, though.

First, if you're going to use something you recorded yourself, make sure both videos have the same parameters. Having a different quality footage as a background will ruin the effect, and you'll end up with a very unnaturally looking clip. And don't worry if your background footage has sound. You'll be able to remove audio from video during the editing process and add a soundtrack of your choice, so that the viewers will only hear what you want them to hear.

Second, if you're looking for high quality footage, you can check free stock video marketplaces. There are dozens of them online. Here are just few we've tested: Videvo, Vimeo Free HD stock, Pexels and Pixabay. Be sure to look through the terms and video quality description before downloading to avoid surprises. Most of these websites allow you to filter videos by their parameters. By the way, you may find a few videos already shot with the "green screen" as well! Videvo has at least three separate videos with a chicken, an alpaca, and a monkey recorded in front of a green background. Hey, perhaps, you have an idea on how to authentically add them to your clip.

How does green screen software work?

Alright, let's get technical. You may have heard the green screen effect also being called “Chroma Key”. Don't get confused. Technically, when you see "green screen" or "green background" - it means what it says. It is a green surface you use as a background when shooting a video and plan to remove from the scene during the post-production. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it? Chroma Key(ing), at the same time, is a general name for the process of isolating, removing and replacing (keying) a color (chroma) in a video or an image.

Here is a quick video tutorial showing exactly how green screen software works.

So, when we say "green screen software" we mean video editing software with a built-in Chroma Key tool or effect (we've noticed that terminology varies a lot from developer to developer, so again: don't get confused).

Here is the biggest surprise: the screen doesn't have to be green. In fact, blue color backgrounds are used as often as green ones. It can also be gray, pink, yellow or purple - the choice is yours. The idea is having a high level of contrast between the scene object and the background that will need to be removed. And since green is contrasting against most colors, it has become a de-facto standard for being "keyed". However, as you may know, computer software has no color preferences and will not judge you for not choosing green.

Now, when you click "Use Chroma Key" or "Remove background" buttons, two scenarios may happen. If the software Chroma Key tool is set up for green color by default, all the green will be instantly removed from the picture. Two things to remember here: light and clothes. If your light is severely uneven - say, you have strong shadows or reflections - certain parts of your background may be recognized as gray or white by the software, therefore, they will not be removed. You'll have to isolate and remove them manually, and sometimes it may affect the outcome. On the other hand, if your clothes, hat, accessories or anything apart from the background is green too - be sure not to see it after the keying process. Sometimes, this might be exactly what you're looking for. Like in this fantastic transparent T-shirt effect.

Sometimes, however, it can lead to unexpected post-production surprises, like this transparent weather forecast host, who obviously was wearing a green dress during that shooting:

Hey, now you know that weather forecasts are the most common use cases of Chroma Key effect!

Going back to the video editing magic. In the second scenario, if your green screen software doesn't have a default color for Chroma keying, you might need to set up the chroma (the color) to be keyed manually with an eyedropper tool. That means you’ll need to click anywhere on your video background to choose the color you want to remove. This technique will also be useful for uneven or poorly lighted screens, because you'll be able to choose the parts software failed to detect.

When the process of green/blue/pink screen removal is over, technically, what you have left is the scene object with a transparent background. Therefore, whichever image or video you overlay it with will fulfill the transparent areas and become a new background. Isn't it fascinating?

Free green screen software for Windows - VSDC

Well-known professional programs may cost you an arm and a leg, but if you want to stick to a zero budget, we recommend checking out VSDC because it's free and has a well-performing tool for removing green background from your videoVSDC is intuitive and lightweight, so even if you’re new to this, you’ll be able to figure things out.

Here is how to remove green background in VSDC

Once you've added your green screen video to the timeline, go to the menu at the top and choose Video Effects tab. Click on "Transparent" and proceed to "Background remover". By default, VSDC detects and removes bright green chroma, so if your video background happens to be bright green, it will disappear automatically once you apply the effect.

If it hasn’t happened, just select the eyedropper icon located in front of the Chromakey color settings and click anywhere on the background to specify the color you want to remove.

There might be a bit of green color left around your scene object, but you shouldn't worry about it. Go to the Properties menu on the right-hand side to adjust settings and remove the green border. You should be looking at the following parameters:

• Minimum brightness threshold.
• Maximum chromaticityU threshold.
• Maximum chromaticityV threshold.

Increase or decrease the values until you see that the presence of green has been minimized. Once that's done, all you need is to add your background picture and make sure your main video is placed at the front layer on the timeline. If it’s not, make a right mouse click on your main video (the one that had green screen initially) and choose "Up" or drag the layers around manually.

Removing green screen is way easier than it may sound. In fact, the process will take you less time than you've just spent on reading these paragraphs.

Download VSDC Free Video Editor

Free green screen software for Mac - iMovie

When it comes to Mac, the choice of video editing software is not that wide, but there is no need to go far searching for high-end programs. iMovie easily copes with removing green background from your videos, and what's more important - it's familiar, available and free for every Mac owner. What's also great about iMovie Chroma Key tool, is that it is multicolor by default. In other words, you can use both background color options - green as well as blue.

The keying process in iMovie, however, goes differently compared to VSDC. Once you have both clips added to iMovie timeline, you can literally drag a video with green/blue screen over a video that you want to appear as a background. Once you notice a green round "+" sign, you can release the mouse button. If the green/blue color of your background is solid enough, it should automatically disappear. If it hasn't happened, you need to open Video Overlay controls and choose green/blue screen in the pop-up menu.

I need ideas. Inspire me!

Glad you've asked! We've gathered 6 use cases which could not be solved without green screen software. Hopefully, you'll find them inspiring for your videos.

1. You need to be somewhere else - right now. Remember those movie jokes, when someone is taking a picture in front of a wallpaper with an exotic place on it? Have you ever faked photos from a hospital to avoid school or maybe...work? In short, green screens are capable of creating the desired environment on your photos and videos. Look at Jimmy Fallon and Karlie Kloss here pretending to have a graduation party.

2. You need to add emphasis to your message. Because what you're saying is important and needs to be heard. You got it. Add a special effect instead of a background to grab your viewers' attention. Doesn't Shia Labeuf look motivating with flames bursting behind him? You can do it too!

3. You want to invite a celebrity to your daily vlog, but have zero budget. Don't get discouraged! You'll be surprised how many videos of celebrities in front of a green screen are available online. Just a quick search shows John Travolta, Snoop Dog, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus and Jean Claude Van Damme. Pick one, use your imagination - voila.

4. You want to make fun of a friend wearing green. Each of us has that one friend - we are not here to judge you. Just make sure your friend has a sense of humor before posting the video on YouTube!

5. You want to record a Christmas video postcard, but it's 90 degrees above zero outside. Replace green background with freezing footage from Siberia! You may as well be sending postcards from Hawaii or Paris, while staying in your room.

6. You want to create a glossy looking video for business purposes. Just like for college graduation albums, shooting interviews and portraits using green screen is a common practice. Moreover, green screen videos are widely used for business presentations and software demo clips. Look at this video below - it can easily be integrated almost anywhere.

Now that you know how green screen software works and that you don't need to spend a fortune to make use of it, why don't you share your ideas on our Facebook page? We'd love to see what you've come out with!

To download the new version of VSDC Free Video Editor, please, proceed to www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor.

December 20, 2017

As a Christmas gift to all VSDC users, the new version focuses on capabilities contributing to professional video and audio editing at zero cost: a free transform tool, an audio equalizer and new deinterlacing methods.

Free Transform Tool

Both amateurs and professionals of video making are now able to benefit from the free transform tool that is used to create all possible types of shapes. Novices and ordinary users can draw simple customized images for their greeting cards or home movies, such as stars, snowflakes, hearts and many others. Those who have more expertise are welcome to make use of the spline path to implement complicated blogging or animation tasks with one figure transforming into another one during a certain time interval. The option is easily reachable on the Objects Tool panel and shapes are created by drawing points with the help of just a few clicks.

Audio Equalizer

Being a multifunctional multimedia processing suite, VSDC has also taken steps to enhance and facilitate audio editing. With the launch of the equalizer users can work with audio effects more accurately adjusting possible responses of microphones, loudspeakers, and hall acoustics to their needs. Equalization may also be used to remove or reduce unwanted sounds or noises, make certain instruments or voices more (or less) prominent, improve certain aspects of an instrument's tone.

New deinterlacing methods

Those working with video content shot on outdated interlaced cameras have already been able to apply deinterlacing options available in VSDC Video Editor. This release adds a number of new optimized deinterlacing methods that contribute to more precise results of adapting such files for viewing on modern TV sets, PC screens or mobile devices.

These are only a few of vast opportunities VSDC can offer schools, colleges and universities. The license terms of the Free version have always permitted an unlimited use of the editor by educational organizations. Those of them that require a specially branded version with all the features including premium are welcome to send their request to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

To download the new version of VSDC Free Video Editor, please, proceed to www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor

June 11, 2022

Most will agree that GoPro is the camera that makes your footage look as if it’s been shot by a professional. But let’s face it, even the best shots sometimes need editing. Previously, the company used to provide their own GoPro video editor, named Studio; however, in 2017, Studio reached its end-of-life for support.

This opened an opportunity for many video editing programs to be considered as alternatives, but only two of them made it to the recommendations on the official GoPro website:

• VSDC — free non-linear video editor for Windows
• iMovie — free non-linear video editor for Mac

Both programs open GoPro footage without hiccups, allow for splitting it into fragments, adding music and text. Plus, they include plenty of advanced tools, such as color correction, zoom, and split-screen effect.

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the best GoPro video editors. We’ll start with those officially recommended on the GoPro website, and continue with 5 more alternatives also recommended by GoPro users.

VSDC — free GoPro video editor for Windows

VSDC works on any PC including low-end computers. Whether you're on a 32- or 64-bit using 7,8, or 10 Windows OS, you'll be able to install and run it. Of course, if you have a really outdated computer, or if it’s running out of memory, you should be mindful about shooting, say, long videos in 4K. There’s no software out there capable of processing huge amounts of data with limited PC resources, and that’s that.

To start working in VSDC, open the program and choose the ‘Import content’ button, then select a file on your computer. From there, most operations are rather intuitive and can be performed through the context menu available upon right mouse-click. For example, to mute audio, right-click on the video layer, go to the Audio effects → Amplitude → Silence. To cut, crop, or rotate the video, use the quick access menu at the top. To perform color correction, use quick filters, LUTs, and the RGB color wheel.

Most effects are located in the ‘Video effects’ menu, however, there’s plenty you can achieve by manually overlaying files and blending them into a new composition. Among the effects you may like the most are the picture-in-picture effect, the split-screen effect, text masking, and slow motion.

When it’s time to export your video, the program prompts you to select where it will be published and then suggests the most suitable properties based on your goals. For the major social media networks, such as YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Vimeo, there are dedicated profiles pre-configured based on the platform requirements.

As you get the hang of the editor, you may want to check VSDC Pro — a more advanced version that includes motion tracking, video stabilization, masking, audio waveform, and hardware acceleration. VSDC Pro is available for $19.99 per year.

iMovie — free GoPro video editor for Mac

iMovie is probably the best free video editing software available for Mac. It has a clean, intuitive interface which makes starting a project a no-brainer. Whether you're shooting in 4K or not, iMovie opens GoPro footage easily without requiring you to convert it into a different format.

To open a GoPro file in iMovie, click on the large ‘Create new’ plus button and choose ‘Movie’. Then select the ‘Import Media’ button and upload a video from your computer. Unlike VSDC, iMovie doesn't add videos to the timeline automatically, so you'll need to do it manually in a preferred order. Note, that you can choose to place files in a linear (direct) sequence, as well as a non-linear (indirect) sequence.

Despite its minimalistic interface, iMovie is a full-featured non-linear video editor used by beginners and professionals alike. It enables you to cut and crop videos, add transitions and music to your clip, apply multiple effects, and perform color correction. If you open the dropdown video effect menu at the top, you'll find more advanced effects including picture-in-picture, split-screen, and the green/blue screen effect.

The color correction settings in iMovie are based on manual adjustment of the exposure, brightness, contrast, saturation, and RGB levels. You can also make your footage look more natural by toggling the white balance.

To export a video, click on the ‘Share’ button and proceed to ‘File’. At this point, you can choose the format, quality, compression, and resolution of your video. What’s great about iMovie is that this software puts no limits on the formats or resolution, and like VSDC, it allows you to export files using the H.265/HEVC codec which is the best option for lossless file compression.

5 More GoPro video editors to consider

If you want to see other options available out there, here are 5 more free tools you can use for editing GoPro videos.

Kdenlive - free GoPro video editor for Linux

We’ve just covered the recommended GoPro vídeo editors for Windows and Mac. However, if your computer runs on Linux, consider trying Kdenlive — an open-source non-linear video editor with no lack of features. Kdenlive has a beginner-friendly interface with multiple tracks for video and audio files.

This video editor relies heavily on time-saving keyboard shortcuts and a large library of pre-designed transitions. As a bonus, the program includes a comprehensive audio editing and processing tool, so you don’t have to use 3rd-party software for that purpose.

What makes Kdenlive stand out in comparison with the rest of the tools on the list is the automatic backups that happen every couple of minutes. Not only does it save you from losing a project in case the software crashes, but it also allows you to roll back to the previous version easily in case you change your mind.

Like VSDC and iMovie, Kdenlive doesn’t require you to be a professional video editor and goes easy on your computer resources. You can run the program with as little as 1 GB of RAM and a decent video card. Of course, the more power your machine has, the faster the rendering process will be.

Older versions of Studio

Although GoPro announced that they had stopped supporting Studio, what it really means is that starting version 2.4, Studio is no longer officially bundled with Quik — the default software for working with GoPro media files. As a video editor, Quik provides very few features. For example, you can trim your files, add music and text, but that’s about it. In other words, you can probably make do with Quik if you just want to cut videos, but when it comes to effects and color correction tools, this program has nothing to offer.

Luckily, for those who are already accustomed to using Studio and feel hesitant about switching to another software, the older versions are still available on the web. Some of the most reliable software directories, such as CNET Download, Major Geeks, and TechSpot still feature Studio version 2.5 which can be downloaded and installed. And it's great, because learning a new video editing program requires time and effort, regardless of how intuitive it is. So if you'd been using Studio for years and the news about its end-of-life broke your heart — we hope we've just lifted your spirits. Moreover, according to the GoPro official F.A.Q., technical support for Studio is still being provided (for the time being).

Shotcut - GoPro video editor for Windows, Mac, and Linux

Shotcut is a cross-platform video editor that offers a plethora of video processing tools and happens to be open source — therefore, completely free. In addition to the editing feature set, Shotcut offers audio and video capturing tools which is convenient if you’re planning to shoot reaction videos. Its interface is slightly unorthodox, so you might need to watch a couple of video tutorials before getting started. However, given the rich toolset Shotcut provides, it’s well worth the time investment.

The most essential controls in Shotcut are accessible via a context menu or quick tools. For instance, you'll be able to perform montage, add text and music, and apply the slow-motion/fast-forward effects effortlessly. Other tools, such as filters, effects, and color correction are hidden a bit under the surface, and that’s where tutorials come in handy. It's worth mentioning that, unlike many programs, Shotcut has quite an active official user forum where members of the community help each other overcome the learning curve challenges at any level.

Shotcut supports high-resolution videos and has overall great format compatibility. You can easily open 8K footage and save videos without any loss of quality.

Hitfilm Express - free GoPro video editor with special FX library

Hitfilm Express falls into the category of freemium pro-consumer video editors. This means two things. First, it’s a free version of a paid video editor with some features being locked behind the paywall. Second, it’s designed for those who already have video editing experience and want to do more than just cut videos and add music.

HitFilm boasts an advanced color correction toolset, multi-color Chroma Key, and a large effect library, which you can expand with paid add-ons without switching to the paid version of the software. Among its key advantages is a convenient timeline: you can easily unlink audio from the video just by dragging the two. On top of that, there’s a real-time preview window that allows you to see the changes as you apply them.

To make the most out of HitFilm Express, you need to have at least 4-8GB of RAM and 2GB of video memory if you’re planning to edit 4K footage.

DaVinci Resolve - professional-level GoPro video editor

DaVinci Resolve is quite popular among amateur filmmakers because of its powerful color correction toolset. And if you’re wondering just how good it can be, keep in mind that Resolve was used to edit La La Land, Avatar, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many other movies you can learn from as a filmmaker. The company developing this beast of a video editor profits from professional studio software and hardware, and this strategy allows them to keep the non-professional version of their editor free.

As a new user, you may feel a little overwhelmed by the multi-level interface as well as the horsepower required by DaVinci Resolve (at least 16GB of RAM, plus 4GB of VRAM). However, if you’re serious about video editing, and your computer is powerful enough, you may look no further because Resolve brings an all-in-one tool for professional-level post-production. The feature set includes sophisticated montage and color correction tools, over 100 built-in cinematic effects, audio editing, motion graphics and more.

What makes a good GoPro video editor?

Now that we’ve reviewed 7 programs you can use to edit GoPro footage, let’s make a quick recap on what makes a good GoPro video editor. To find the answer, we looked at the most frequently asked questions on the GoPro community forums.

Here are the key features you should be looking for:

• The ability to open and edit GoPro videos without file conversion;
• Compatibility with 120 fps footage;
• H.265/HEVC codec export;
• Audio editing feature set;
• Intuitive color correction.

Plus, it’s important to make sure your computer meets the system requirements of the software. Otherwise, you risk losing your work if the editor freezes and crushes when your processor gets overwhelmed.

Once you choose a GoPro video editor, don’t forget to find your source of inspiration

As a rule, GoPro videos are already great. Due to the lens quality, the hardware, and the adventurous people they are shot by, most times, there’s no need for advanced editing. No matter which software you choose in the end, we also highly recommend you to join the official GoPro community forum and follow some of the talented GoPro YouTubers, such as MicBergsma, or Expert Vagabond. There are many more out there for you to find a source of inspiration.

Happy shooting!

September 27, 2016

Flash-Integro, a leading free software developer, launched a new version of its flagship video editor designed to deliver superior editing experience across the entire workflow: from file import to final rendering.

Completely oriented towards the customer requirements of today, VSDC Free Video Editor stepped up with an upgraded array of visual effects. Instagram-like filters featuring most popular overlays enable to enhance the whole video image with one click and don’t demand any special editing skills.

Along with that professional blending modes will become an obvious bonus for colorists and those who’d like to create their own visual filters or significantly customize the standard ones. With the help of this tool one can create a very popular ghost effect – when an object in a video has several contours of different colors and types; and even convert any 2D video fragment to 3D.

In response to ever-growing users’ demand, the newest version introduces a comprehensive mask tool with 10+ mask types available - an indispensable option for video editing professionals. A mask is designed to add a filter or effect to only one region of a video thus enabling to make awesome video effects like a video inserted into a text or into a shape, as well as to blur or pixelize a face, make a watermark much less visible, etc.

“This release, focused on graphics and visual effects, was largely awaited by our current users. But we also hope to interest new customers just embarking on the NLE adventure, and for this reason we keep on localizing the editor to foreign languages. The newest version will also speak Portuguese and Japanese.” – says Alexander Galkin, Project Manager.

Pricing and availability

VSDC Video Editor is absolutely free and available immediately for download to Windows 2000/2003/XP/Vista/7/8/10.

About

VSDC Free Video Editor is a video processing application intended for editing video files and creating videos of any complexity involving various visual and audio effects. The program offers rich functionality and yet has a simple and intuitive interface, allowing users to make video projects with a bare minimum of efforts. While most of editors use a predefined sequence of frames and scenes in a video, VSDC Free Video Editor can shuffle fragments and objects of the movie in an arbitrary order.

Links

Website: www.videosoftdev.com

Product page: www.videosoftdev.com/free-video-editor