Sometimes you need to remove background from an image. Our video editor supports two removing methods: by chromakey and by mask. Removing by chromakey is faster than by mask, because mask sets a big range of colors to be removed. That’s whey it’s difficult to remove background by mask in video; but at the same time when you work with static images this method is worth using. To know how to arrange removal by chromakey refer to section "How to remove background in video". In this section we shall review method of background removing by mask.

We shall add an object to the scene the same way as in example with video:

and the next mask in project resources (a part of original image):

After it we should add effect of background removal "Video effects->Transparent->Background remover" to original object and set it. We set work mode by mask "Mode: By chromakey mask" and specify the mask in "Chromakey mask". We obtain the following result:

As you can see, practically whole background is removed except for several regions. This fact is resulted from "Mask resize factor" influence. For removing background not the whole mask is used but its reduction copy (to accelerate work algorithm). "Mask resize factor" sets reduction level of the original mask, and "Resize mode" is the algorithm of its size. Therefore if we reduce "Mask resize factor" to twenty, we shall have the following picture:

As we can see that the background is entirely removed.

Other parameters of effect have similar work principles as work by chromakey, i.e. they set subspaces of removed colors which remain unchangeable, and border colors with calculated translucency coefficient. For more information about these parameters refer to section "How to remove background in video". If you're struggling to follow this tutorial, there are some great 3rd-party apps out there to help you remove image background within a couple of clicks. Consider trying them as well.

This operation is often used and may be applied to make a simple change of scenes or even a full slide-show. Our video editor has an embedded "Wizard" which will help you to easily make these scenes. Besides the program allows to automatically create transition effects between scenes on the basis of pre-installed templates. So let’s review in details procedure of making slide-shows.

There are two ways to start making a slide-show: the first one is to make a new project and to choose "Import videos and images" as a type of a new project, and the second one is to click "Run Wizard" in "Editor" tab in case the project is already made. The following window occurs:

We can see four regions here: a list of transition effect types between scenes, transition effects of the selected type, video player which displays the selected effects or video, and a region with a list of files used for making a slide-show.

In order to make a slide-show you need to add files into a list and to add transition effects between them. In order to add a file you may click "Drag and drop media files here" or to drag and drop the needed files in this position using a drag-and-drop tool. The files may also be added through a menu in a toolbar – you need to click "Add files" and then "Insert files", and the files will be added to the end of the list or to the chosen position accordingly. Upon opening the files will be displayed in the list in the same sequence as for a slide-show:

You can remove or change sequence of files using several buttons on a toolbar. You can change order by dragging a file and dropping it on a new position.

You can also select a file in the list and see how it will look like after slide-show is completed by playing it in a player:

P.S. To see effects again you need to mark an intended effect.

Duration of image is automatically set for five seconds. But it can be changed. For this purpose mark a file in the list, amend its duration in a toolbar and click "Apply".

You may also remove borders, fragments in video or split video into parts (for example, to make a transition effect between separate scenes of video). You can do it using menu which will be open when you make a double click on an image. You will also see additional settings windows which were reviewed in sections "How to split a file into parts", "How to cut an unwanted fragment from video" and "How to crop borders in video or image".

In order to add transition effect it is necessary to drag the selected effect in position between the files to which it will be applied:

In order to see how the effect will be performed you need to mark it, and the player will automatically show this effect.

P.S. Player automatically plays video upon a click on any object: on an effect in the list of effects, on a file, on an effect applied to files.

You can delete effect through a toolbar or a menu.

After you set sequence of files and added transition effects you need to click "Apply settings". As a result a sprite will be added to the scene (sprite is an object consisted of other objects) which consists of all files which we added and of the necessary effects.

In order to make a result video you need to export project to any of available formats.

People often need to remove a background from a video and replace it with a nice picture or another video. Technically, there are 2 ways to do it. The first and the most popular “background remover” is Chroma Key. It’s a tool that automatically detects a solidly colored background and instantly removes it from the video. The second way is masking, and it is often applied when the background you want to remove is not a one-tone smooth solid green wall.

Masking involves a lot of manual editing, and therefore, requires more skills and PC resources. Chroma Key, on the other hand, is very user-friendly and efficient. So, we definitely recommend using it whenever you need to change your video background. Now, let’s see how to do it in VSDC Free Video Editor.

How to remove a background from a video using VSDC

Once you download VSDC Video Editor to your PC, launch the program and import the video with a solid color background.

Once the video is placed on the timeline, you need to apply the Chroma Key effect to it. Go to “Video effects” in the top menu, choose “Transparent” and proceed to “Background remover”. Note, you won’t immediately see the green color erased from the scene, but you’ll notice a new layer on the timeline, called Background Remover1. Right-click on it to open the Properties window (if it hasn’t opened automatically). See the illustration below.

In the Background removal settings, you’ll notice “Chromakey color”. Use the eyedropper tool to get the color directly from the scene. To do that, just click on the eyedropper icon and then click anywhere on the video background – the software will automatically detect the color that needs to be removed.

Sometimes even after you remove the background from the video, there is a thin green colored border left around the object. That usually happens when the background color is not even, or the lighting is poor which creates noticeable shades and highlights.

If there is a whole large area that hasn’t been removed, you can use the option called Add additional color. If it’s a thin line around the object, go ahead and adjust the following parameters in the Properties window:

• Min brightness threshold (usually this parameter needs to be increased).
• Min chromaticityU threshold.
• Min chromaticityV threshold (usually this parameter needs to be increased).

There is no universal combination of a perfect setup for this because each video is different. So, we suggest you manually play around with these parameters checking the result in real-time on the working area.

If you’re using VSDC Pro, you can switch to the HSL mode for higher precision. To learn more about HSL, read this tutorial.

How to remove background from a video and replace it with an image

Now we’ve got to the most interesting part – changing the video background. Here is what you need to do:

Step 1: Click back on the Scene 0 tab on the timeline.

Step 2: Click the green round “Add object” button in the top menu.

Step 3: On your PC, choose a video or an image you want to replace the background with.

Step 4: When you do that, the new background will be placed in the front of the scene – so right-click on it and choose Order – One layer down.

Step 5: Adjust the result if needed by moving or resizing the objects.

How to remove background from a video with minimum hiccups

The magic of Chroma Key is impressive, especially when you use it for the first time. And to help you make the whole process as smooth as possible, here are three tips:

1. Avoid changing the size or the resolution of your original video. If you do that, the neighboring colors may get mixed, and once you remove the background, some objects will get the color tone of the removed background.
2. Try to use an evenly coated background and arrange a decent light when shooting. The smoother your video background color is, the easier it will be for the software to detect and remove it entirely.
3. The object you’re shooting should have a maximum contrast with the background. In other words, if the background is of green color, avoid wearing green because your clothes are likely to be erased from the video just like the background. Dark colors typically work best, while any color containing green in it might eventually get blended.

If you’d like to learn more about shooting a perfect green screen video on a budget, we talked about it in this green screen software tutorial. You may also find some inspirational ideas for your project there.

Hopefully, this was detailed enough for you to be able to remove the background from the video yourself now. Feel free to message us on Facebook if you have any questions!

And don’t forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel where we share new video editing tricks every week.

This operation is one of the most simple. In order to merge several files you need to add them to the scene and set time when each file will appear so that appearance of files is arranged one by one. For this purpose place the objects on timeline the way that one begins when another ends.

You can achieve the same result using "Set blocks order" button. If you mark these objects on a timeline and click this button, you will automatically place objects sequentially one by one. If you need to set interval between the marked blocks, click "Set order with offset". You may set object position by cursor position clicking "Move blocks to cursor position" and "Align blocks by cursor position".

You may also set time of object appearance manually using object properties. For instance if duration of the first object is 343 frames then we shall create scene with sequential objects by setting time of the second object equal to 343 frame.

After these actions both files will be merged in a result file during project export and will follow one the other.

Another method of merging several files is to use "Wizard". For more information refer to section "How to create slide-show: make sequential change of videos or images".

Frequently Asked Questions

1. I dragged and dropped two videos, but they were placed sequentially on the same track, not on different tracks. What did I do wrong and how can I fix it?

When you drag and drop multiple videos simultaneously, the video editor places them sequentially on the same track by default.
To change the position of an already added clip on the timeline, simply hold down the left mouse button and drag it to the desired track.
When you add a new file to a scene that already contains video, the "Object position settings" window will appear. For placement selection pay attention to the "Layer position" section:

• Add Layer places the file on a new layer above all existing ones.
• Insert Layer places the file on a new layer above the currently selected layer.
• Insert into Layer places the file at the end of the currently selected layer.

2. Will the videos be joined directly or will there be some transition between them?

The video files will be joined directly, without any transitions. This means the end of the first clip will be immediately followed by the beginning of the next one.

3. Is it possible to create a smooth transition between clips when merging them?

After you have arranged the clips sequentially on the timeline, you can proceed to set up the transitions between them.
The simplest way to create a transition is as follows:

1. Hover your mouse cursor over the border between two clips on the timeline.
2. Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.
3. Without releasing the key, drag the edge of one clip over the other, creating an overlap area.
4. A white line will appear in place of this overlap, indicating the transition zone.

More detailed information about applying transitions and their types can be found at the link: https://www.videosoftdev.com/how-to-apply-transitions
Also, try the VSDC Premium Transitions: https://www.videosoftdev.com/v-store-catalog

4. What will happen to the sound if one video has loud audio and the other has quiet audio? Will VSDC balance them somehow?

No, the program does not balance the volume automatically. However, you can adjust the volume for each clip yourself. To do this, click on the video clip whose volume you want to change, go to the Properties window for that clip and find the "Volume Level" parameter. Set a suitable value for it.

5. What happens if you merge videos with different frame rates?

The program cannot create a final file that would play back at different frame rates (FPS) simultaneously. All source videos will be converted to a single FPS value, which you select in the export settings when saving the finished project.

6. What will happen if you merge videos of different sizes, for example, one in 4K, another in 720p? What will the final resolution be?

The final project will be converted to a single resolution that you set for the export. The smaller video (e.g., 720p) will be upscaled to the selected resolution, and the larger one (4K) will be downscaled.

It's important to remember: VSDC does not improve the quality of the source files. The key is to choose a final resolution that will minimize quality loss for all the files being merged.