How Green Screen Became a Standard in Video Editing
Green screens have become the backbone of modern video production, but it was not always this way in the past. Once exclusive to Hollywood, this simple backdrop has slowly made its way into small or big video projects of filmmakers, videographers, and even businesses.
If you want to know how that happened, keep reading. In this blog, we’ll share the fascinating story of how green screens became a standard in video editing.
The Early Origins of Green Screens
Green screens didn’t start as green. Back in 1898, filmmakers like George Albert Smith experimented with early versions of this technique, using a black cloth to replace parts of images or video.
His plan involved using the cloth in a double exposure technique with high contrast to make objects disappear.
A few years later, in 1903, a similar technique appeared in The Great Train Robbery, one of cinema’s first blockbusters. This film used a static black background for its special effects. It marked one of the earliest uses of a solid color for background replacement.
Then, in 1918, Frank Williams developed a technique called “traveling mattes,” which allowed image replacements to move on static black backgrounds. This advancement paved the way for more complex visual storytelling. In fact, in 1933, The Invisible Man used the same technique to make the film’s protagonist seem invisible.
Check out the movie clip below to see this technique in action:
The Rise of Blue Screens
As time passed, the film industry started experimenting with another solid color background instead of black screens.
In 1940, the special effects artist Lawrence William Butler used a blue screen with the traveling matte technique in the film production of The Thief of Bagdad to create visual effects. This film was one of the first examples that laid the groundwork for what we now know as chroma keying.
The Rise of Yellow Screens
Through the ’50s and ’60s, blue screen technology gained traction in Hollywood. But then, something interesting happened: filmmakers started experimenting with yellow screens (also known as the sodium vapor process). These were first used in the 1964 film Mary Poppins to create animated scenes like the penguins dancing with live-action actors.
Take a look below to see the yellow screen in use:
The Rise of Green Screens
While blue screens and yellow screens were still in use, they had their limitations. Filmmakers needed a better option for a color that wouldn’t clash with human skin tones during the keying process. So, by the 1970s, they experimented with different colors and finally chose green for their background.
But why green?
Because green screens offered distinct advantages over blue or yellow screens. Their brightness and contrast made it easier to separate the subject from the background, and unlike blue or yellow, green didn’t interfere with skin tones. This made chroma keying much smoother, allowing for cleaner and more precise edits.
When Did Green Screens Become Popular?
Green screens became popular in the 1980s when affordable computer graphics first emerged. However, they became widely used in filmmaking during the late 1990s and early 2000s because of the advancements in digital editing and computer-generated imagery (CGI).
And, as films pushed the boundaries of what was possible in cinema with green screens, this tool solidified its place in the minds of filmmakers worldwide to create stunning visuals.
A great example of this is The Matrix (1999), which featured the famous “bullet-dodging” scene, showcasing how effective green screens could be for special effects (see the video below).
Green Screen as a Standard in Video Editing
So, how did the green screen become a standard tool for editors worldwide? The answer lies in accessibility.
As technology improved, green screens became more accessible to independent filmmakers, videographers, and content creators. What used to be a complicated and expensive process for big studios is now available to everyone. Even platforms like YouTube are packed with green screen tutorials, and basic setups are affordable, making it easy for anyone to get started.
Today, green screens are ubiquitous across various industries, extending far beyond traditional filmmaking. They are used in corporate videos, live streaming, educational content, and social media, enabling anyone with a story to tell to create professional-quality visuals.
The Future of Green Screen Technology
Green screen technology has come a long way since the early days of black screens in Hollywood. It revolutionized how movies are made, offering endless creative possibilities that would have been unimaginable just a few decades ago.
As video editing technology evolves, the green screen will likely see newer innovations on the horizon. However, for now, one thing is for sure: the green screen keying remains the gold standard for many productions.
So, if you’re ready to elevate your next project with professional chroma-keying work, we can help you get started.
At Motion Effects, our expert team offers advanced VFX services that help you tell your story in the most captivating way possible. Contact us for more information.