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How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Posted February 18, 2009 at 11:55pm by iClarified
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These are instructions on how to use the iMovie '09 green screen feature to change the background of your video clip.

Step One
For this tutorial you will need two video clips; one that has been recorded with a green screen background and one that is the background you would like to change to.

Launch iMovie '09 by clicking its icon in the dock or in the Applications folder.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09


Step Two
Click New Project... from the File Menu
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Three
Give the Project a name then click the Create button.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Four
iMovie will now display your new blank project.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Select Import from the File Menu.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Select Movies... from the Import SubMenu
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

If asked to select a resolution choose the desired size then click the OK button. (Large is usually fine).
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Select the two movies file from your hard drive and click the Import button.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Notice the two clips will be added to your project.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Five
Click Preferences from the iMovie menu at the top of the screen.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

From the General tab of the iMovie Preferences window check the Show Advanced Tools box then close the window.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Notice you now have more tools in the iMovie Project window.

Step Six
Select a portion of the video you would like to use as your background by clicking and then dragging the mouse pointer from the start to the end of the desired clip.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Drag the selected background clip from the bottom event window to the project timeline at the top.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Seven
Next select a portion of the green screen video you would like to overlay on your background clip by clicking and then dragging the mouse pointer from the start to the end of the desired clip.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Drag this clip from the bottom event window and drop it on top of the background clip already in your timeline.

Select Green Screen from the popup menu that appears.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Eight
Your green screen footage will now automatically be overlayed on the background clip. Click the SpaceBar to play the video from the current location.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09

Step Nine
If your object is stationary or the green screen didn't quite make it to the edges of the video clip you can crop the area used to green screen.

Select the green screen footage from the timeline then click the Cropped button in the video preview window.

Drag the four corner handles to frame the clip as desired then click the Done button.
How to Green Screen Using iMovie '09
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Comments (20)
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Pablo
Pablo - March 25, 2013 at 5:15pm
THANKS PINK!!! BUT SHOUT OUT TO YOU!!!!!
Pablo
Pablo - March 25, 2013 at 5:13pm
I LOVE THAT SONG!!!
PINK
PINK - March 25, 2013 at 5:12pm
Right from the start You were a thief you stole my heart And I your willing victim I let you see the parts of me That weren't all that pretty And with every touch you fixed them Now you've been talking in your sleep Things you never say to me Tell me that you've had enough Of our love, our love Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough Just a second we're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts We're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again Im sorry I don't understand where all of this is coming from I thought that we were fine Oh we had everything Your head is running wild again My dear we still have everything And its all in your mind Yeah but this is happening You've been having real bad dreams Oh oh You used to lie so close to me Oh oh There's nothing more than empty sheets Between our love, our love, oh our love, our love Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough Just a second we're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts We're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again I never stopped You're still written in the scars on my heart Your not broken just bent and we can learn to love again Oh tears ducts and rust I'll fix it for us We're collecting dust but our love's enough You're holding it in You're pouring a drink No nothing is as bad as it seems We'll come clean Just give me a reason Just a little bit's enough Just a second we're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again It's in the stars It's been written in the scars on our hearts We're not broken just bent And we can learn to love again
PINK
PINK - March 25, 2013 at 5:09pm
We're not broken just bent and we can learn to love again.
Pablo
Pablo - March 25, 2013 at 5:09pm
Its on the stars, its been writtin in the scars on our hearts.
PINK
PINK - March 25, 2013 at 5:07pm
JUST A SECOND, WE'RE NOT BROKEN JUST BENT SO WE CAN LEARN TO LOVE AGAIN!
hiiii
hiiii - March 25, 2013 at 5:07pm
wut wut wut wut
Pink
Pink - March 25, 2013 at 5:06pm
Just a little bit's enough.
Pink
Pink - March 25, 2013 at 5:06pm
Just give me a reason
hotdog
hotdog - March 25, 2013 at 5:05pm
Hey pablo.
Pablo
Pablo - March 25, 2013 at 5:04pm
Im right here!
Hamburger
Hamburger - March 25, 2013 at 5:03pm
Where is pablo?
Alejandro
Alejandro - March 25, 2013 at 5:00pm
I agree with alfonso.
Alfonso
Alfonso - March 25, 2013 at 4:59pm
hey. this is so totally sweome and cool. #swaggie
mirad
mirad - February 5, 2013 at 5:59pm
i did not know u could green screen in imovie
Nella
Nella - December 16, 2012 at 5:54pm
Will it work for colours other than green? If I have a very uniform background of, for example, red, will it still be replaced?
isabell
isabell - December 3, 2010 at 10:03am
Hi, well done, the tutorial explained very well. However, I edit my video (i had a video of a black cat on a colourful background - wanted to change it for a plain, white background) in an exactly the same way as you showed, but unfortunately the background instead of changing completely into white - just overlays and gives a video something similar to TV fuzz effect??? I would be very grateful for your help. thank you
Predrag
Predrag - December 14, 2010 at 2:12pm
It seems like you didn't quite understand the concept of green screen. In order to place your cat in front of a different background, you would have to shoot a video of the cat in front of a green wall. It is very important that the green background is a very uniform, even green colour. Then you shoot separately the background where you want y7our cat to appear. When your cat video on top of the background video, iMovie will analyse your shot with the cat and make every green pixel transparent, so that the image below it (the video with the background) would show. Since your background was colourful, only the parts where there was some green colour were replaced with whatever video was in the background.
isabell
isabell - December 16, 2010 at 10:36am
thank you very much for your reply, it makes sense now! I thought it would work for different colours of the background - not only green! I do understand now the concept! I have actually tried it and it works! thank you!
Andre
Andre - January 5, 2010 at 1:58pm
Hi, thanks for the quick tutorial. You should definitely do a video of it also. Your video was the clearest when I did a search for iMovie green screen via Google. Andre http://www.andrefraser.com
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