Keylight 1.2: How to Create Realistic Composites with After Effects CS5
How to Use Keylight 1.2 Plugin in After Effects CS5
If you are looking for a powerful and versatile plugin for chroma keying in After Effects CS5, then you should try Keylight 1.2. Keylight is an award-winning plugin that allows you to easily remove green screens, blue screens, and other solid-color backgrounds from your footage. Keylight also offers advanced features such as spill suppression, edge blending, color correction, and matte manipulation.
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In this article, we will show you how to use Keylight 1.2 in After Effects CS5 step by step. We will also provide some tips and best practices for getting the best results from your keying process.
Introduction
What is Keylight 1.2 and what can it do?
Keylight 1.2 is a plugin for After Effects that was developed by The Foundry, a leading visual effects company. Keylight is based on a proprietary algorithm that analyzes the color and luminance values of each pixel and determines whether it belongs to the foreground or the background. Keylight then creates a transparency mask that separates the foreground from the background, allowing you to composite your footage over a new background.
Keylight 1.2 is compatible with After Effects CS5 and later versions. It supports both 8-bit and 16-bit color modes, as well as various color spaces such as RGB, YUV, and LAB. Keylight 1.2 also works with other Adobe applications such as Premiere Pro and Photoshop.
Why use Keylight 1.2 for chroma keying?
Chroma keying is a technique that allows you to remove a specific color from your footage, usually a green or blue screen behind your subject. This way, you can replace the background with another image or video of your choice.
Keylight 1.2 is one of the best plugins for chroma keying because it offers several advantages over other keying effects:
It has a simple interface with only a few essential settings that you need to adjust.
It has a high-quality algorithm that preserves fine details such as hair, fur, or motion blur.
It has a flexible workflow that allows you to tweak your keying results at any stage of your project.
It has a comprehensive set of tools that help you to refine your matte, remove spill, adjust colors, and add effects.
How to download and install Keylight 1.2 for After Effects CS5
If you have After Effects CS5 or later, you already have Keylight 1.2 installed on your computer. You can find it in the Effects & Presets panel under Keying > Keylight (1.2).
If you don't have After Effects CS5 or later, you can download and install Keylight 1.2 from The Foundry's website. You will need to register for a free account and provide your After Effects serial number. You will also need to agree to the terms and conditions of the license agreement.
Once you have downloaded the installer, run it and follow the instructions on the screen. You will need to restart After Effects after the installation is complete.
Step 1: Import your footage and create a new composition
How to import your footage into After Effects
The first step in using Keylight 1.2 is to import your footage into After Effects. You can do this by using one of the following methods:
Drag and drop your footage file from your computer or external drive into the Project panel.
Go to File > Import > File and browse for your footage file.
Double-click on an empty area in the Project panel and browse for your footage file.
After you have imported your footage, you will see it in the Project panel as a thumbnail with its name and file type. You can rename it by clicking on it and pressing Enter.
How to create a new composition and adjust the settings
The next step is to create a new composition and adjust the settings according to your footage and project requirements. You can do this by using one of the following methods:
Drag and drop your footage from the Project panel onto the Create a New Composition button at the bottom of the panel.
Select your footage in the Project panel and go to Composition > New Composition.
Select your footage in the Project panel and press Ctrl+N (Windows) or Command+N (Mac).
After you have created a new composition, you will see it in the Timeline panel as a layer with its name and duration. You can rename it by clicking on it and pressing Enter.
You can also adjust the composition settings by going to Composition > Composition Settings or pressing Ctrl+K (Windows) or Command+K (Mac). Here, you can change the following parameters:
Composition name: The name of your composition.
Preset: A preset that matches your footage resolution, frame rate, pixel aspect ratio, and duration.
Width and Height: The dimensions of your composition in pixels.
Pixel Aspect Ratio: The ratio of the width to the height of each pixel in your composition.
Frame Rate: The number of frames per second in your composition.
Resolution: The quality of your composition preview in the Composition panel.
Duration: The length of your composition in hours, minutes, seconds, and frames.
Background Color: The color of the background of your composition.
You can also use the Advanced tab to change other settings such as shutter angle, motion blur, 3D renderer, etc. However, these are not essential for using Keylight 1.2, so we will skip them for now.
Step 2: Apply the Keylight effect and select the screen color
How to find and apply the Keylight effect
The next step is to apply the Keylight effect to your footage layer. You can do this by using one of the following methods:
Go to Effect > Keying > Keylight (1.2).
Type "Keylight" in the Effects & Presets panel search box and drag and drop it onto your footage layer.
Select your footage layer in the Timeline panel and press Ctrl+Space (Windows) or Command+Space (Mac) to open the Apply an Effect dialog box. Type "Keylight" and press Enter.
After you have applied the Keylight effect, you will see it in the Effect Controls panel with its parameters. You can also toggle it on or off by clicking on the fx icon next to its name.
How to use the eyedropper tool to select the screen color
The first parameter that you need to adjust in Keylight is Screen Color. This is the color that you want to remove from your footage, such as green or blue. You can select the screen color by using the eyedropper tool that is next to the Screen Color parameter.
To use the eyedropper tool, click on it and then click on a part of your footage that has the screen color. You will see the color value change in the Screen Color parameter and a preview of the keying result in the Composition panel.
You should try to select a part of your footage that has a uniform and representative screen color, without any shadows, reflections, or spill. You can also zoom in and out of your footage by using the scroll wheel on your mouse or the + and - keys on your keyboard.
If you are not satisfied with the screen color that you have selected, you can adjust it manually by using the color picker or the sliders in the Screen Color parameter. You can also use the Screen Colour Pre-blur parameter to blur the screen color before keying, which can help to reduce noise and artifacts.
Step 3: Adjust the keying settings and refine the matte
How to use the view modes and status indicators
The next step is to adjust the keying settings and refine the matte that Keylight has created. The matte is a grayscale image that defines which parts of your footage are transparent (black), opaque (white), or semi-transparent (gray).
To see the matte that Keylight has created, you can use the View parameter in the Effect Controls panel. The View parameter allows you to switch between different view modes that show different aspects of your keying process. The view modes are:
Final Result: This is the default view mode that shows your footage with the screen color removed and composited over a new background.
Screen Matte: This view mode shows only the matte that Keylight has created.
Status: This view mode shows a color-coded image that indicates how well Keylight has keyed your footage. The colors are:
White: These pixels are fully opaque and belong to the foreground.
Black: These pixels are fully transparent and belong to the background.
Gray: These pixels are semi-transparent and have some spill or noise.
Green: These pixels are partially transparent and have some edge blending.
Red: These pixels are partially opaque and have some edge blending.
Yellow: These pixels are fully opaque but have some spill or noise.
Combined Matte: This view mode shows a combination of the Screen Matte and Status view modes.
Intermediate Result: This view mode shows your footage with only the spill suppression applied.
Source: This view mode shows your original footage without any keying or effects applied.
You can also use the Status indicators in the Effect Controls panel to see how well Keylight has keyed your footage. The Status indicators are:
Screen Colour Quality: This indicator shows how uniform and representative your screen color is. A high value means that your screen color is good, while a low value means that your screen color is bad.
Average Background Colour: This indicator shows the average color of your background after keying. A neutral gray color means that your background is well keyed, while a colored tint means that your background has some spill or noise.
Average Foreground Colour: This indicator shows the average color of your foreground after keying. A natural color means that your foreground is well keyed, while a colored tint means that your foreground has some spill or noise.
Foreground Coverage: This indicator shows the percentage of pixels that are fully opaque and belong to the foreground. A high value means that your foreground is well defined, while a low value means that your foreground is missing or transparent.
You can use these view modes and status indicators to evaluate your keying results and identify any problems or areas that need improvement.
How to use the screen matte controls and clip black and white values
One of the most important parameters that you need to adjust in Keylight is the Screen Matte parameter group. This parameter group allows you to control the shape and quality of your matte by clipping the black and white values.
Clipping the black and white values means that you set a threshold for which pixels are considered transparent or opaque. Any pixel that has a value below the black clip value will be fully transparent, while any pixel that has a value above the white clip value will be fully opaque. Any pixel that has a value between the black and white clip values will be semi-transparent.
To adjust the black and white clip values, you can use the sliders or type in the values in the Screen Matte parameter group. You can also use the histogram to see the distribution of pixel values in your matte. The histogram shows a graph of how many pixels have a certain value, from 0 (black) to 1 (white).
You should try to set the black and white clip values so that they create a clean and crisp matte, without any holes or fringes. A good way to do this is to start with low values for both black and white clip, and then gradually increase them until you see a solid white foreground and a solid black background in the Screen Matte view mode. You can also use the Screen Shrink/Grow parameter to slightly shrink or grow your matte to remove any unwanted edges.
How to use the screen gain and balance controls
Another parameter group that you can use to improve your keying results is the Screen Gain parameter group. This parameter group allows you to control the brightness and contrast of your screen color before keying.
The Screen Gain parameter allows you to increase or decrease the brightness of your screen color. A higher value means that your screen color will be brighter, while a lower value means that your screen color will be darker. You can use this parameter to compensate for any overexposure or underexposure of your screen color in your footage.
The Screen Balance parameter allows you to adjust the contrast of your screen color. A higher value means that your screen color will have more contrast, while a lower value means that your screen color will have less contrast. You can use this parameter to make your screen color more uniform and consistent across your footage.
You should try to set the screen gain and balance values so that they create a smooth and even screen color, without any hotspots or gradients. A good way to do this is to use the Status view mode and look for any green or red pixels in your background. These pixels indicate that your screen color has some variation or edge blending. You can then adjust the screen gain and balance values until you eliminate these pixels.
How to use the despill bias and alpha bias controls
The final parameter group that you can use to refine your keying results is the Despill Bias parameter group. This parameter group allows you to control how Keylight handles spill and alpha bias.
Spill is the unwanted reflection of your screen color on your foreground subject, such as green or blue tint on skin tones or clothing. Alpha bias is the tendency of Keylight to favor transparency over opacity when creating semi-transparent pixels, such as hair or motion blur.
The Despill Bias parameter allows you to change the color of the spill that Keylight removes from your foreground. By default, Keylight uses a neutral gray color, which can make your foreground look dull or washed out. You can change the despill bias color by using the color picker or the sliders in the Despill Bias parameter. You can also use the eyedropper tool to select a color from your footage that matches your foreground.
You should try to set the despill bias color so that it restores the natural color and contrast of your foreground, without introducing any artifacts or noise. A good way to do this is to use the Intermediate Result view mode and look for any color differences between your foreground and background. You can then adjust the despill bias color until you achieve a seamless blend.
The Alpha Bias parameter allows you to change the balance between transparency and opacity when creating semi-transparent pixels. By default, Keylight uses a value of 0.5, which means that it gives equal weight to both transparency and opacity. You can change the alpha bias value by using the slider or typing in the value in the Alpha Bias parameter. You can also use the + and - buttons to increase or decrease the value by 0.1.
You should try to set the alpha bias value so that it preserves the fine details and edges of your foreground, without creating any holes or fringes. A good way to do this is to use the Screen Matte view mode and look for any gray pixels in your matte. You can then adjust the alpha bias value until you achieve a solid white foreground and a solid black background.
Step 4: Add masks, color correction, and other effects as needed
How to use masks to isolate the foreground or background
One of the optional steps that you can take to improve your keying results is to use masks to isolate the foreground or background of your footage. Masks are shapes that you can draw on your footage layer to define which parts of it are visible or invisible.
You can use masks to isolate the foreground or background of your footage in two ways:
You can use masks to crop out any unwanted parts of your footage that are not part of your screen, such as stands, wires, or markers. This way, you can avoid keying these parts and reduce the risk of errors or artifacts.
You can use masks to separate different parts of your footage that have different screen colors, such as green and blue screens. This way, you can apply different instances of Keylight with different settings for each part and achieve a better keying result.
To create a mask, you can use one of the following tools in the Tools panel:
The Pen tool: This tool allows you to draw a custom shape by clicking and dragging on your footage layer.
The Rectangle tool: This tool allows you to draw a rectangular shape by clicking and dragging on your footage layer.
The Ellipse tool: This tool allows you to draw an elliptical shape by clicking and dragging on your footage layer.
The RotoBezier tool: This tool allows you to draw a smooth curve by clicking and dragging on your footage layer.
After you have created a mask, you will see it in the Timeline panel as a sublayer under your footage layer. You can rename it by clicking on it and pressing Enter.
You can also adjust the mask settings by using the Mask properties in the Timeline panel. Here, you can change the following parameters:
Mask Mode: This parameter determines how the mask affects the visibility of your footage layer. You can choose from different modes such as Add, Subtract, Intersect, or Difference.
Mask Feather: This parameter determines how soft or hard the edges of your mask are. A higher value means that your mask will have softer edges, while a lower value means that your mask will have harder edges.
Mask Opacity: This parameter determines how transparent or opaque your mask is. A higher value means that your mask will be more opaque, while a lower value means that your mask will be more transparent.
Mask Expansion: This parameter determines how much your mask expands or contracts from its original shape. A positive value means that your mask will expand, while a negative value means that your mask will contract.
You can also animate your mask by using keyframes or expressions to change its shape, position, rotation, or scale over time. This can be useful for masking moving objects or creating transitions.
How to use color correction effects to match the foreground and background
Another optional step that you can take to improve your keying results is to use color correction effects to match the foreground and background of your footage. Color correction effects allow you to adjust the hue, saturation, brightness, contrast, and other aspects of the color of your footage.
You can use color correction effects to match the foreground and background of your footage in two ways:
You can use color correction effects to make your foreground match the color and lighting of your new background. This way, you can create a realistic and seamless composite.
You can use color correction effects to make your background match the color and mood of your project. This way, you can create a stylized and creative composite.
To apply a color correction effect, you can use one of the following methods:
Go to Effect > Color Correction and choose an effect from the list.
Type the name of the effect in the Effects & Presets panel search box and drag and drop it onto your footage layer.
Select your footage layer in the Timeline panel and press Ctrl+Spac