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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Apply the Ultra Key effect
Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects) and type ultra key in the search box. You will find Ultra Key in the Video Effects > Keying folder. Drag it onto your green screen clip in the timeline, or select the clip first and double-click the effect.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Ultra Key and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 2: Pick the key color
With the clip still selected, open Effect Controls and scroll down to Ultra Key. Next to Key Color click the dropper tool. Then move over to the Program Monitor and click on the green area behind your subject. Hold Ctrl (Cmd on a Mac) while you click to pick a wider range of color instead of a single pixel. This usually removes more of the green in one go, because green screens are rarely one perfectly even shade.
Step 3: Check that the green is gone
The green area should now turn black (or transparent, if nothing sits underneath). The subject stays untouched. Zoom into the edges of your subject, especially hair and shoulders, and scrub through the clip to make sure the key holds up on every frame.
Step 4: Change the Setting if green is left
If some green remains, go back to Effect Controls and open the Setting dropdown under Ultra Key. It starts at Default and the other options include Relaxed, Aggressive and Custom. The video switches to Aggressive, which removes more of the green. Use Relaxed instead if the key eats into your subject.
Step 5: Fine-tune the Matte Generation
Still have problems? Expand Matte Generation. Here you can change Transparency, Highlight, Shadow, Tolerance and Pedestal. The video ends up with about 40 for Transparency, 10 for Highlight, 55 for Shadow, 90 for Tolerance and 50 for Pedestal. Treat those as a starting point. Drag one value at a time and watch the monitor, because every green screen clip needs slightly different numbers.
Step 6: Add a new background
To replace the green with a background clip, first drag your green screen clip up one track (for example to V2). Then drag the background clip onto the track below it (V1), so it sits underneath. Because the green is now transparent, the background shows through behind your subject. If the background is shorter than the green screen clip, stretch it or loop it to cover the whole shot.
Tips
- Start with good footage. Even lighting on the green screen and some distance between the subject and the screen make the key much cleaner.
- Use Output to check the edges. Switch the Output dropdown in Ultra Key to Alpha Channel to see the matte in black and white, then switch back to Composite.
- Remove green spill. Open Spill Suppression in Ultra Key to take the green tint off hair and clothing near the edges.
FAQ
What is the best way to remove a green screen in Premiere Pro?
The Ultra Key effect is the quickest built-in option. Pick the green with the dropper, switch the Setting to Aggressive if needed and refine the Matte Generation values.
Why is there still a green outline around my subject?
Raise the effect strength with the Aggressive setting, adjust the Matte Generation values and use Spill Suppression to remove green reflections on the edges.
How do I put a background behind a green screen?
Put the green screen clip on a track above the background clip. After the key is applied, the transparent areas show the background underneath.
Need a background to put behind your subject? Browse our free assets for overlays, textures and more. Browse free assets
