Keylight 1.1/1.2 (32-bit processing) – Included with Adobe After Effects 7/CS3
One of the easiest keyers to use, even in problematic footage, Keylight is the only plug-in that supports 32-bit processing that we looked at. (While there is a version of Primatte available that’s 32-bit, it is currently only available for Apple Shake.) It was a breeze to use, but, unfortunately, does not have a preset for DV or HDV footage, so your edges are blocky and digital-looking for those uses. Additionally, there’s no lightwrap feature on Keylight. However, the seamless spill removal and other touches they’ve added to Keylight are gorgeous.
To get past the problems with the Keylight’s behavior on DV and HDV footage, I recommend that you get Andrew Kramer’s Serious Effects & Compositing: Advanced Techniques for After Effects which explains some ingenius techniques for getting the most out of Keylight. One of the things he shows you is how to adjust the edge pre-blur, to smooth out edges in lower resolution footage before it’s keyed, which gives you a smoother, more refined edge. While it’s not quite as nice an edge as what you get by switching on Primatte’s DV or HDV settings, it’s still a big improvement. Additionally, Kramer shows you some cheats and work arounds to get past many of Keylight’s other limitations. Read more about this training at the end of this article.
Another option is to get Red Giant Software’s Key Correct Pro which is designed to remove DV artifacts and allow much cleaner keys with programs that don’t remove those artifacts, like Keylight. There’s more about this product at the end of the article, as well.
Final Breakdown:
Platforms: Win/Mac
Program Type: After Effects Plugin (1.1/1.2); Shake Plugin (Version 2)
Pros: Extremely easy to get started with, economical (it's included with After Effects 7/CS3 & Shake), superior 32-bit processing gives much more precise color interpretation, fantastic spill removal, extremely fast, extended customizability
Cons: No DV/HDV presets, many of the more advanced features are complex to pick up without additional training, No Lightwrap
Demo Download: Click Here
Ultra CS3 (8-bit processing) - PC Only - Included in PC version of Adobe Production Premium
First designed to help broadcast professionals, Ultra has become quite popular with news shows and infomercials, as it allows the easy incorporation of keyed footage with 3D sets. While you won’t be able to import 3D sets into this package from your favorite 3D package, as all of the sets are created with a proprietary file types, you may find that some of the 3D sets suit the needs of your film.
Unlike the other packages we’ve looked at, Ultra CS3 is a standalone keyer which can export an alpha channel key of your footage into any format you may need once it’s done. Separating itself from some of the more traditional 'chroma keyers' which look at a certain color itself, Ultra uses vector keying, which is designed to analyze the pixels of the blue or green screen, detecting
if there are shadows or wrinkles in the backdrop and compensating for that to get a good key. The idea is that greenscreens don't have to be as evenly lit or wrinkle free with Ultra as they do with other chroma keyers.
This is an awesome concept and, when you try it out with the footage included with Ultra, it works out great. However, when we shot actual problematic footage for it ourselves, we actually found that Ultra had more difficulty with the footage than the other keyers that we tried. (You can see what we mean in our comparison pictures at the end of this article.) With enough samples and manual adjusting, you can get a good key for most footage, but it certainly wasn't as painless as I would have expected.
Just like all the keyers we looked at (other than Keylight), Ultra does have an anti-aliasing setting for DV footage. However, when I exported footage from Ultra with the alpha channel to After Effects 7, I noticed that it had more noticeable aliasing on the edges than the competition. (Plus, for some reason, I had difficulty importing and exporting 24 PA footage correctly in Ultra.)
While our testing did not find it to be as robust a keyer as some of the other keyers we looked at, Ultra does have an extremely nice feature that no other package we looked at has: the ability to monitor incoming video feeds live so that you can see exactly how your footage will key. This can be invaluable if you want to shoot an entire greenscreen picture, especially if you combine it with another Adobe application, OnLocation CS3. Formerly Serious Magic’s DVRack 2, OnLocation CS3 has all the lightmeters, colorimeters, and other analysis equipment you would like on a greenscreen shoot. Plus, it allows you to record footage straight to hard drive. If you have both programs loaded on a laptop, things will be much easier for your greenscreen film! Both packages are included in the PC version of Adobe CS3: Production Premium, which makes this a very handy keyer for anyone who’s upgraded to this new package. (While we won’t be doing an in-depth review of CS3: Production Premium for a month or two, I can already tell you that this is the most unbelievable software collection I’ve ever worked with.)
Final Breakdown:
Platforms: Win
Program Type: Standalone keyer
Pros: Allows you to live-test a greenscreen on location, low to medium learning curve, provides easy integration into 3D sets, allows up to 32-bit export
Cons: Not a plugin for After Effects, not as powerful as some of the other keyers we tested, PC only, No Lightwrap
Demo Download: Click Here
