On TV this is done with the announcer sitting in front of a blue screen. The TV station starts with a picture of the announcer with a blue background. Then a computer takes a second picture (or movie) and paints it over the blue part of the first image.

What the viewer sees is a moving foreground picture with a second moving picture in the background.

Animate your Home Movies
You can use ANIMOIDS to build an animated 3D image that you can then overlay on your home movies. Have a look at a simple movie we created. You can download this example movie in a selection of sizes and formats.

0.5 Mb Windows Movie 320 x 240

3.7 Mb Windows Movie 640 x 480

1.7 Mb QuickTime Movie 320 x 240

With ANIMOIDS large online library of 3d models and behaviors, it's easy to find a ready-built add on for your home movie.

ANIMOIDS does only part of the work - it can build a QuickTime movie with Animoids in the foreground and a blue screen background.

You then use your favorite video editing software (like Pinnacle Studio Plus version 9 - $99.95 but available for a lot less) to overlay the ANIMOIDS movie on top of your digitized home movie.

You may also need to use something like Apple's QuickTime Pro ($29.99) to convert the ANIMOIDS' QuickTime output to an input format accepted by your video editor (like .avi).

Step by Step Instructions

• First record your home movie and import it into your computer using your favorite video editing software.

• Next build the ANIMOIDS Movie Scene that you want to overlay on your home movie.

  The Movie Scene must have a blue background.

  Try to avoid using Animoids that are blue.

• Save your Movie Scene as a QuickTime movie using the ANIMOIDS software. (See our QuickTime Movie Tutorial for full details.)

  Make the screen size of the QuickTime movie the same as the screen size of your home movie. (Do this by changing the size of the ANIMOIDS program.) Use 720x480 for a DV movie.

  Record your QuickTime movie at the same frame rate (or as close as possible) to that used for your home movie. (For a DV movie at 29.97 fps, use 30 fps within ANIMOIDS.)

• If necessary, use software like QuickTime Pro to convert the ANIMOIDS' .mov file to a .avi file. (At this time you can also change the frame rate to 29.97 fps if appropriate.)

• Use software like Pinnacle Studios Plus version 9 to overlay the ANIMOIDS movie on top of your home movie. (Follow the directions that come with your video editing software for "blue-screen" or "chroma key" overlay.)