Visual effects can make or break a movie, but only a select few have truly pushed the boundaries of green screen technology.
Let’s face it, the art of a truly innovative chroma key is often overlooked. But when done right, it can take a good movie and make it great, or even turn a bad movie into something tolerable. The concept is simple – use a green screen (or sometimes a blue screen), cloth, or paint to composite images together during post-production. While big-budget blockbusters often showcase creative green screen uses, some of the best examples happen without the audience even realizing it.
From the iconic cartoon-live-action hybrid of Who Framed Roger Rabbit to David Fincher’s subtly feigned suburbia in Gone Girl, these are some of the most innovative and creative uses of green screen technology ever attempted, in no particular order.
1. The Great Train Robbery
While The Great Train Robbery didn’t technically use a green screen, it did feature one of the earliest known uses of visual effects. The filmmakers achieved their desired effect by cleverly layering footage on top of each other, double exposing a negative to record a scene first with the windows blacked out, then rewinding or replacing the negative and recording the same shot with the rest of the room dark and the windows exposed to show a passing train. It’s basically two exposures on one negative frame. This early film is a testament to the DIY mentality that has always been at the heart of filmmaking, pushing boundaries and finding new ways to tell stories.
2. The Films of David Fincher
David Fincher‘s unique use of VFX pushes the boundaries in every film. Image via Twentieth Century Fox.
The best visual effects are the ones you never notice, seamlessly blending with the story to transport the audience to another world. David Fincher’s films have always pushed the boundaries of VFX, but his approach is so subtle that it often goes unnoticed. From the opening title sequence of Fight Club to the backwards de-aging of Brad Pitt in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, his films are wholly unique and inventive. But it was his use of green screen in Gone Girl that really caught our attention. Take a look at this reel to see just how much thought and foresight went into even the smallest details.
Fincher’s approach to green screen is all about creation, not replacement. His use of VFX is doable and practical, making it a great starting point for anyone looking to experiment with green screens. Check out our recent breakdown on green screen kits or DIY green screens to get started.
3. Body Suits
Body suits have revolutionized the way movies are made, providing VFX artists with a real human reference point to work with and actors with a real human to interact with. It’s a genius way to help the VFX artists and actors work together to tell a better, more believable story. And let’s be honest, looking at behind-the-scenes photos of crews wearing full, green body suits – acting their hearts out – is our new favorite pastime.
4. Who Framed Roger Rabbit
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