Netflix Invents New Green Screen Keying Method

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by Alex HohenthanerJuly 10^th, 2023

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A good green screen key can sometimes be difficult to achieve, so production companies are always looking for ways to improve and speed up the keying process. According to this article in New Scientist, the brains at Netflix have invented a new green screen method that may help.

Red, blue, and green

The new green screen method allows for even greater separation between the background and the actors in the foreground. It achieves this by lighting the subjects with blue and red light, giving them a magenta glow. Netflix then uses a self-developed AI tool to remove this glow and give the subjects back their original color. Check out New Scientist’s video about the process in the video below. The results – even for transparent objects like bottles and fine hair – look very good:

According to Netflix, the AI is fast but not yet able to deliver real-time results. Video credit: New Scientist

Promising green screen technique

While this technique does sound promising, some industry experts are not quite on board yet. Citing that for this to work, the green screen must be of high quality and is likely to yield satisfactory results only in a carefully controlled environment. Still, anything that simplifies the life of filmmakers and eases the post-production process is always welcome.

Do you have any tips on keying? How do you approach green screen work, and which program gives you the best results? Let us know in the comments below!