Out of the Blue
Q: What do E.T. and Superman have in common? A: A blue screen. Using a blue screen is a way of filming an actor separately from the background of the scene so that E.T. can ride a bike across the moon and Superman can fly over Metropolis. Let's see how this high-tech special effect works.
- You will need: clear, red, blue, yellow, and green plastic see-through folders; magazines; scissors; index cards; and glue.
- Your clear folder will be your scene. Make it as outrageous as you want, keeping in mind where you want your actor to go. Cut out your scenery from the magazines and glue it to the front of the clear folder.
- Cut out your actor-or whatever you want to move through the scene-from the magazine, too, but don't glue him or her down.
- Now it's time to set up your blue screen. One of your colored folders will be your blue screen and the other your filter. Find the combination you want to use by putting one folder (your blue screen) on the table with your actor on top of it, and looking at it through another color folder (the filter). You'll use your clear screen later.
- When you find the right combination, the background should turn completely black, but you should still be able to see your actor. What two colors work best? Why? Is there more than one combination that works? Does a blue screen have to be blue?
- A colored filter stops certain other colors of light from getting through to your eye. What colors were blocked by the different filters you used?
- Put your scenery over your blue screen with your actor in between your clear screen and your blue screen. Look at it through your filter.
- Glue a little piece of folded index card to the back of your actor. Cut a slit in your blue screen so that you can move him or her through the scene.
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