Let’s remove a color from some media — basically, any video clip or image with a green screen or any other solid color background.
If you haven’t imported your media yet, just click “File,” then “Import,” and “Media.” Or, because I love keyboard shortcuts, CTRL+I.
Narrator: Next, drag and drop your media onto the timeline.
Now, navigate to the “Visual Effects” tab in the left-hand panel, and look for the “Remove a Color” effect.
Drag and drop the “Remove a Color” effect onto your clip in the timeline. Voila! Camtasia is now attempting to remove the background color. But, hey, nothing’s perfect on the first try, right?
If it’s not looking exactly how you want, head to the “Properties” panel to make your Dali-esque artistic edits. Bonus points if you have the stylized mustache.
Use the color picker to select the color you want to remove..
Zoom in really close around the edges to make sure it’s doing what it’s supposed to do. Hair can also be tricky, so pay attention to those areas.
It still probably won’t be quite right, so play with the “Tolerance” and “Softness” sliders until it looks as good as it’s going to get.
Remember to not go too crazy with these otherwise, you’ll do more harm than good. Just like salt, a little goes a long way.
You can use the toggle to do some quick AB testing. I also recommend changing your project’s background colors a few times to see if you can pick up any unnoticed fringe that you may have missed on the default black background.
And there you have it! Now all that’s left is to put these crazy kids somewhere that they aren’t…
…ah, got it! The first-ever picture from the future — taken shortly after we all had to start paying back our student loans. Maybe I shouldn’t have shown you that. Now I’m sad. Time to go drown my sorrows in snacks while I can still afford to.