Best software bundle

[MrGrunthunter]

Steve,
In several videos I've tried to remove complete background from either still images or short videos. I don't have a green screen setup so I've been struggling with trying to find an easy to use , and inexpensive, software program that will remove backgrounds. This is just a hobby for me and only my personal use so I can't justify Adobe Premier, etc. I have been thinking about the Adobe Photoshop & Premiere Elements 13 bundle though since the price is down to around $80 on Amazon.com. Will this software do what I'm trying to do? I'd hate to buy it and then find out it won't.

[Steve Grisetti]

I guess it depends on how much effort you want to put into it and how complicated the background is, McG.

If your background is clean and plain -- like a green screen -- it's a cinch. But more complicated backgrounds can be very difficult to cut out.

You can do it to stills with Photoshop Elements using the selection and Refine Edge tools. But you can't just knock out a background in Premiere Elements, unless it's a smooth, even color.

After Effects has a rotoscope feature which does an amazing job of cutting people out of almost any background in a video. But it's a pretty high-level tool and it's not cheap. (Unless you want to buy the subscription, which is affordable but is of course an ongoing payment.)

[Peru]

A green screen is not that expensive to set up. Certainly less expensive and time consuming than rotoscoping in AE.

[Bob]

You can download a 30 day free trial of Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements. Go to http://www.adobe.com/downloads.html, click on View All Available Free Trials on the lower left of the page, and look for Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements in the list of product trials. You will need an Adobe ID to download the trial, but that's free and you can create one there if you don't have one already.

[MrGrunthunter]

Thanks for the replies.
I may go try the trial version. The only graphics software I have is Corel Paint Shop Pro 9 so maybe it's time for a little upgrade. All I use Corel for is doctoring photos and I have gotten real comfortable doing that with it. Amazon has the Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements for $80 so that's not a bad hit. I just may have to break down and get a green screen also. I had Photoshop Elements 5 but never used it and now I've lost the CD to reload it again ()

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Just my suggestion:-

Our house in the UK is a Victorian cottage so, in one room, we painted the walls a matt green using a colour that was available in Victorian times so not out of character with the house.

Nice and even lighting on a smooth wall. Perfect!! Shuffle the furniture around to make some space and that was where I did all of my green screen work.

[Bob]

You didn't say which operating system you are using. Premiere Elements contains several different keying effects to remove backgrounds but some are only available on Windows.

Also, you don't have to use a green screen. Blue and Green are commonly used for keying because those colors don't occur in human skin, but other solid colors will work as long as that color isn't present in your subject and you can get adequate contrast/separation between subject and background. Premiere Elements has a videomerge effect and chromakey effect as well as Blue key and green key effects.

[MrGrunthunter]

I'm running Windows 8.1 waiting for all the bugs to be discovered in Windows 10 ;-)If I tried painting one of our rooms green I might as well be a bachelor again ! No amount of chocolate would overcome that scheme ha ha

[Dave McElderry]

Easier to ask forgiveness than to get permission.
Just gotta explain that it was for a good cause.

[Chuck Engels]

You can also use Blue or any other color that you can key out of the video background

[_Paz_]

You might want to wait a few more days:

Guestimated release date for version 14:

http://www.softwarevoucher.com/adobe-ph ... ease-date/