Video Editing · Session 7
DoneUltra Key
Green screen keying — pulling a clean key with the Ultra Key effect and compositing subjects into new backgrounds.
Ultra Key Compositing — Real Estate Story with Green Screen Characters
Your story: You are editing a short real estate news story. Using Ultra Key, you will composite green screen characters into different scenes to create a fun and creative sequence. All scenes must be in one single timeline sequence. Use text to explain what is happening in each scene.
The scenes
Scene 1 — The Document Signing — Composite: Kettle and Tea
- Use a real estate video clip showing a broker and buyer reviewing/signing documents
- Composite Kettle and Tea into the scene using Ultra Key
- Add a text lower-third explaining the scene — example: "Broker and Buyer Review the Deal"
Scene 2 — The News Report — Composite: Orange Cat
- Use a newsroom-style video as the background
- Composite the Orange Cat into the newsroom using Ultra Key
- Add text explaining what the cat is reporting on — example: "Breaking News: Property Sold in Bangkok"
Scene 3 — The Key Handover — Composite: Singer Cat
- Use a video clip showing keys being handed over
- Composite the Singer Cat into the key handover moment using Ultra Key
- Add text to celebrate the moment — example: "New Owner Receives the Keys!"
Scene 4 — The Celebration — Composite: Robot Dancing OR Minecraft
- Use one of your Japan vlog clips as the background
- Composite the Robot or Minecraft character dancing among the people using Ultra Key
- Add text to describe the celebration — example: "Time to Celebrate in Tokyo!"
Step 1 — Set up your project
- Create a new project:
YourName_Session7 - Create two bins: Foreground (for green screen clips) and Background (for scene videos)
- Import all provided clips into the correct bins
Step 2 — Build Scene 1 (Document Signing)
- Place the real estate clip on V1 (background)
- Place Kettle and Tea.mp4 on V2 (foreground) — both clips must cover the same time range
- Apply Ultra Key: Effects > Video Effects > Keying > Ultra Key
- Click the eyedropper > click the green area in the Program Monitor
- Refine the matte: adjust Tolerance, Highlight, Shadow until the green is fully removed
- Scale and position Kettle and Tea so they sit naturally within the scene
- Add a text lower-third on V3 explaining the scene
Step 3 — Build Scene 2 (Newsroom)
- After Scene 1, place the newsroom clip on V1
- Place Orange Cat.mp4 on V2 above it
- Apply Ultra Key, pick the key colour, refine the matte
- Position the cat so it appears to sit at or behind the news desk
- Add text on V3 explaining what the cat is reporting
Step 4 — Build Scene 3 (Key Handover)
- After Scene 2, place the key handover clip on V1
- Place Singer Cat.mp4 on V2
- Apply Ultra Key, pick the key colour, refine the matte
- Position the cat near the key handover moment
- Add text on V3 to celebrate the moment
Step 5 — Build Scene 4 (Celebration)
- After Scene 3, place your Japan vlog clip on V1
- Place Robot Dancing.mp4 or Minecraft.mp4 on V2
- Apply Ultra Key, pick the key colour, refine the matte
- Scale and position the character so it appears between people in the street
- Add text on V3 to describe the celebration
Step 6 — Refine all composites
For each scene, check the following:
- Output > Alpha Channel — make sure background is solid black, subject is solid white
- Apply Spill Suppression in Ultra Key settings
- Apply Lumetri Color to the foreground clip to colour-match it to the background
- Scale and reposition each character so they sit naturally in the scene
Step 7 — Add transitions between scenes
Apply a transition between each scene (use Blur/Zoom or any transition from Session 6). Keep transitions short — 1 second or less.
Step 8 — Final check and export
- Play the full sequence from start to end
- Confirm all 4 scenes are present and all text is readable
- Save: Ctrl+S / Cmd+S
- Export: File > Export > Media > Format: H.264 > Export
File names
| File | Name |
|---|---|
| Project file | YourName_Session7_UltraKey |
| Exported MP4 | YourName_Session7_Export |
Example: Somchai_Session7_UltraKey
Submit both files to the class shared folder before the start of Session 8.
Footage used in this session
Green screen practice clips — used as the foreground characters keyed into each scene.
Download All FootageKeyboard shortcuts
Ultra Key itself has no default shortcut — it's applied by dragging it from the Effects panel.
- ← / →
- Step through frames to check the key at different moments
- Space
- Play/pause to check the key in motion
- Ctrl+Z
- Undo a matte adjustment that overshoots
Mac users: swap Ctrl for Cmd.