Introduction

Superman returns! One of the most popular special effects of all time is creating of the illusion of a superhero flying through the clouds or over the sea or across a city skyline. With Premiere Elements and any acceptable greenscreen or bluescreen, this dream can be yours to achieve: human, or superhuman, flight!

There is virtually no child who wouldn't love to see themselves flying across the sky on the television screen, and there's virtually no child alive who doesn't know how to act this one out: how to stretch out across a dining room chair, how to place their arms in "flight" mode, how to look around at the "earth" below. It's almost as if we are born with the ability to "fly," at least in the special effects Superhero definition of the word.

When you're ready to shoot your own super hero scene, be sure to set up a greenscreen or bluescreen background as flat (wrinkle-free) and as evenly-lit as possible. Make any additional equipment (such as a table or a chair) greenscreen-friendly; that is, paint it "greenscreen green". Plastic patio furniture or kids' furniture can often work well "as is," if the color is right. The Chroma Key can key out any color, so you could match the background color (a sheet or paint) to the furniture, if that's an option.

When you create your own clip, consider dressing your hero in a super costume (or at least a cape) instead of leaving your hero in street clothes, as we've done in this project. You could optionally add a fan to cause the the cape to ripple in the windjust be careful not to cause ripples in the greenscreen.