Now - Chromakey For Everyone

Bullitt with Steve McQueen

OK

This is probably one of the most famous car chase scenes in all time.

Steve McQueen in Bullitt

The green mustang.

It took 4 weeks to shoot the 10-minute sequence, and most of the driving was done by stunt driver Loren Janes.

That was in 1968.

Now, here's a clip of a car chase scene from Vantage Point

OK, It's no Bullitt

In this film, shot in 2008, actor Matthew Fox simply sat in the car while it was rocked up and down by stage hands as he pretended to drive.

How times change.

That was thanks to Green Screen.

Green Screen is the way movies (and TV and TV news and infomercials for that matter) superimpose a background where there is nothing there - except a green screen. It's called chromakey.

Here's a quick explanation:

Now, why is this important?

Because now, a new company called Reflecmedia has invented a new product that allows anyone to use chromakey, and really simply and cheaply.

This is really important because now you can create all kinds of effects or locations or backgrounds without traveling long distances, and you can do it yourself.

***As Dan Chung from DSLRNewsshooter points out, this has been around since 2009, so 'new' it is not - but perhaps new to our readers.