Examples of Creating Scenes with Simple Compositing Techniques

When you want to composite footage behind a character in your scene, you must also composite the character in the foreground using a green screen. Compositing always requires layering the foreground footage on top of other visual elements.

However, in some cases, you can use optical illusions to composite “background” elements in the foreground instead.

A Practical Example: Adding “A Chimney and Smoke”

Imagine a scene where the protagonist is walking through a landscape, and you want to add a “chimney with smoke” far in the distance.

While the chimney is narratively set far behind the subject, you can achieve this effect by compositing a “small drawing of the chimney and smoke” in the foreground layer, as long as the character and the chimney don’t overlap visually.

This concept leverages the unique property of video—so long as elements on the screen do not overlap, depth relationships remain ambiguous, which makes illusions possible. This is one of the exciting quirks of working with video!

Another Scenario: A “Laboratory with Shelves of Chemicals”

This setup would work wonderfully in sci-fi or horror films.

If creating the scene professionally, you’d transport large shelves filled with convincing glass bottles into an empty room, which is both costly and labor-intensive. For ultra-low-budget filmmaking, however, compositing becomes the go-to solution—here, your choice of visual design is key.

For example, if your setup involves filming an empty room to later depict a “laboratory with rows of chemical shelves” behind the character, ensure the actor does not overlap visually with the imaginary shelves. Overlapping would make the composite unworkable; you would need both the room and shelves as separate visual layers.

Interestingly, a miniature set can serve as the basis for the shelf design. You can capture a photograph of your miniature shelves and composite them in the foreground. By constructing an image where the character appears through the gaps between bottles on the shelves, you can create the feeling of a room surrounded by laboratory shelves. Applying blur to the shelves in post-production adds a sense of depth and realism.

Natural vs Artificial Compositing

One drawback of compositing is its tendency to feel less natural. Static object photos generally produce more realistic results than green-screened subjects. Compositing green-screened subjects requires a trade-off: you accept some loss of realism to achieve greater creative flexibility.

Whenever naturalism is your priority, it is better to composite photos into live-action shots rather than attempt compositing the actors themselves.

Balancing Cost and Creativity

When designing your setup, carefully consider how to make the most of available resources. Filmmaking can quickly become unsustainable if costs—both monetary and time-related—spiral out of control. By acknowledging differences in cost versus effect, you can sustain your creative practice while achieving visually compelling results.