How to Use Keynote as a Green Screen: A Step-by-Step Guide for Schools

Keynote can be a great substitute when you don't have a green screen. Live Video can be used to simulate the green screen effect on the Mac or iPad.

No Green Screen? No Problem! Use Keynote for a Green Screen Effect on a Mac or iPad

Imagine transporting your students to ancient Rome, the depths of the ocean, or even outer space. Do all of this from the comfort of your classroom. Green screens can make lessons more engaging, memorable, and fun. Use your Mac or iPad to put the user to another place or time.

 

animated gif of example of using Keynote and Live Video with green screen effect
Examples of using Keynote in Live Video for Green Screen Effect

Download the Instructions for Mac or iPad on the bottom of the page

iPad

If you are using an iPad you can follow the following steps:

  1. Most important is make sure you have good lighting for this work
  2. Start by creating a new document
  3. Select the icon for Media on top of the screen
  4. Choose the option for "Live Video"
  5. Make sure you have a static background where nothing is moving around
  6. Click on the paint brush on the top right of the screen
  7. Click on the slider for "Background" to turn it on
  8. Click on "Fill"
  9. A new panel will come up
  10. Select the tab for Image
  11. Click on the Gray Box to get another option to navigate to your background image
  12. Choose Photo
  13. Either take a photo or insert a photo from your files
  14. To create a movie of you Live Video, screen record your Keynote


 

animated giff showing the steps to use live video on iPad to duplicate green screen effect
Click on links at the bottom of the post to download slides
   

Mac

If you are using an iMac or MacBook you can follow the following steps:

  1. Most important is make sure you have good lighting for this work
  2. Start by creating a New Presentation
  3. Highlight the preset field by clicking outside of the fields and holding and dragging to include all the fields
  4. Hit delete to remove all the fields to start with a blank Keynote Slide
  5. Click on the Media icon on the top of the screen
  6. Under the Media icon menu, select the Live Video
  7. Make sure you have a static background with nothing moving to ensure the best Green Screen effect
  8. In the Inspector window on the right, click on the Live Video tab
  9. You have several settings for the background
  10. Click the Backgrounds box, this will remove your background
  11. If you click on the menu option to the right of "No Fill", you will get a drop down menu
  12. Click on the Advanced Image option
  13. You will get a default blue background. Click on the "Choose" icon
  14. Navigate to where your desired image is located
  15. Notice that your background will appear but it is "bluish"
  16. Click on the color wheel on the right side of the color panel
  17. On on the bottom of the color panel you can change the opacity
  18. Drag the opacity slider to zero, you will now see your background
  19. Create a video recording of your screen using screen capture (Shift+Command+5)

 

animated giff file highlighting the steps needed to use keynote in live  view to simulate green screen effect
Click on links at the bottom of the post to download slides

Also check out:

ADE Aaron Rogers created an YouTube Video on how to use Keynote for Live Video using the iPad:

https://bit.ly/3X5lS0T

For more information on Live View for Keynote please see Apple's support pages below:

Mac

iPad

Download the Instructions for iPad or Mac in PDF or Pages formats below:


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5 replies

August 14, 2024

I love this feature in Keynote. You’ve provided a great step-by-step walkthrough of how to utilize this great tool. I might just have to sell my green screen… 😁

August 15, 2024

Great resource for improving our video projects.

August 17, 2024

The step by step on using this amazing green screen feature in Keynote is very helpful! Thanks Michael.

August 17, 2024

Hi Michael

This is the perfect resource at the perfect time! Thank you for sharing, as it would have taken time to create a post with this depth. I have used Keynote Live before, but like anything, 'use it or lose it'. If I don't use it often, I can forget the steps! I will be using this next week!

August 20, 2024

So helpful! Thanks for the detailed information.

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