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Can anyone tell me the steps to remove (make invisible) unwanted background color from a logo, using Blue Box World the logo (now a jpg) sits in a white box, it is so ugly! That is how it was sent to me. I got the background to become a transparency in Adobe Photoshop, but as soon as I save it on an SD card as a jpg, the white background returns.

I was thinking Blue Box World could do this, make the background go away, leaving just the logo?

Kindest Regards,

Kim S. Williamson
Blue Goose Productions
Comfort, TX

Hello Kim,

Yes - there is a process where you can remove the white background color from a logo to superimpose it onto a scene/s.
You can use either BlueBox or Blue Box World for this purpose -- read the detailed tutorial for this process on my website here: http://www.casablancaexpert.com/articles/20090724_1

Hope that helps!

Regards,
Chet

I thought I had some vague memory of reading an article about this.... hmmm... must be the heat

Thanks Chet, you are so helpful. I hope to come to one of your trainings and look forward to training videos. Are there training videos on Blue Box World?

Kindest Regards, Kim

You're welcome Kim! Actually I too thought I had an article/tutorial on this topic on my website but I did not. I thought it important and valuable enough that I created one earlier today. I have added a number of tutorials/articles based on community interest/demand on the site.

Since you mentioned it - I would be delighted to work with you during one of my hands-on workshops! I will be back in the Lone Star State September 23-24, 2009. You can review the details here: http://dallas.eventbrite.com/

I do not yet have a Tutorial DVD on Blue Box World - I do plan on producing an Advanced Titling Tutorial later this Fall and Blue Box World will be a big part of that one.

Regards,
Chet

FWIW, I do it in Photoshop before importing it to my Solitaire.

Hello Ron

That is certainly a good idea, but since the Casablanca has no support of the alpha channel (apart from the .png logo function in the Finish window) -- how do you use the logo in a video scene of your Casablanca once you remove the background/color and have only the logo? -- I am as eager to learn as I am to teach

Regards,
Chet
(hope to see you at the Dallas workshop again this year as well Ron!)

The only software that I am aware that allows the use of the ALPHA CHANNEL is CB PAINT when coupled with the manipulated scene on a dual timeline and exported BACK to the project scene bin; much like PHOTOSHOP.
So, I am also willing to learn another method.

CasablancaExpert wrote:Hello Ron

That is certainly a good idea, but since the Casablanca has no support of the alpha channel (apart from the .png logo function in the Finish window) -- how do you use the logo in a video scene of your Casablanca once you remove the background/color and have only the logo? -- I am as eager to learn as I am to teach

Regards,
Chet
(hope to see you at the Dallas workshop again this year as well Ron!)

I'm not sure if the following applies to your request. I'm not even sure if will work in all cases (some logos may require additional steps) I posted this technique several years ago and it took me a few days to locate it.

Using Blue Box to Insert a Logo

This is a Blue Box technique I worked out using the Blue Box (BB) that comes with the Cassie. You would start by printing out the logo on a sheet of white paper and then getting it into the Cassie via scanning to a computer and using your PC Link or using a camera. You may have to work out where on the screen you want the logo to appear with the position of the logo on the sheet of paper or perhaps using a camera. (I only worked on the scanning method with Photo Transfer)

As I'm thinking about it, you could probably position the logo by using a simple PIP. Create a new color clip with White to match the white on the sheet of paper with the logo. Use PIP to position and size the logo and then make a scene of it.

In the following procedure you will ultimately have two clips - one will have your footage without the logo and one will have your footage with the logo. You will insert the clip with the logo over the original clip (without the logo) so you can trim it and add transitions on either side to have the logo fade in and out.

The Original Tip:


You can use the Blue Box transition, copy, the scene making function, and insert with fades to have the logo fade in and out of your background clip.

1) Choose the scene in which you want the logo to appear. (You could use a scene made from several shorter clips) Make a copy of it, label it “BASE SCENE” and put the copy on the storyboard

2) Create a clip of the logo for same length of time as the base scene. Add the logo clip to the storyboard to the right of BASE SCENE.

3) Go to the transitions screen and add a BB transition. Make the transition time equal the length of the clips. (Both clips must be the same length) Click Color Choice and place the box over an area of white and position it so it doesn't include the logo. Slide the color span to 100%. For area to Include position box to upper left corner of screen (mine reads (-40, -24) and then increase size down and right until it reads (720,480). For area to Exclude I left everything at zero. Click create. Make a scene of the full length of the completed effect (I used Range). Rename this clip something like “BASE SCENE W/ LOGO” so you can easily recognize it.

4) Go back to the edit screen and remove the clips you used to create the BB transition. Add the original “BASE SCENE”. INSERT the “BAS SCEN W/ LOGO” you just created into “BASE SCENE”. It will completely cover the “BASE SCENE”. Click RANGE. Choose TRIM E and trim to the In and Out points where you'd like the logo to appear.

5) Go to the transitions screen and add crossfades between the beginning and the end of the insert and the original background scene. Now your logo will fade in and out at the appropriate times. Make it a scene if you wish and give it a new name.

It's been awhile since I've done it. I guess I will have to go back and recreate it to see if I can still do it.

roncamp wrote:FWIW, I do it in Photoshop before importing it to my Solitaire.

I guess I have to retract that statement. I've got instructions for how to remove the background from a logo in Photoshop and I've done it several times, but it must have been for applications other than the Solitaire. I'm pretty sure I could do it with my old non-linear editor.

Thanks for the follow-up Ron - I was hoping to learn a new trick. And I imagine your memory is correct - Casablanca systems are downright stubborn when it comes to providing alpha channel support.

Regards,
Chet