HOW TO MAKE MASKS AND BACKGROUNDS
Guide for the IMPAKT New Year’s Bal Masqué and Virtual Background Battle
First step: Installing and Configuring Snap Camera
Install Snap Camera
1. Go to the official download pagehttps://snapcamera.snapchat.com/.
2. Choose «I have read the Privacy Policy…».
3. Confirm the captcha in the block below.
4. Click Download for Mac to download Snap Camera for MAC OS or Download for PC for Windows.
5. Save and run the proposed file.
If you are using Windows, to install, click on the Next button four times, then on Install and finally on Finish.
The program will open automatically.
For Mac OS, drag the Snap Chat thumbnail to the Applications directory, open it from the general list of programs, and allow it to launch in the security window.
Set up the program
1. In the main window, click Next twice and then Finish.
2. The camera itself is displayed at the top of the page, and the masks below.
3. Below the window for the camera, there is a column for searching masks Search Lenses.
4. In this window, insert the link corresponding to the mask. Press Enter.
5. Click on the loaded mask under the camera window. The selected mask is on!
Just give it two more minutes for setting up, and all participants in the ZOOM conference will see you in a mask!
6. But of course you can also choose from the many masks that other Snap Camera users have made. Select from the sections Snap Camera has made for you …
… or enter a key word in the “Search Lenses” bar, for instance “donkey”:
Or create your own masks (AKA lenses) in Lens Studio:
a mask!
Second step: Work at ZOOM
1. Go to the ZOOM conference.
2. On the bottom panel, find the Video button and a small arrow next to it. Click on the arrow. Choose Snap Camera.
3. Turn on the camera. Now all conference participants see you in a festive mask!
PLEASE NOTE that you have to switch on Snap Camera and ZOOM in the right order. First you need to switch on Snap Camera while ALL your other camera and streaming apps are SWITCHED OFF. After that you can switch on ZOOM and select Snap Camera as your camera device:
THIRD STEP: CREATE YOUR OWN VIRTUAL VIDEO BACKGROUND
In ZOOM you can import your own videos and use them as your virtual background. The have to be in a certain format and resolution. It accepts mp4 files between 640x360p and 1920×1080 up. Just experiment. ZOOM will tell you when it is too high or too low or a not supported format. It is best to select short and/or stationary videos since the imported background clip will always start at the beginning and than play in loop.
Please be Aware that note that your computer needs a good processor to handle the video backgrounds and masks
1. In ZOOM you can select preset Virtual Backgrounds:
You can select from the few images and videos they have as default:
2. But clicking the plus on the top right will allow you to go to any folder on your drive where you have stored your background videos, clips and photo’s and you can add them to the available set of background options, and activate them whenever you want.You can simply download videos from YouTube or go to websites that sell stock video clips, like this one: https://www.videvo.net. Most of them will allow you to download previews for free. They are sometimes watermarked, but aren’t we all wearing clothes with brands on them?
Here is such a video combined with a Snap Camera face mask:
Also VLC has a feature that allows you to download any clip that is on YouTube and save it as an mp4 in the resolution you need.
There are also some website that can do this for you, but most of them suck.
Here is a clip downloaded from YouTube combined with a Snap Camera face mask
3. VJ-ing, scratching and mixing in ZOOM
You can scratch on the music if you use the mirror function (bottom right):
If you tick “I have a green screen”,, even when you don’t have one you can create solarization effects and mix your camera image with the virtual background video:
By changing the “detected color” that the filter will see as the “green”of the green screen you can decided which parts of your image become transparant.
With the Rotate 90 degrees option you can turn yourself upside down.
(See image, top left)
Some version of ZOOM also allows you to use a set of ZOOM masks and images, just like Chat Camera. You can use ZOOM and Snap Camera masks at the same time and layer them over each other.
Here is a ZOOM Bandana mask combined with a Snap Camera Evil Clown mask against a trippy video background:
Have Fun!