Help! Need to remove grey background from video urgently

[catrines]

Hi all,

I hope someone here can help, as I am utterly and completely stumped...

I am editing my company's CEO update videos, and we usually use a stock photo or similar for background. Usually keying these is a fairly simple matter. Green screen, ultra key, boom. Done. However, I got the files for the most current video today, and... well. In a stroke of genius they have placed some grey/offwhite background IN FRONT OF the green screen (which is still visible along the upper edge of the video). Using Ultra Key makes his hair, shirt and the highlights on his face transparent, not to mention that the green screen in the corner is still there.

Some extra problems:

- Reshooting is impossible for various reasons.

- I only have a week to get the video 100% done, including all revision and changes, and there is nobody else who can help. So I really don't have much time to get this background out at all.

- I have googled it, but I either get results for removing green screen or results I don't really understand.

Is there a way to remove the grey background and the stuff along the upper edge?

I don't care if it's a lot of work or whatever (overtime, hooray), but please keep in mind that I'm not very experienced (used it for 4-5 months at this point) and there are a lot of functions I still haven't used. I have access to After Effects as well, if that helps, but have never used it before.

I will be eternally grateful if anyone can help me - is this possible?

[Mike Dziennik]

It may make more sense if you post a screengrab of the shot you are trying to key.

I think you need to use what is called a 'garbage mask' - Have you tried using a mask in the Opacity section of the Effect Controls panel?

[catrines]

Thank you for your reply and advice, I have not tried using a mask yet. However, it turns out that we will actually keep the grey video background instead of using a stock photo background like we always do, but apparently nobody remembered that the video editor *might* need to be told... Not complaining about less work though