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Maria_Quiban's Blog

by Maria_Quiban

Last Post 11 days, 8 hours Ago


I float everynight....
Mar 11, 2008 | 12:34 AM
Category: Weather
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I'm often asked how I float every night above my weather maps.

Well..here's how it's done. Through chroma key technology or green
screen technology. Every night before the newscast, I produce my weather
graphics on a computer system called WSI. After I finish building my
sequence of maps, I load "my show" into a channel that the control room
can access.

I then go in front of a giant green wall that actually extends out
several feet to the floor. I'm actually standing on top of/as well as
in front of a green backdrop. This is where the green screen or
chroma key technology comes into play. The camera is told that anything
it sees as green will be replaced with my weather maps. That is one
main reason that I cannot wear anything green as the camera will then
read me as a place to put maps over. Other newsrooms use blue walls. I
prefer green as I have fewer green items in my closet than blue.



Sometimes on Halloween night, weather anchors will wear a green suit to
appear as only a head floating above the maps. It's a trick of the camera.

When we turn toward the maps, pointing to individual cities, we are actually
turning to a monitor that is placed to the left and/or right of the
wall. Those monitors show the same image that you see at home. It takes
some getting used to. It was a little complicated at first, but like
anything else, you get the hang of it after awhile.

It's really a lot of fun.
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Member Comments Total Comments: 7
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samo714 read my blog view my photos
Mar 11, 2008 | 11:50 AM

you should wear more green just for fun lol. so has their ever been a time that someone played a prank on ya, and put a funny, or scary picture up and when you looked at it on the monitor it kinda freaked you out or made ya laugh? just wondering. on your time off when no one is watching, do you ever pretend your like superman and pretend your flying? again just wondering. well take care.
sebar read my blog view my photos
Mar 11, 2008 | 11:53 AM

I wonder what little green women from Mars would say, erhmm, I meant Venus. Martain's are red, just ask Karen Posada!

American Author, Poet, Songwriter and Filmwriter
"Mark Paul" Sebar
The Power To Write The Best!
samo714 read my blog view my photos
Mar 11, 2008 | 12:19 PM

are you claiming that karen is from mars?
mystere read my blog view my photos
Mar 11, 2008 | 5:55 PM

Maria,

Now that you're talking about the chroma keying that goes on to put you over the graphics, you might ask Mark Thompson about an April Fools Prank he once pulled off around 1992. I remember watching his head floating around on the graphics when the old newsroom at the old location used a blue wall...it was very funny! I've taken a video course at Cal State Long Beach as part of my requirements in Radio-TV-Film back in 1987. One time, I had to use the blue wall to help white balance some cameras when our vectorscope burned out...now that was one feat to pull off (I adjusted the hue and color on the monitor with color bars before I matched the blue colors from one camera to another). I had my fun days as a radio-television student, and this blog brings back some fun memories. Now I'm ready to see some punking with the chroma key on April Fools Day! (Is Mark gonna pull one off?)

Thanks for the great blog Maria!

"Mr. E" from Cypress
trojanboy read my blog
Mar 11, 2008 | 6:14 PM

hi,maria.always enjoyed your weather report.when are you going to do a webchat?
zelicaon
Mar 19, 2008 | 2:32 PM

Maria,

You are the cutest thing ON THE PLANET.

- Fan in Upland
saromchea read my blog view my photos
Apr 19, 2008 | 11:26 PM

MARIA LOVE WEATHER'S NEW AT FOX11 AND KCOP13!
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Maria_Quiban

Weather and sometimes News anchor for KCOP My13 and KTTV FOX 11, too.

Member Since: 7/4/2006


 

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