You may have already noticed that some of your co-workers or friends with whom you make video calls on Zoom during these days of confinement by Covid-19 show the most peculiar backgrounds. As if they were using a chroma to show a background image that is not that of their houses and rooms, but a totally different image. Even funny. And even more: it is possible that they play a joke on you by making you think that they are with a clone of theirs that appears from time to time in the background in the image. How do they do that? Here we explain it step by step.
First thing: get computer zoom
Although the Zoom program has turned out to be a revelation in terms of quality in video calls both on computer and mobile, the advanced customization options are only available on the computer. That is, if you want to continue with this tutorial, you will have to worry about having a computer at hand , with a webcam and microphone included. It will be here where you will find all the options, settings and possibilities to make the experience unique.
For this you can go to the Zoom website, in the download corner, where you can find the client for Windows computers or Apple Macs . Download and install the program to have access to all the possibilities. Once you do this, the start window will appear. Here you can join a meeting that is already underway if they have sent you the credentials or the link. If this is not the case and you want to customize your background before starting a video call, enter with your user data or register from scratch to enter.
And now yes. Here you will have access to all Zoom options through the cogwheel or gear icon in the upper right corner of the main screen. The one from which you can join or directly start a meeting. Within these settings, attend the Virtual Fund section . It is where we will find all the options to make that unique background with which we want to surprise or attract attention.
Set any image as background
The most basic option is to change the real background of your room or home for another image. Here the possibilities are endless. As standard, Zoom allows you to crop your image in the foreground and differentiate it from the rest. And not only that, you can also change that "rest" for what you prefer.
In this Virtual Background option you can select different static images different from the real background. From the majestic San Francisco bridge in a beautiful sunset, to an image of herbs or a space scene. But not only that.
If you click on the + button on the right side of this collection of images, you can upload to Zoom any photograph you want to use as a background. It can be your own, collecting it from your gallery to have a personalized background. Or it can be from the Internet, downloading it as a JPEG from any web page. The point is to have the file on the computer to load it into Zoom. Then the program is in charge of planting this background and cutting you to put you on it as if it were real.
Of course, whether the effect looks realistic will always depend on many factors. Among them, the webcam on your computer has a certain quality . Also that the real background is very different in terms of color with respect to your face. This way the cropping will be easier for Zoom and will be done much more effectively. Also the lighting of the scene helps the camera to better capture the details of the face and background and makes the work of the video calling tool easier. Keep all of this in mind when creating the ideal setting. The good news is that you can test all these changes and options before entering any video call or meeting. Although it is also possible to change it live and direct.
How to use a background video
But the most surprising and striking thing about this function in Zoom is using videos as the background. Yes, animated images that show action and movement and that are projected as if it were the real background. The result is most striking, and you can apply it both to create a realistic scene but different from the real one, or to play jokes, draw attention or use Internet resources for any reason.
The process is exactly the same. Just go to the Zoom settings menu and enter the Virtual background section. Here we have a couple of videos predefined by the application with the camera icon in one of its corners. We can test and apply them instantly. Of course, the fun is adding our own videos with the + icon. From here we can explore the folders on our computer to find any video file that we want to integrate as a background. It can be from a movie, to an animation or whatever you prefer. Keep in mind that your image will be cropped and planted on that background while it plays. A concept that can blow your imagination to create all kinds of situations.
For example, you can pose an alternative reality to the one you are living, with clones that appear in your background. To do this, you can use the Zoom application itself and record the usual scene in your house through your webcam . The difference is that you must record yourself walking in the background, making an appearance that you regret or sending a message from this background. Without moving the camera at all with respect to the frame that you will use in the video call. Thus, when this is carried out, you can be in the foreground and scare or attract the attention of your friends with your video in the background, where your clones will appear doing different activities.
You will only have to include this video recorded through Zoom in the tool itself with the usual steps, adding the file to the available gallery. We assure you that the rest of the members of the video call will not be able to stop looking at your window . And, if not, at least you will spend some time entertaining or entertaining creating parallel realities.