blue screen

American  

[bloo skreen] / ˈblu ˌskrin /

noun

Movies, Television.

1. an electronic special-effects system that isolates and removes a static plain blue background from the live foreground shot so that the background can be filled or replaced with another image or video in a composite with the foreground.

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blue screen British  

noun

1. a special effects film technique involving filming actors against a blue screen on which effects such as computerized graphics can be added later and integrated into a single sequence

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Etymology

Origin of blue screen

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

‘I’m not interested in standing in front of a blue screen with a digital design,’ says ‘Wicked’ production designer Nathan Crowley.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 16, 2025

While most of the world was grappling with the blue screen of death on Friday, one country that managed to escape largely unscathed was China.

From BBC • Jul. 20, 2024

Crashed computer screens displayed “it looks like Windows didn’t load correctly” messages on blue screen — which is sometimes called “blue screen of death,” NPR reported.

From Salon • Jul. 19, 2024

In small letters on the blue screen was the word “Winner.”

From New York Times • Jun. 10, 2023

During ‘The Ed Sullivan Show’ on Sunday nights, when Roberta Peters or Licia Albanese would appear on the tiny blue screen, his head would jerk up alert.

From "Hunger of Memory" by Richard Rodriguez