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

That choice allowed star David Corenswet to react in real time to his filmed environment, rather than shooting him before a blue screen and later superimposing him over footage.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 9, 2025

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

If you’re still having the problem, you’ll want to send your blue screen log to Microsoft for help finding the culprit.

From Seattle Times • May 6, 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