Image Source: Unsplash
Adding a virtual background to your video conference or Zoom meetings is a fun way to make your sessions more enjoyable. Many backgrounds don’t require a green screen, because they act as a still image behind you instead of one that wraps around the users. If you have a cluttered and messy room or just want to add something new to your video conference, consider these free virtual backgrounds that you can upload and use.
Skylines
Want to look like you’re somewhere else entirely? You can use many impressive skylines to make you look like the international business mogul you’ve always wanted to be (or otherwise would have been if it weren’t for the lockdown). One example is this one from Hello Backgrounds, which features the CN Tower and other office buildings from harbourside jetty with moored white boats. If Toronto doesn’t suit your fancy, there are many other skylines to choose from on the same website from places in Mexico, the United States, and Europe.
The Simpson’s Living Room
Fox released multiple free backgrounds from it’s hit animated series, with many of them coming from The Simpsons. Although you aren’t a yellow cartoon character with big eyes and spikey hair, you will stand out against your other co-workers due to the beautiful bright colors in the family’s living room. The other participants can imagine that you’ve traveled on a business trip to The Simpsons house, or they can comment on the weird perspective of the kitchen in the background. At least it will give you something to talk about!
Minecraft
Developed by Mojang Studios, this sandbox video game became a massive hit in the early 2010s and went on to sell 200 million copies with an active user base of 126 million as of 2020. It’s so insanely popular that people who have never picked up a video game have heard of it, so using it’s blocky textures as a background is a no-brainer. Let your co-workers know that you’d rather be mining for diamonds rather than working. But, it may look a little weird that you’re so 3D and smooth compared to the blocky background.
Ron Swanson’s Desk
Ronald Ulysses Swanson is a fictional character portrayed by Nick Offerman in Parks and Recreation. Ron is the director of the Parks and Rec department in the fictional town of Pawnee, Indiana, and acts as the immediate superior to Leslie Knope (the series protagonist). Ron’s stereotypical deadpan and masculine personality was an instant hit with fans with Ron becoming a series favorite since Park and Recs inception. With this background, you can pretend to be him (or at least one of his loyal workers).
Windows XP Background
The Windows XP Background, also known by the name Bliss, is the default computer wallpaper used for Microsoft XP computers since the platform released in 2001. Microsoft bought Bliss’s rights in 2000 from Charles O’Rear (photo was initially taken in 1996). Bliss is virtually unedited and is an all-around beautiful shot, but it recently became a meme because of its instantly recognizable appearance. It’s estimated that billions of people have seen this photo, making it one of the most seen photographs of all-time.
