Masking Effects in Premiere Pro CC: A Guide

Whether you are working with a short clip or a long film project, sometimes you need precise control over the effects you apply to your video. Masks are the essential tool for editing specific areas of your image without affecting the entire clip. In this guide, you will learn how to effectively use masks in Adobe Premiere Pro CC to refine your effect applications and achieve attractive results.

Key Insights

• Masks give you precise control over the application of effects in Premiere Pro CC.
• You can use different types of masks to select areas in the image that need to be changed.
• Soft edges and mask tracking help you create more natural transitions and adapt the masks to moving objects.

Application of Masks in Premiere Pro CC

The way masks work in Premiere Pro is simpler than you might think. Here are the steps to successfully use masks.

Selecting the Mask

First, you need to select the type of mask you want to use. Premiere Pro offers several options, including the ellipse mask, the rectangular polygon mask, and the free-draw tool. The latter allows for precise selection around objects, similar to Photoshop. Just click on the desired mask tool and draw the mask around the subject you want to edit.

Apply Effects Only to the Mask

Once you have created the mask, you can select the desired effect you want to apply to the mask. An example of this would be color correction using Lumetri Color. The advantage of this technique is that the effect is only applied to the selected area. You can also invert the mask so that the effect only acts in the outer area of the mask.

Adjusting Edges and Opacity

To ensure that the transition between the edited area and the rest of the image is smooth, you can blur the edge of the mask. Increase the value for the soft mask edge, which ensures that the transition is less abrupt and blends better into the image. You can also reduce the opacity of the effect if you want a more subtle effect.

Expanding Masks

In addition to softening the edges, you can also enable mask expansion. This feature allows you to increase or decrease the area where the effect is applied. This is especially useful if you want a softer transition that doesn't immediately start at the face or another important subject.

Using Mask Tracking

An amazing feature of Premiere Pro is the ability to track masks. Once you have created a mask, you can set it to adjust to a moving object in the video. To do this, click on mask tracking and select the option to automatically track throughout the video. This function works best if the object is moving continuously and there are no significant motion blurs in the image.

Adjusting Keyframes

After tracking, you can review the keyframes that have been created for the moving mask. You will see that new points have been set in each frame. However, the tracking process may not be perfect, and you might need to adjust individual points. You can manually move the points to precisely fit the moving object.

Using Masks for Different Effects

Masks are not just limited to color corrections. They can be used in conjunction with many effects, such as blurring effects or color balance. By applying masks in these areas, you can gain targeted control over specific areas of your videos.

Important Considerations

Remember that Premiere Pro is not designed as a program for complete compositing. It is ideal for editing and color correction of videos, and masks are a useful tool within these functions. Experiment with the possibilities, but keep in mind that for extensive compositing, other software may be better suited.

Summary – Masking Effects in Premiere Pro CC: The Complete Guide

Masks are an indispensable tool in Adobe Premiere Pro CC to apply effects precisely and effectively to specific areas of a video. You have learned how to select different types of masks, apply effects, adjust edge softness and expansion, and use mask tracking. With these techniques, you can customize and creatively shape your videos.