Load effects masks

Effects masks are a tool that allow you to apply specific effects to a selected area of a video and leaving other parts of the video unchanged. The effects mask creates a kind of mask that defines the area to which effects are applied. This can be particularly useful when, for example, you want to blur only the background of a video while keeping the actual object in the foreground sharp.

Typical use cases include:

  • Image optimization: A typical example is a horizontal pan across a horizon, in which case the upper or lower area of the image is brightened or colored in.

  • Eye-catching color gradients, colorations, etc.

  • Special effects such as pixelation of a car license plate.

Effects masks are regular image objects and may be animated or attached to a certain image position to use them as moving video images.

Load effects mask

  1. Select the object in the timeline to apply the effects mask to.

  2. Open the desired video effect in the Media Pool (except "Chroma Key").

  3. Set up the effect parameters in the Media Pool that should be applied using the effect mask.

  4. Click the button in the upper right corner of the effects page for more options → Load effects mask.

    Now, find the template for SD and HD material in the folder that opens.

  5. Double-click the mask you want to apply. The brighter the area in the effects mask, the stronger the effect will be.

    • Black indicates no effect, and white indicates full effect.

    • Black indicates no effect, and white indicates full effect.

    When using your own color images, the brightness values are used.

  6. In the effect overview, you can define if effects mask should also be used for other effects Click on the masking button for every effect the mask will be applied to.

Remove effects mask

Click the More options → Delete effects in the upper right corner of the effects page to remove the effects mask.

Invert mask

You can also invert masks: Click on the arrow in the mask effect's object, which appears when you position the mouse over this object. This makes all dark areas light, and all light areas dark. To revert the masks, click the arrow again.