In last weeks video,
we looked at applying
a simple mask to our video clip,
and went over the basic controls.
In today’s video,
we’re going to dive in a little deeper
and take a look at more complex masking,
by using the draw mask.
Hey guys, whats up.
This is Serge,
and welcome back to my channel
for another Final Cut Pro tutorial.
When applying a mask to a video clip,
you are basically selecting a part of an image,
and cutting the rest of it off,
making it transparent.
Why would you want to cut off parts of your image?
Well, for one,
with a duplicate of the same clip
layered above your image,
you can select and apply an effect
to only a specific part of an image.
You can also add a title between your layers,
to make it appear between your subject
and the background.
You can replace an unwanted part of your clip
with a part that better suits your clip,
such as replacing an overcast sky,
with a nice blue sky.
You can even clone yourself using a mask.
The possibilities are endless.
Using a shape mask is a quick
and efficient way to mask off a part of your clip
if its a symmetrical shape,
anything between an ellipse and a rectangle.
But if you have an irregular shape
that needs masking,
you have to use Final Cut Pro’s draw mask.
Lets take a look at the basic controls
in the draw mask effect.
In the effects browser,
scroll down to the masks category,
and drag and drop the Draw Mask Effect
over your clip.
Now, in the viewer,
click to add a control point.
A red dot with a white circle
appears where you clicked.
Move the pointer over and click again
to add another control point.
These points are connected by a straight line.
Holding down the shift key
when adding a control points
will keep your points constrained to 45º angles,
so if you need your control point
directly in line with your last point,
holding down the Shift key will keep them in line.
When you click and drag a control point,
a curved Bezier connection
is made between the control points,
to better match curved shapes.
You can add as many control points as necessary
for more detailed masks.
Clicking the original control point
will complete your mask.
The area outside your masks shape
is filled with solid black,
representing the transparent area.
Any clip layered below
will show through in this area.
You can still make adjustments you your mask,
after its been closed.
Click and drag any control point to reposition it.
To reposition two connected control points,
click and drag the red line connecting the two.
To reposition more than two connected control points,
click and drag out a selection box
over the control points.
The selected points will be signified
by the white dot inside the red control point.
Click and drag any of the selected control points
to reposition the selection.
You can also add and delete control points
to an existing mask.
To add a control point,
either option click or double click the edge of a mask.
This control point
can now be adjusted as necessary
by clicking and dragging it to reposition it.
By default, a Bezier curve will be applied
to the control points,
but if you need straight lines between the points,
click and drag in the curve handles
towards the original control point.
To delete a control point,
simply select it and press the Delete Key on your keyboard.
Lets use some of the controls we learned
to add a mask to our next clip,
and use it to replace the hazy background.
Since there’s two different selections
in our clip we need to mask,
we first need to duplicate our clip.
Hold down the Option key
while dragging up to make a copy.
Now first. lets use a shape mask to isolate our foreground.
You can zoom out on the clip in the viewer
if you need to adjust your mask past the edges.
Disable the clip below for a better look at your mask.
Next, to isolate the hot air balloon,
lets apply a draw mask to our bottom clip.
In the viewer, start adding control points
to trace the outline of the hot air balloon.
Zoom in on your clip,
and add as many control points as necessary
to precisely trace the outline.
Use the controls we talked about earlier
to use straight and curved connection
points to closely follow the shape of the balloon.
Click on the first control point to close the shape.
So now, with the subject of our clip
and the foreground isolated,
all we need to do is add a suitable background.
In the browser, select a background clip,
and drag and drop it as a bottom layer in your timeline.
Use the transform tool to reposition
and resize the bottom clip to fit.
And as a final touch,
we can add a little bit of color correction
to make the clips look a little more similar.
Lets take a look at our clip before,
and after.
The Draw Mask effect can be used
on both still images and video clips.
Next week, we’ll take a look
at applying the mask effect to a video clip
where the masked subject moves.
If you haven’t yet,
make sure to hit the subscribe button
and turn on notifications so you don’t miss it.
And make sure to check out the rest of my channel
for more Final Cut Pro tutorials.
Thanks for watching,
and I hope to see you back next week.