Premiere Pro Masking Effect
Premiere Pro Masking Setup
Toggle River Footage Visibility
Confirm Beach footage shows underneath when River layer is hidden.
Effect Controls → Opacity → Free Bezier Tool
The pen icon under Opacity is the in-clip mask tool, NOT the regular timeline pen.
Draw Rectangle Mask on the Clip
Click corner points to define a rectangular reveal area on the top footage.
Apply Color Effect to Adjustment Layer
Draw matching mask on adjustment layer; isolate color grade to just the masked area.
Noble Desktop's Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate teaches Premiere Pro alongside After Effects.
Masking is a technique used to “hide” parts of an image or footage, in order that objects behind it can be seen. It’s incredibly versatile and is an oft-used tool in any video editor’s repertoire. In this tutorial, we’ll be getting down to the basics of masking so that you too, can have this handy dandy technique at your fingertips.
Footage Mask
- The first step is to Select theRiver footage.
- In the Timeline, toggle theVisibility of the Riverfootage off and on to see theBeach footage underneath. We’ll be masking the top footage so that the underlying clip can be seen.
- With the River footage still selected, head over to theEffect Controls panel on the top left.
- Scroll down until you see Opacity settings.
- There should be a pen icon, the Free bezier tool, under those. Click on it.
- It’s important to note that in the regular toolbar, there’s another pen icon. This is a little confusing, but keep in mind that one is for the Pen tool outright, which makes shapes. The Free bezier tool only appears under Opacity settings to make Masks, but shares the same fountain pen icon.
- Now you’ve got the Free bezier tool selected, click on the corners of the river itself in the River footage to make a rectangle. Remember to close your rectangle by clicking on your first point once you draw the other three. It’ll look like this:
- To ensure that the mask covers the bottom of the footage, click on the lower-left point.
- Drag it down below the footage window into the grey border space.
- Do the same with the lower right point, so both bottom points are now below the footage window. It’ll look like this:
- In the Effect Controls panel, a new set of options should have appeared for your new Mask, including Invert. Click the box next toInvert.
- Change the Mask Feather to 15. This will soften the edges of your mask.
- The Playhead should be at 00;00;00;00.
- HitSpacebar to preview your footage. You should now see the joggers going along a beach, but now their background is the mountains from the River footage. You’ve combined two videos with a mask!
Color Balance
- We’re going to adjust some of the hues in theBeach footage since they’re a bit too warm to truly match the new mountain background. Select the Adjustment Layer placed above the River footage.
- In Effects, type in Color Balance.
- Drag and drop the Color Balance effect onto yourBeach footage.
- In the Effect Controls panel, scroll down to your new Color Balance effect.
- Change Shadow Blue Balance to5.
- ChangeMidtone Blue Balance to 25.
- Change Highlight Blue Balance to 15.
- Now go up to the Opacity settings on this layer. Click on the Free draw bezier tool.
- Like before, draw out a rectangle on this layer, making sure it’s selected to do so. If need be, you can adjust the points after you’ve made the rectangle.
- Change Mask Feather to 10 to soften the edges.