skate & mountain video taken from free site –
https://www.videezy.com/urban/4174-skater-at-venice-beach-skatepark-slow-motion
Rotoscope with Rotobrush – easier?
Import a video into After Effects
Create a new composition with this video
Start at zero
Put your quality at FULL and FiNAL QUALITY
IMPORTANT- double click on the Video (make sure not to be in comp)
Grab the RotoBrush (Brush w person on it)
Cursor/Brush is Green circle – Command and left click + drag up/down to change size of cursor/brush
Paint through the center of object, AE does the rest (similar to magic wand in PS)
Hold down ALT to paint over place you don’t want selected
Use key ‘2’ to jump to next frame and check the mask (key ‘1’ goes back)
Now refine the mask
This takes time, be patient.
If you like the mask click on FREEZE and it will stay the same next time you open project
Refine if necessary
You can click on the Alpha to see the mask you are making
You can use the refine edge tool and go along the edge to clean the image
Use the brush on the edge, this will refine the edges
Go to effects and you can use the REFINE EDGE MATTE to feather and SMOOTH
Click Freeze again!
Rotoscope w Pen tool – more precise/more work?
Import a video into After Effects
Create a new composition with this video
Use the pen tool to do as few points as possible to make the mask
Click and drag to create a point w/ handle bars
Increase your magnification (scroll w mouse roller) to avoid touching handles
Points can be dragged
Use alt/option to pull handle bars back to point if necessary
When you are finished make sure to close the path where you started.
The Video should be masked now.
Press M to open Mask Path in Timeline.
If needed – Change blending mode to NONE to bring back image
If needed- U can click on color next to mask to change the color of the path
Click on the ‘Mask Path’ stop watch to add maks KEYFRAME at that frame
Move the time line a few frames in advance and modify the mask points
After Effects will make up the work in between (but it doesn’t always do it right so you might need to adjust points)
Optional:
You can feather the mask to soften the edges
You can add another mask and then change the blend to ADD to add to the mask
You can also add another mask and then change blend mode to SUBTRACT to the mask
Setting In/Out Points for Footage
Option/Alt + Left Bracket – In Point
Option/Alt + Right Bracket – Out Point
Add Effects
Experiment with Adding Effects to you masked/roto layer.Radial Flast Blur, Glow, etc.
Now add a background!
Inspiration/Tutorials: