- About masks
- Getting started
- Creating a mask with the Pen tool
- Editing a mask
- Feathering the edges of a mask
- Replacing the content of the mask
- Adding a reflection
- Creating a vignette
- Adjusting the color
From the book
Replacing the content of the mask
You are now ready to replace the background with the TV news promo movie and blend it with the overall shot.
- In the Project panel, select the news_promo.mov file, and drag it to the Timeline panel, placing it below the office_mask layer.
- Choose Fit Up To 100% from the Magnification Ratio pop-up menu at the bottom of the Composition panel so that you can see the whole composition.
- Using the Selection tool (
), drag the news_promo layer in the Composition panel until the anchor point is centered in the monitor screen.
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Repositioning and resizing the news clip
The news promo clip is too big for the monitor screen, so you’ll resize it as a 3D layer, which will give you more control over its shape and size.
- With the news_promo layer selected in the Timeline panel, turn on the 3D switch for the layer.
Press the P key to show the Position property for the news_promo layer.
The Position property for a 3D layer has three values: From left to right, they represent the x, y, and z axes of the image. The z axis controls the depth of the layer. You can see these axes represented in the Composition panel.
- Position the pointer in the Composition panel over the red arrow so that a small x appears. The red arrow controls the x (horizontal) axis of the layer.
- Drag left or right as necessary to center the clip horizontally in the monitor screen.
- Position the pointer in the Composition panel over the green arrow so that a small y appears. Then drag up or down as necessary to position the clip vertically in the monitor screen.
- Position the pointer in the Composition panel over the blue cube where the red and green arrows meet so that a small z appears. Then drag down and to the right to increase the depth of field.
- Continue to drag the x, y, and z axes until the entire clip fits into the monitor screen, as shown in the following image. The final x, y, and z values should be approximately 114, 219, 365.
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Rotating the clip
The news clip fits better, but you need to rotate it slightly to improve the perspective.
- Select the news_promo layer in the Timeline panel, and press the R key to reveal its Rotation properties. Again, since this is a 3D layer, you can control rotation on the x, y, and z axes.
- Change the Y Rotation value to -10°. This swivels the layer to match the perspective of the monitor.
Change the Z Rotation value to -2°. This aligns the layer with the monitor.
Your composition should now resemble the preceding image.
- Hide the properties for the news_promo layer, and then choose File > Save to save your work.
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