• Adobe After Effects

  Mulitple Independent Masks with motion

  Posted by Tubaboy5 on February 8, 2006 at 6:38 pm

  I am fairly new to AE, and I am trying to achieve a certain look for a project I am working on. I have a video file that will be behind a mask that is slightly moving. The mask (or masks) will be 2 or more shapes to create a window frame effect with 4 separate moving entities. Nothing specific needs to be masked out, I am just using it create visual interest. I want each mask to move slightly independently of each other to give it a little bit of motion. The closest I can find to the effect I am looking for is the commercials for Grand Theft Auto Liberty City Stories.

  My problem is, I import my video as the bottom layer on the timeline. I add a new solid layer on top and create a mask. I invert that mask so I can see what I want to see (instead of seeing everything I don’t want to see), that works great. I can transform on that and everything is great in my world. Then my problem begins.

  If I create another solid layer and create a new mask shape, I can’t get them both to show up like I need to (the window effect), it will only show 1 side, the other side is still black.

  If I put both masks on the same layer I can use the blending modes to get the effect I want, but then I cannot use the transform function to move each mask independently.

  I am sure it is my lack of knowledge with the program to get what I want, but I have been trying all kinds of variations with no avail. Anybody know how to create 2 different independently moving masks that mask the same video?

  Thank you
  Justin Hartmann

  Tubaboy5 replied 20 years, 7 months ago 2 Members · 2 Replies
• 2 Replies

• 

  Mike Clasby

  February 8, 2006 at 11:57 pm

  “If I put both masks on the same layer I can use the blending modes to get the effect I want, but then I cannot use the transform function to move each mask independently. ”

  Do what you did above, 2 or more masks on the same layer, then Animate the Mask Shape (twirl down the Mask for the Mask Shape and set a keyframe). Double click one of the vertes (node thingy), this gives you a little transform box like in PhotoShop, then down the timeline you can resize, rotate and move.
• 

  Tubaboy5

  February 10, 2006 at 9:16 pm

  Thank you very much.

  Worked perfectly, just like I wanted.

  Thanks again
  Justin

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