Blurring a Face

[Russell Lasson]

I’d use AE or Motion. I’d track the face, then have the blur connected to the track.

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Michael Gossen]

If you want to do it in FCP, try Joe’s Filters. There is a good one called soft spot that works well. Obviously it would have to be animated by hand, but you can get very good results.

Michael Gossen
Helium Digital Media

[Chris Parkhurst]

I’d like to mention that when I say ‘cheap and easy,’ I mean, without the use of AfterEffects or purchasing some other software or filters. Any way to, say use the Blur filter, on a specific area in a clip and then track the motion of the area, in Final Cut Pro?

Thanks!

Director, Editor
http://www.BarangFilms.com

[David Bogie]

Hand-setting keyframes for position is possible and tedious and the results are unnatural but so is blurring out someone’s face.
Motion tracking the center of the blur effect is a bit more complex but far more elegant. You just need to spend a few hours in Motion learning the tool. these are very rewarding hours, motion trakcing is an essential skill.
Know that the tracked item does not need to be where your effect is applied. The tracking point is separate from the effect point that is set to follow it. You do not need to track his nose to apply a blur to his face. You could track his collar button or a lapel pin and offset the effect point so it lands on his face.

Of course, it would be easy to apply motion tracking if you had put a red Bozo nose on your guy so you had something to track!

bogiesan

This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Michael Gossen]

Yeah, try Joe’s Filters then…you will be happy.

Michael Gossen
Helium Digital Media

[Russell Lasson]

[Chris Parkhurst] “I’d like to mention that when I say ‘cheap and easy,’ I mean, without the use of AfterEffects or purchasing some other software or filters.”

Motion is part of Final Cut Studio (free). Do you have Final Cut Studio or an old version of FCP?

-Russ

Russell Lasson
Kaleidoscope Pictures
Provo, UT

[Max Frank]

This is an indispensable plug-in – Andy’s Region Blur:
https://web.mac.com/andymees/Free_and_Easy/main/main.html

Among other great plugs [all free].

W

[Colin Mcquillan]

Duplicate the video track and place on top of the original.
****shortcut: SHIFT+ALT and drag source clip to layer above

Add a circle mask to the upper video clip.
(Effects-> Video Filters -> Matte -> Mask Shape)
change shape to an oval, set the centre point and adjust the oval to cover the face you want to blur.
Now add a Gaussian Blur effect to the upper video track and adjust the blur strength to your liking.

If the head/object is moving, you will need to key frame the centre parameter of the mask to follow the face. Best way to do this is set a centre parameter key frame on the first frame, then again on the last. Then set one in the middle, then in the middle of each of those, repeat as many times as necessary. Right click on the keyframe points in the canvas and set to “Ease in/out.”

Add a Mask Feather to the clip as-well (found in the same place as the Mask Shape)
Also, it will difficult to see what you are doing to the top layer, as it is the same video displaying beneath it, so while you are playing with the mask, change the lower clip’s opacity to say 50% so you will better see what you are doing to the top layer, and once done bring it back up to 100%.

Masking things like this are far better done in Motion or AE, especially if there is any movement. But this method is quick and easy, and uses all free effects that ship with FCP.

Colin McQuillan
Van BC
Octo 3.2, 8gig, 8800GT, 2×23″ ACD, 2TB G-Speed eS, Kona LHe, JVC DT-V24L1UA, Mackie 1202-VLZ3, KRK Rokit5’s….
MBP 2.4, 4gig , 2xLacie Quadra 500gig….

[Lu Nelson]

If you are working with Final Cut Studio 2 then you’ve got the tools with Motion 3.

Otherwise the Soft Spot filter mentioned above

Lu Nelson
Berlin, Germany

[James Sullivan]

IF you are staying in FCP use Joe’s soft spot. It lets you rotate the oval which can help. Depending on how much the persons head is moving you can key frame it by hand and do ok. If you have 20 shots you might want to flip to motion where you can motion track. That being said Ripple training has a wonder demo on using the motion tracker. They do not however show you how to track a blur. The trick is to track the video first. Then duplicate the layer. Then add a blur filter to the copy. Then add a mask and feather the mask. You then apply the tracking data to the mask and viola blurry face!!! This is my solution and I am hope that somebody will make a clone filter for motion that I can then track so that I can remove logos from hats. They suck. (I do not have affter effects at work.)

Good luck,

James