Circular PiP

[Michael Hancock]

Sure is, and it’s one of my favorite tricks. Here’s your list of ingredients:
2 Effects–1 PIP, 1 Matte Key effect.
1 Title.

The Recipe:
We’ll set up a scenario to get you going. V1 is your Background. V2 is your Interview. V3 is your Matte.

Cut your background into place on V1. Cut your interview into place on V2. Apply a PIP effect to your interview, size it until it suits and then move it to the corner you want it in.

Open your Title Tool. Select the Circle button and make a circle over your interview portion of the screen (to make a perfect circle, hold Shift while you make it). Make this circle the exact size and position you want it to be when it’s all said and done.

Make the fill of your circle completely black. Now deselect the V at the bottom of the title tool to turn off the video preview–thereby giving your title a solid background. Select the box to the left of the V and choose White. You want it to be a white circle on a black background. When you’ve done this, save the title.

Cut this title onto V3. Remove the title effect. This will leave you with just your fill. You should have a white background with a black circle. Now, apply a Matte Key effect to V3. This should create a circle matte exactly where you want it, keeping just a circle part of your interview and punching the rest out, leaving your background.

2 More Things:
1. I might have the colors mixed up. If it’s giving you the inverse of what you want, either make the background of your title black and the circle white, or choose “Invert Matte” in the matte key effect.

2. You’ll have a hard edge on your circle. If you don’t like that, do this: Make your circle as before, then apply a 1 drop shadow. Make the fill completely transparent and the shadow completely opaque and black. Then apply a Soften Shadow (Alt+Ctrl+H on a PC). The higher the number, the softer the edge (choose from 4 to 40). This will give you a soft, gradient like transparency blend on your matte.

Use this trick anytime you want to make a custom matte. The title tool, as backwards and weird as it is, can be your friend.

Post back if you have problems, and best of luck!

Michael.

[Steve Brame]

Holy Crap!

Have you ever thought about making a “Tips and Tricks” DVD? You could make a mint!

Thanks!!!!!!

Steve Brame
DoYouStream.com

[Alex Udell]

Hi…

I agree…

this a nice one…

Something so simple on many editors and comp softwares is not easy here…

Thanks for the insight…

Alex

[Steve Brame]

I’m serious promoboy….

This stuff isn’t in any manual or on any training DVD. There’s a need. If you’d make a DVD, they would come. I have a hot PayPal account just waiting for the first person to make one.

Steve Brame
DoYouStream.com

[Michael Hancock]

Thanks! I had thought about writing a manual to Avid editing and effects that would come with an accompanying DVD, but the amount of time it would take is greater than the amount of free time I have right now. That and I’m not conviced I know nearly enough to make it a guide worth buying. Thanks for the vote of confidence though! Glad everything worked for you.

Mike.