
As I mentioned earlier, more advanced programs like After Effects have more customization options with masks, but Sony Vegas does a decent job of introducing masks. It is easy to see the power of masking tools when used in your compositions. I have created a new layer to go beneath my original layer. If you accidentally close your properties dialog window you can bring it back up by clicking on the green puzzle piece located on your media in the timeline, as shown in Figure E. Once that has opened you can make your adjustments. A dialog box will pop up with the default effect settings ( Figure D). After choosing the mask or cookie cutter shape you want, drag it onto your media. (Unfortunately, you can’t do this with Sony Vegas.) By doing this you give the impression that the digital effect is passing behind your subject. Using Adobe After Effects you can insert a mask and custom shape the mask around your subject. Keep in mind that the subject must stay in front of the green screen.Īnother example would be if you had a subject like a person and another object that’s an element like a digital effect that you want to pass behind the subject. A mask, put simply, cuts out the junk that you do not want the viewer to see.įor example, if you have only a small green screen and you want a wider shot of the subject, you can mask out all of the surrounding background that is not key-able. As amazing as it may sound, masking is a technique that has been around since before computers. Now, let me take a minute to explain what a mask really is. The FX you are looking for in the list is Cookie Cutter. Proceed to the bottom tabs and select Video FX. I will talk a little more about other features of the masking tools for video footage later.Īfter choosing your media, drag out onto the timeline ( Figure C). This technique will work for static images as well as your stock video footage. I will be using a simple JPEG for this example ( Figure B). Once you open your new file, the next step is to browse for content you will be using. Let’s start by opening a new document by going up to File on the menu and then New, or the + N keyboard shortcut ( Figure A).
#HOW TO INSERT TEXT IN SONY VEGAS PDF#
This blog post is also available in PDF form as a TechRepublic download. Keeping that little tidbit in mind let us proceed to the tutorial. Sony Vegas is a consumer product made for the average amateur editor, but when it comes to overall functionality, Vegas rivals its more extensive and expensive competitors. Rather, it chose to call its tool Cookie Cutter. The question was actually a very good one because the creators of Sony Vegas decided not to call it a masking tool like other image editing applications. Since I am a huge proponent of Sony Vegas, I embraced this opportunity.
#HOW TO INSERT TEXT IN SONY VEGAS HOW TO#
I received a call recently from someone wanting to know how to create an image mask using Sony Vegas. Steven Warren shows you how to create a mask using this tool inside of Sony Vegas. Creating what is commonly known as a mask in Sony Vegas requires the use of an applet called Cookie Cutter. Sony Vegas is an image editing and manipulation application geared toward the average amateur editor, but it is still a very powerful and capable tool. How do I… Create an image mask when using Sony Vegas?
