Can you mask in imovie

Masking is rather a feature most non-linear video editors have. For screenshots and video tutorials in this particular article we're using VSDC. It is video editing software for Windows, and you can download it here.

If you're on Mac, the most budget-friendly video editor with masking capabilities will be iMovie. You can download iMovie here. Technically speaking, the masking feature helps you outline an area in a video you want to hide, reveal, or modify. This particular area will be considered - and hereinafter called - a mask. If you've ever worked with Photoshop or its alternatives, the terminology sure sounds familiar. Practically speaking, video masking software enables you to manually choose a particular area in a video and work with it as if it was a standalone object.

Here are few examples. Once you start digging deeper into the topic, you'll probably notice here and there video editing geeks mentioning clipping masks or inverted masks when talking about video masking software. These terms describe the video mask application technique, not the tool. To apply a clipping mask means to add an image or a shape through which the video will be visible.

That image is typically a. PNG file with a transparent background. It is called either a clipping mask or a clipping path. Once you apply the effect, the visible part of the video will be "clipped" by the borders of the image, and whatever is outside will not be seen. Compared to the clipping mask, an inverted mask blends two videos or images in a reversed way.

This means if you place an image A on the timeline, then layer an image B over it and apply the inverted mask, the image B will be seen through the "empty" black areas of the image A. A great example of the inverted mask technique is the popular "Video inside text" effect often referred to as a "Text mask".

We hope you got the idea of what video masking can help you achieve. Now let's get practical, shall we? We've briefly mentioned some popular tricks - continue reading if you'd like to learn about how to use them in your projects. Blurring or pixelating something in a piece of footage is arguably the most popular video masking effect, and you have surely seen it a million times.

It is often used in movies, in the news, on security camera records, anonymous interviews, on drone-recorded videos to hide the GPS coordinates - you name it. Then select the video clip in the upper timeline, and click on the overlap tool the one that looks like overlapping rectangles in the tool bar in the upper right of the screen. To apply your effect, click on the little blue reset button at the upper.

I'm still working on this - I feel sure there's a way to do it! So by having duplicate clips top and bottom, I can color grade them differently - the top one for the sky and the bottom one for the landscape. Now all I need to do is find a way to soften the line between them so that it's a gradual change not a hard line. Any suggestions? Apr 16, AM. Also, you could simply use one of the iMovie filters click on the 3 overlapping color wheels in the tool bar at the top right of your screen to get the effect your want.

For instance:. Communities Get Support. Sign in Sign in Sign in corporate. Browse Search. Ask a question. Is this even possible in iMovie? I know it can be done in FCPX but that's expensive! If it can be done in iMovie please explain how More Less. Reply I have this question too 1 I have this question too Me too 1 Me too.

All replies Drop Down menu. How does compositing work? In compositing, two images or clips are combined in one of several ways using a mask. The most common way is to place one image the foreground over another the background.

Where the mask is darker, indicating transparency, the background image will show through the foreground. Where the mask is brighter, indicating opacity, the foreground image will block the background. Step 0. Open an iMovie project containing at least two clips of video. Step 1. Place both clips in the timeline. Step 2. Create or find an image or clip to use as a mask.

Ideally, the mask should be black and white. Step 3. Import the mask into iMovie. Step 4. Place the mask in the timeline, between the two clips.