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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Pick a mask tool from the toolbar
Select your clip on the timeline and look at the toolbar. The masking tools are grouped under one button, so long press it (or click and hold) to open the list. You will see the Object Mask Tool, Ellipse Mask Tool, Rectangle Mask Tool and Pen Mask Tool. Use the ellipse for round shapes, the rectangle for boxes, and the pen when you need to trace an irregular outline by hand. The video uses the Ellipse Mask Tool.
Step 2: Draw the mask over your subject
Click and drag in the Program Monitor to draw the shape over the subject. In the video, the ellipse covers a skier at the start of the clip. A red overlay shows what the mask covers. The mask also appears in Effect Controls under Unassigned Masks, where you will find Tracker, Path, Feather, Opacity, Expansion and Inverted.
Drag the handles around the shape to resize it, or drag inside the shape to move it.
Step 3: Track the mask so it follows the subject
A mask stays where you drew it, so it will not follow a subject that moves. Premiere Pro can track it automatically. Go to the start of the clip, and in the Tracker row of the mask click Track selected mask forward, the play-style arrow. A Tracking window shows the progress, and you can click Stop if you want to end it early.
When it finishes, Path contains a row of keyframes, and the mask now follows your subject through the clip. If you want to track a clip from the middle, use the Track selected mask backward button as well. For more on following moving objects, read our guide to motion tracking in Premiere Pro.
Step 4: Check and fix the mask frame by frame
Automatic tracking is good, but it is not perfect. Scrub through the clip and watch the mask. Under the Program Monitor, the Clip and Frame buttons decide how your edits apply. Clip changes the mask for the whole clip, while Frame only changes it on the current frame, with the tooltip saying that adjustments affect the current frame only. Switch to Frame, go to a spot where the mask has drifted, and move or resize it back over the subject. Premiere Pro adds a Path keyframe each time.
Step 5: Turn it into an opacity mask
Right-click the mask name in Effect Controls, for example Ellipse Mask, and choose Change to Opacity Mask. The menu also offers Rename, Cut, Copy, Clear and Select All. The mask moves into the Opacity section, and everything outside the shape becomes transparent. With nothing on the tracks below, you see black around your subject, as in the video.
Step 6: Soften the edge and adjust the shape
A hard-edged mask looks fake, so raise Feather until the edge fades gently. Use Expansion to grow or shrink the mask without redrawing it, and tick Inverted if you want to keep everything outside the shape and remove the inside. Lower the mask Opacity if you only want a partial effect. Keep adjusting until the subject looks natural and the edges are clean.
Want to use the mask for blurring instead of cutting out? Try it with our tutorials on blurring a face in Premiere Pro or blurring the background.
Tips
- Draw the mask a little bigger than the subject. That gives the tracker room to follow movement and leaves space for the feather.
- Track in short sections. If the subject turns or gets covered, stop, fix the mask on that frame and keep tracking.
- Use the Pen Mask Tool for tricky shapes. It takes more clicks, but it hugs people and objects more closely than an ellipse.
FAQ
Where are the masking tools in Premiere Pro?
They are in the toolbar, grouped under one button. Click and hold it to see the Object Mask, Ellipse Mask, Rectangle Mask and Pen Mask tools.
How do I make a mask follow a moving object?
Select the mask and use the Tracker controls in Effect Controls. Click Track selected mask forward and Premiere Pro creates Path keyframes automatically.
What does Inverted do on a mask?
It flips the mask. Instead of showing the area inside the shape, Premiere Pro shows everything outside it.
Want to apply effects to your masked clips faster? Explore BetterFX and add any effect with a shortcut.
