Get Started with After Effects | Mask a Moving Object with Rotobrush

For today's Daily Creative Challenge, we're going to explore using the Rotobrush to isolate a foreground object from the background in a video. The Rotobrush (v2.0) was released late last year and has had incredible speed and performance enhancements (along with better accuracy over the previous Roto v1). This is complex stuff...but with a few simple techniques, you can achieve pretty stunning results. Persistence and patience key! :)

[@henryklaverkamp6879]

I'm blown away by how good this tutorial was. Thank you SO SO much!

[@OneDamNote]

A few things that helped me speed up my workflow and help with reducing AE crashes.
1. Create TIFF Seq from the desired clip.
2. Don't use dynamic linking. If the playhead is moved on the Premiere Seq while rotoing, it will pretty much crash the roto.
3. In those hard to reach/tight spots, find the first instance of those areas, remove mask (alt) red brush) then move playhead about 20-30 frames, let it render, scrub and check.
Biggest think I learned is roto doesn't render backwards.

[@BackToReality]

SUCH a great video. Thanks so much for sharing. I normally do this manually (by drawing masks, frame by frame, with the pen tool) and simply cannot believe how much faster this is.

[@PaterBoy17]

THANK YOU. After Effects is such an intimidating software and this made it so easy while being entertaining!

[@PrinceTezoc]

Beautiful. Thanks for the lesson sir!

[@TheUnfinishedPotato]

Very well explained and super easy to follow 💯

[@zaynakassim4769]

OMG I LOOOVVEE THIS, been trying to get me to stay still whilst clicking my fingers 😂😂 thank you! :)

[@davidbucca260]

Amazing teaching skills! Thank you 🥲

[@TheSumpek]

This is super clear explanation!!!!!!!!!
Thankyou very much

[@grrlMel]

OMG, you just saved me so much time. I can't thank you enough!!!

[@jasonlevinevideo]

You're very welcome, grrlMel! :)

[@arpitshah229]

Thank you so much ... it was so helpful GRTTTT:)

[@samardeeb237]

This is really great teaching .. thank you

[@skeyenexus]

this video was great!

[@owensterba]

Another great tutorial!

[@jasonlevinevideo]

That's really great to hear (especially for a process like Roto which is fairly complex). Thanks again, Owen!

[@manchester250]

Thank you so muchm, the other videos didnt show how to fix problems like you do

[@philipp6985]

this was soooo helpful ty!

[@mariahwaring4624]

Superior tutorialist.

[@davidhill5976]

Brilliant!

[@jasonlevinevideo]

Thanks a lot, David!

[@Stupping]

Thank you youre really good.

[@Light59583]

dude, u are a god

[@WalterOttoimagenes]

Thanks you very much you explained very good

[@jasonlevinevideo]

You're very welcome. Thanks, Walter.

[@alessandrasantonastaso6036]

Thank you very much very helpful !. But if I have a video longer than three seconds, how do I proceed? and how do you put together the various pieces of the videos that we have cut out? Thank you!

[@jasonlevinevideo]

Duration doesn't change the workflow; it will just take longer for AE to propagate the individual frames and you will likely have to do more 'clean up' as it goes thru. Remember, the manual, old-school (rotoscoping) process was frame-by-frame..but this would/could yield perfect results (over an enormous amount of time). This is a faster, easier way...but there are some limitations without performing some manual alterations here and there.

[@alessandrasantonastaso6036]

@@jasonlevinevideo In fact it took me at least 6 hours to do the job !!! even if in some places (hair ...) it is not perfect. The document is very heavy! I tried to use "color range" and although even in this case the work is not perfect it took much less time! Thanks for the reply!

[@domiinus8658]

Life saver 😇😇😇😇😇😇😇

[@marie_mounier]

So well explained specially when you hate AE :) lot of thanks

[@jasonlevinevideo]

Thanks, Marie!

[@wizlinkx]

83 Thumb ups only for a remarkable tute? Says lot about how many want to do Rotoscope 🙃. I love making a living with doing it. Yes, not many have the patients to sit through doing this. All the best to Jason and those wanting to do Rotoscope.

[@PJ-co1xj]

What if you’re doing lips like someone talking but just their lips do you draw a horizontal line with the roto brush? Thanks

[@jasonlevinevideo]

Yes; I'd recommend zooming in when doing the roto stroke. Lips can be a little challening because the over shape changes (unless the subject isn't talking), so each lip may require its own roto (horizontal) selection and I wouldn't be surprised if you had to touch-up every few frames (at least, a little) but you should get a decent result.

[@sebastianshine4262]

Most important part: 12:05 - 12:51

[@husnainmurtaza9499]

sir love you and slute to your teaching ability

[@luizaporto9662]

Anyone else having trouble with rotobrush propagating by itself? After a few frames, it starts propagating and there's nothing I can do to stop. So I have to wait and star everything all over again.

[@gohargohar-dy6mi]

well u can dress like JOHN WICK u have gud apearnece

[@anistudionepal4155]

Good video got what i need but you talk in too roundabout way and not to the point.