Black censor box

Leee wrote on 1/5/2010, 1:38 AM
Does anyone know the easiest way to create one of those black rectangular boxes they use to cover up naughty body parts? I'd also settle for the pixelate effect. I tried several methods but the existing Media Generators and Efx don't work exactly they way I'd like them to (they weren't meant to do that)

Thanks for any suggestions,
Leee

Comments

PeterWright wrote on 1/5/2010, 1:54 AM
Whether you use blur, pixellate or a solid colour, the principle is the same.

Create a "hole" in the video using either the cookie cutter or bezier mask. Use keyframes to follow the required portion if it moves around the frame. You can use feather to make the edges more gentle.

On a track below, put either the same clip, and apply blur/pixellation/ darken etc. so that this shows through the "hole". Alternatively you can put a solid colour event here and this will show through instead.
Rory Cooper wrote on 1/5/2010, 1:59 AM
Duplicate the track and add liniar blur and then add cookie cutter on top track

This will have the blurred bits right color right tone etx

Can you e-mail me the offending video clip to see if my suggestion works?

Rory
Rory Cooper wrote on 1/5/2010, 2:01 AM
Sorry Peter you beat me to it
TLF wrote on 1/5/2010, 2:04 AM
For the life of me I can't think of any naughty body parts. Only enjoyable one.
Rory Cooper wrote on 1/5/2010, 2:14 AM
NO! Leee the unedited version
Laurence wrote on 1/5/2010, 6:30 AM
New Blue Video Essentials 1 has a tool called "pixelator" that does exactly what you want and is very easy to use.
JohnnyRoy wrote on 1/5/2010, 10:18 AM
Since pixelation has been fully covered, the black rectangular box is even easier. Add a Generated Media Solid Black to the track above and use the Mask tool in Pan/Crop to cut it down to size. You can cover any shape this way not just rectangles. Of course, you could also use the Gradient media and make a rectangle as well. You could also add a Cookie Cutter to an empty event on the track above and make the border so large that it fills the rectangle. There are always more than one way to do things in Vegas.

~jr
Leee wrote on 1/5/2010, 11:57 AM
Wow, thanks for all the suggestions. I pleasantly surprised I got so many responses. I've been used to certain other software forums that when you ask a question, the only thing you find is the tumbleweeds rolling through the forum.

Anyway, I'll give some of those suggestions a try. I was so close to getting it right, but I forgot about the Mask tool.

Thanks again, I appreciate it!

(oh and in case you are wondering, they are not "real" naughty bits, just 3D CGi characters. I wanted to post a promo on YouTube for my website, but I think they frown on naked breasts even of the CG variety.)

Leee
Leee wrote on 1/5/2010, 6:34 PM
Thanks again, I took Laurence's suggestions and got New Blue Video Essentials 1 - works like a charm.

BTW, I already have Essentials 2 which has THE BEST chroma key filter I've ever used. Every other chroma key plugin or software I've tried needed to have a massive amount of tweaking for it to come out right, but with New Blue's Chroma Key, I just use the eye dropper and select the darkest section of green and it practically works without any tweaking at all....maybe just one or two minor adjustments.

Sorry for rambling, I just am constantly blown away by how much easier it is to use than any of the other plugins. Anyway, New Blue has some good stuff. Probably next paycheck I'll have to get Essentials 3! ;-)