Blur Portion of Frame - How To?

rtbond wrote on 3/16/2008, 9:28 AM

Folks,

I am sure this has been answered before, but I was unable to find it in a search. What is the simplest way to blur a portion of a frame, say a license plate on a car, in Vegas?

Thanks!

--Rob

Comments

p@mast3rs wrote on 3/16/2008, 9:47 AM

use a mask

rtbond wrote on 3/16/2008, 9:57 AM

Thanks, but any chance of sharing a little more detail?

Kennymusicman wrote on 3/16/2008, 10:14 AM

There are various ways

1 method (albeit in brief).:
Duplicate your video track (put it above your original track), and add a blur fx. Next, under event pan/crop, select mask and draw a mask around your license plate. Then, if movement, apply automation over time as necessary.

Nobody wrote on 3/16/2008, 10:56 AM

Here's a link to oneof the other threads that Kenny was talking about:

http://www.sonycreativesoftware.com/forums/ShowMessage.asp?MessageID=578969&Replies=3

rs170a wrote on 3/16/2008, 11:13 AM

Check out Vol. 1 #12 of Edward Troxel's free newsletter for the article Blurring Faces a la "Cops" .
The technique can be applied to anything you want to blur.

Mike

rtbond wrote on 3/16/2008, 11:40 AM

Thanks. Actually combining the blur and mask in a search turned up this earlier thread.

Thanks guys!

One minor thing. I need to key frame the cookie cutter FX, as the area of interest is moving. In addition to moving the position of the cookie cutter area, I would like to resize the (rectangular) area, but only in the Y (height) direction. The Cookie Cutter FX "size" parameter seems to scale "X" and "Y", which is not what I want. Any suggestions here?

--Rob

Kennymusicman wrote on 3/16/2008, 12:32 PM

For what you are wanting to do, I would not have used cookie cutter, but instead used a mask - you have complete control over placement, shape and size that way. This gives you great flexiblity to account for perspective distortion, 'wacky' shapes or anything you want.

Also, the mask is such an amzingly useful tool, that it's really worth spending the time learning it as it will be useful time and time again.