If I have an event that I masked in any way, and I apply a filter to it, the filter will be constrained to the boundaries set by the mask, not the whole frame. That causes a problem when for example you apply a filter such as star burst that may extend the rays to the whole frame, but they get cut abruptly at the boundaries of the mask. I think in After Effects that is solved by using adjustment layers, so the mask is done in the original layer, and then an adjustment layer is placed over it and the effects or filters are applied to it. When doing it that way, if the effect has rays or something that goes beyond the boundaries of the mask, it doesn't get cut off by such boundaries and it goes all the way to the end of the frame.

Now, maybe I learned this at some point and forgot it, but can I do this in Vegas and if so, how?

Thanks