No, I don't even know what the cookie cutter feature is. Is that a matte?

What I have is a .mov file with an alpha channel. It is a moving frame matte. I want my clip to show in the middle and a background to show at the edge. I did a short one once a long time ago, but I don't remember how I did it, and the help section has a scant amount of info.

I know it is something about luminance, but hard as I try I can't figure it out.

The one I did a long time ago is here:

http://www.glitterstuff.com/images/Samantha2.wmv

Yes, it's like a matte. I haven't played with it much but from what I understand, it fairly limited in VMS. I looked at your video and am fairly certain you used the cookie cutter effect. Here's how to do it:

1) Video on video track
2) Effect video on the Video Overlay track
3) Click on the Event FX icon on the video overlay clip, choose Cookie Cutter
4) Choose Circle Center preset, change Method to Cut away all but section, increase feather and size as needed
5) Bring transparency down on the Video Overlay track.

That should get you close, yes?

Do the search as well, other threads probably do a better job explaining it. Also do a ' "cookie cutter" "movie studio" tutorial ' google search, good stuff there too.

If you already have a clip with an alpha channel, I presume you want to make the masked-off section transparent instead of black (which it defaults to). I don't know if this applies to VMS, but in Vegas I right-click on the video clip, select Properties, and change the Alpha Channel setting from None to either Straight, Premultiplied, or Dirty. Choose the setting that looks best, but Premultiplied is usally the one to select.

I know how to get the video to show through the middle. How do I get the background to show through the rest?

Here's what I want to do:

http://www.12inchdesign.com/tutorials/tips-customattepre.html

Here's what I bought:

http://www.12inchdesign.com/cgi-bin/12inchdesign.cgi/prod_clip_details?style_category=ANIBOR


Can I do this in Sony Vegas Movie Studio? If so, how?

Okay, somehow I did it. I'm not sure how, but I'm saving this so I can investigate and try to do it again. Once I can repeat it, I'm going to write down how I did it so I don't have to keep experimenting!!

Thanks all!!

I think you can get something like that with a composite. Probably the simplest way is to put your clip on the timeline and above that add a noise texture. Play with the colors (or the transparency of the B color) to suite yourself. Use the Key frame to give it the motion you want. Then on top of that [drag the cookie cutter right on top of the noise generated event] add a circle,rectangle or whatever shape you want - cookie cutter, remove the white border and feather the edge. If you want to add more motion click on the pan/crop and reduce the F box so that the circle around it is totally within the noise field. Then key to the end and add rotation angle of 360 or whatever to give you a circular motion.
you have all types of "noise" you can generate: clouds, strings, camoflauge, flames,etc. and you can alter those quite a bit.

maybe that will help you

Thanks for the web site links. Now I understand what you want to do. When you composite your tracks, you should Multiply them. This will take the shape/intensity of the mask on one track and apply it to another, acting like a filter. Again, I know how to do this in Vegas but not in VMS.

Tech Diver:

Here is how I did it, these are my settings:

1. Top video track (motion frame) properties:

Parent track (arrow down)

Alpha Channel, undefined.

Event FX: Mask generator, set to luminance, invert.

Compositing mode: Multiply (mask)

2. Middle video track (main video) properties:

Child track (arrow up)

Compositing mode: Source Alpha

3. Bottom video track (motion background) properties:

Parent track (arrow down)

Compositing mode: Source Alpha

That's the best I can figure out, and there is a screenshot here:

http://videofriends.goldenpenproductions.com/upfiles/214/CC0A5750769445B98B2BDD3B375F3289.jpg

Now I will try to duplicate this from my notes!!


I don't know what you mean by multiply the tracks. Could you explain a little more? I am brand new at this program.

Thanks so much!!

By Multiply, I mean Composite Mode is set to Multiply (mask), which is exactly what you did. Your example is 100% correct; good job!

Peter