Searched the help file.
Nothing under blur at all,
ver. 4a

Just a little time here for a quick reply...

Basically, you put the same video clip on two tracks, one above the other. The bottom track will be your "normal" video.

On the upper track, add Gaussian Blur or a Pixellate effect (not sure what it's actually called), then select a "Cookie Cutter" effect and use a small oval or rectangle area to keep just the area you want blurred. Everything outside the cookie cutter shape will be cut out (transparent), so your "normal" video on the lower track will show through there.

I find the limited shapes in the VMS cookie cutter effect kind of frustrating -- you might not be able to isolate the area as neatly as you'd hoped. Also, you probably want to temporarily enable a border on the cookie cutter to help you size it and place it, then get rid of the border when you've got it set.

There may be other ways to do this, but at least this is a start.

Tim L

Hi, I am interested in how this worked out. I tried the same method but never found the "cookie cutter" effect (I am on VMS 6.0 Platinum).

I have VMS 6 Platinum also, but I'm at work right now, so I'm not at a computer with VMS installed.

Anyway, you should be able to find the Cookie Cutter effect in the same place you find effects for Brightness & Contrast, Guassian Blur, Film Effects, Chroma Key, Color Correction, etc. I think they all start out with "Sony" in front of them, but I'm pretty sure its just called "Sony Cookie Cutter". If you found the Gaussian Blur, you should be able to find Cookie Cutter.

These adjustments collectively are all called "Effects" or "Video Effects" (or maybe Video FX?). I think you can probably get to it at least three different ways:

1. In the lower left corner of your screen, locate the tab (along the bottom of the screen) that opens up the "Effects" window. Locate the "Cookie Cutter" effect and drag it to your clip on the timeline.

or
2. Near the end of your clip (on the timeline) is a little icon that looks like a rectangle with two little, circular knobs attached. Click it to open up a list of effects you can apply.

or
3. You can probably right-click on the video clip on the timeline and select "Effects" or "Video Effects" from the menu that pops up.

Hopefully you just overlooked it. Another possibility is that its not called Cookie Cutter, and I'm messing everybody up by calling it that.

Anybody else online, with VMS installed, that can confirm where to find Cookie Cutter, or can correct whatever I might be explaining wrong?

Tim L

I found it! Thanks. I was occupied trying to find a subeffect to Gaussian Blur but Cookie Cutter is a stand-alone effect. I'll play around with it and see what I can do with it.