is it possible to remove the entire background?

Mokondzi wrote on 3/16/2008, 12:52 AM

Hi guys,

i want to know if it is possible to crop a video in a way that remove the entire background of the video and only leaves the person the camera is focusing on talking, With Vegas movie studio platinum 8.0

if it is possible how do i do that.

Thanks for your input.

Comments

Eugenia wrote on 3/16/2008, 1:06 AM

If the background in a single color (e,g, a green screen) you use the appropriate Vegas plugin (read the documentation on which plugin that is, I don't have Vegas open right now so I can't remember the exact name).

But if it's random stuff, then it will be REALLY painful to remove the bg if that footage is more than 2 seconds long. You will have to use the pan/crop tool and then use the keyframe thingie to surround your subject and discard the rest of the background. Think that you would have to do that 30 times for each second.

Kennymusicman wrote on 3/16/2008, 7:02 AM

what about the possibility of difference masking? - does VMS support that?

mickbadal wrote on 3/17/2008, 8:04 AM

Here's a link that discusses difference masking, but I'm not sure if it all can be accomplished in VMS:

http://www.sundancemediagroup.com/articles/dayvids/difference_masking_in_sony_vegas.htm

A "poor man's approach" that I have used with VMS is:

1) Capture a single-frame from the source containing the subject & background, and open it in Photoshop
2) Turn it into a mask (crop out background, set background to single color, etc.)
3) Add that image mask to VMS on a top track, set to "multiply/mask", then blur edges, etc.
4) Keyframe the top track to move the image mask as the subject moves

Obviously the feasibility of this approach is dependent on how much (or actually how little) the subject's isomorphic shape changes over the span of time you wish to mask the subject. And the result is typically not "perfectly" clean. But I've found it can be good enough for a short effect.