One of the great features of Avid Media Composer is the ability to create animated masks.
Click on this link for a YouTube Tutorial on how to create a quick mask by duplicating a clip segment within Media Composer.
Or, read the text/image based tutorial below.
Start by duplicating a clip segment layer by holding down the option/alt key and pressing the UP ARROW key. That will duplicate the clip segment on V1 onto V2.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Duplicate-Segment.png)
Then, command click on the V2 Monitor Icon to Solo the Layer.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Solo-V2-Layer-1.png)
Drag the Animate Effect from the Effect Palette onto the V2 Clip Segment
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/MC-Animate-Effect-1.png)
Then enter into Effects Mode.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Enter-into-Effects-Mode-1.png)
Next, click on the Reduce Icon to zoom out of the visible area within the Record Side of the Composer Window.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Zoom-Out-Composer-Window.png)
Click on the Rectangle Tool within the Effect Editor Window.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Rectangle-Tool.png)
Draw a Rectangle Mask around the water area and adjust the vertical feathering to hid the hard edge of the masked area.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Draw-Mask-2.png)
Double click on the Animate Effect located on the Clip Segment within the timeline. The Timeline will expand with 2 additional tracks. This is called expanded nesting.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Expanded-Nesting.png)
Within the Effect Palette, navigate to the Image Category and look for the Color Effect.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Color-Effect.png)
Drag the Color Effect onto the V1.2 track which is nested within the V1 track.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Add-Color-Effect-to-V1.2.png)
Then, adjust the blue parameter within the Color Gain category.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Adjust-Blue-Gain.png)
You can now umute the V2 track and place the monitor icon icon the V1 track.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Monitor-V1.png)
That’s it!, now you have an isolated matte (mask) where you can adjust the color of the shape independently from the rest of the video segment.
![](https://www.geniusdv.com/tutorials/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Final-CC-1.png)
If you enjoyed this tutorial, please subscribe to our YouTube Channel, or consider taking an Avid Certified Media Composer Course.