Your Source for Video Editing Tips and Information


TikiTim

Ask TikiTim!

Q: Hey TikiTim, I was trying to set up a track matte, but it doesn't seem to be working. I set it up to use text I made in a title file as the matte, then I set keyframes for Position and added the Basic 3D effect to make it tilt a little. But when I preview the timeline, I don't see any movement or the tilt, just my video showing through a completely still title. What's the deal?

A: Track mattes in Premiere Elements (and it's big brother, Premiere Pro) could also be called tricky mattes. The shape of the matte is calculated before any effects, including the Motion controls. That means if you've animated the matte, it's not going to affect how the track matte effect works. This is different than how other programs like After Effects handles track mattes, and is quite frankly a little annoying.

But it's not too difficult to work around. Simply export your animated matte clip to an AVI file, then use that AVI file as the matte. Since the motion is built into the AVI file, Premiere Elements will pick up on the motion and use it as the matte. Here's how:

  1. Move your matte clip down to an empty part of the timeline.
  2. Grab the ends of the work area bar and move them so the bar is only over the matte clip.
  3. Right-click on the clip and check the Enable option. (When you set up the matte originally, the Enable option is typically unchecked. In any case, make sure that is checked now.)
  4. Choose File > Export > Movie.
  5. Click the Settings button.
  6. In the General settings, set the Range to Work Area Bar.
  7. Uncheck Export Audio.
  8. We're now going to set this file to use an alpha channel, which will define the transparet areas of the matte. This will make things slightly easier down the line, especially if your matte image has black edges on it. However, to make things simple for farther down the line we're going to use an uncompressed AVI file, which will make the file size a little large.
    1. Change the File Type to Microsoft AVI.
    2. Click on Video on the left, then change the Compressor to None.
    3. Change the Color Depth to Millions+ of Colors. The + means we will get an alpha channel.
  9. Click OK, then name the file "Animated Matte" (or whatever you like) and choose a place to save it, and click Save. After the file finishes exporting, it should show up in the Media window.
  10. Right-click on the old matte clip in the timeline and either delete it or uncheck Enable so it's not visible but available for future use.
  11. Reset the work area to cover your other clips. If you deleted the old matte, you can do this easily by double-clicking on it.
  12. Drop the new animated matte AVI file into the timeline to match it up with the clip you want to apply it to (ie., where the old matte was before step 1).
  13. Right-click on the matte clip and uncheck Enable.
  14. Preview the timeline. The animated track matte should now be working as expected. If it isn't, click on the clip you're applying the matte to, and double check the settings for the Track Matte effect in the Effect Controls window. Make sure the correct track is selected for the Matte, Composite Using is set to Matte Alpha, and Reverse is turned off.

It's a little bit of work, but the results of an animated matte can be very cool. The downside of doing this is that if you decide you want to make changes to the animated matte, you have to set up your matte again and go through these steps again to create the new version. Some simple changes like stretching out the length of the matte can be done on the AVI file, though.

Another tip: If your matte isn't animated, but is simply a still that you've applied an effect to (such as the Edge Feather effect to blur the edges), you will still run into the cause of this problem. When possible, create still mattes in Photoshop or Photoshop Elements. Make sure to start with a transparent background, and save it as a PSD file to retain the alpha channel information.

October 2005

Have a question you want to ask TikiTim? Something troubling you in Premiere Elements or Photoshop? Want some clarification on what was covered in this column? Send an e-mail to info@chuckengels.com.

 

About TikiTim

TikiTim (known to the outside world as Tim Kurkoski) is an Adobe Certified Video Specialist and an Adobe Certified Expert in Premiere Pro, After Effects, and Photoshop. Since 2001 he has been waist-deep in the worlds of digital video and digital imaging, consulting and providing support to schools, photographers, videographers, television stations, pretty much anyone who asks. Really. Go ahead and ask him something. Just don't come crying to me when he won't shut up.

TikiTim is tired. He spends a lot of time driving up and down I-5. Why? He thought it would be a grand idea to take a high-paying job in Seattle but keep his home in Portland. A regular Einstein, this one is. If you see him on the highway, make sure to honk and wake him up.

When he's not driving, sleeping, or working, TikiTim enjoys playing soccer, watching hockey, Alfred Hitchcock films, travelling, cooking, etc. etc. etc. Oh, and spending time with the wife, that should go at the top of the list. TikiKatie provides cuddles, laughs, and occasional web development advice.