{"id":398201,"date":"2025-09-30T00:05:00","date_gmt":"2025-09-29T22:05:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cined.com\/?p=398201"},"modified":"2025-10-16T13:35:34","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T11:35:34","slug":"quick-fix-everyday-ai-masking-applications-in-post-production","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cined.com\/jp\/quick-fix-everyday-ai-masking-applications-in-post-production\/","title":{"rendered":"Quick Fix \u2013 \u30dd\u30b9\u30c8\u30d7\u30ed\u30c0\u30af\u30b7\u30e7\u30f3\u306b\u304a\u3051\u308b\u65e5\u5e38\u7684\u306aAI\u30de\u30b9\u30ad\u30f3\u30b0\u306e\u5fdc\u7528"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The phrase \u201cFix it in post!\u201d has long become a curse, a meme, a horror line, and something that most filmmakers avoid saying at all costs. Yet, editors still find themselves tackling problems that need quick fixing, and often. Random logos, unwanted elements in the shot, faces of people who didn\u2019t sign the release\u2026 Especially on smaller productions, like a corporate film or a YouTube video, they become the editor\u2019s responsibility. In the past, some of these footage issues were unsolvable without elaborate VFX skills. Nowadays, we have AI. Or, to be precise, AI masking.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n

Of course, it\u2019s not a replacement for proper shoot planning or for the expertise of a professional VFX compositor. Yet, for everyday situations where a shot needs a little repair or polish, AI video masking is one of the useful tools at your disposal. Let\u2019s look at a few examples of where and how it’s helpful.<\/p>\n\n

For that, we\u2019ll be using lessons from our recent<\/a> MZed course \u201cThe Efficient Filmmaker: AI Video Masking for the Rest of Us.\u201d<\/a> There, we explore these tools in detail and include thorough, step-by-step guides. So, if you are completely new to the topic, check it out! <\/p>\n\n

AI masking applications: general approach<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Selecting something in your shot using AI is not a one-button task. However, it\u2019s a great deal easier than rotoscoping an object frame-by-frame. So, let\u2019s try it! For simplicity, in this article, I\u2019ll be using DaVinci Resolve\u2019s<\/a> Magic Mask. If you edit in a different NLE, no worries: It most likely has a similar tool with a similar process. (For instance, we discuss Magnetic Mask and Roto Brush in the course as well).<\/p><398201-mzed-course\/>\n\n

Before applying the AI mask, let\u2019s evaluate the material we are dealing with. Low-contrast footage can be challenging for AI, so it makes sense to either go for it when your color correction is finished or to prepare a temporary grade on a separate node. Boosting contrast, brightness, and saturation can help you get better results. All done? Go to the Color Page, find an icon with a human silhouette on the central panel below, and click on it.<\/p>\n\n

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Image source: MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

See this new area with the settings that appeared? These can help you to refine the selection. But first, we\u2019ll need to add some dots on the subject to include all the required elements in the matte. Generally, I recommend using the \u201cBetter\u201d mode, especially if you work with people or on fine details.<\/p>\n\n

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Image source: MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n

Once the mask is generated, refine it with additional points, or use the negative qualifier to remove unwanted areas. After that, we want to track it, and here it\u2019s important to find a moment when your subject is fully visible (with all the limbs, for example). Go to this moment in your clip, and then click on the arrows to track forward and backward.<\/p>\n\n

I also recommend experimenting with all of the sliders and settings to get a feel for how they affect a created mask. Once the selection is complete, there are several things we can use it for, including precise color grading or cool text title effects, for example. In this article, though, we concentrate on quick fixes, so below you\u2019ll find a bunch of everyday application examples.<\/p>\n\n

Blurring sensitive content with AI masking<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Faces, license plates, phone screens \u2026 these can all ruin an otherwise perfect shot if you don\u2019t have permission to show them. (If we don\u2019t see them clearly, though, it is okay.) So, to fix this problem, you can drag and drop a suitable effect on a node with our earlier-created AI mask. In DaVinci Resolve, such effects could be a Mosaic Blur or Defocus, to name a few. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n

Here’s a result with a Mosaic Blur. A tiny tip: Uncheck the \u201cBlur Alpha\u201d field in the effect settings, and your blur will match the outline of the masked area more precisely.<\/p>\n\n

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The settings of Mosaic Blur. Images source: MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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The final result<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n

If you want to expand the selection slightly and soften its edges, you can also increase the \u201cClean White\u201d setting in the mask options. And yes, I\u2019m aware that it\u2019s neither an elegant nor a fancy look. However, if we\u2019re talking about a documentary or other real-life material where something important happens in the story and you don\u2019t have the possibility of obtaining additional permission, it\u2019s definitely a quick fix.<\/p>\n\n

Removing unwanted objects<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n

Sometimes it\u2019s not a person you have to blur, but a distracting sticker, trash can, or colourful sign in the corner that draws all the attention and needs to be removed. The most frequent scenario, which I bet happens to every editor once in a while, is when they have to hide a logo of a random company that has nothing to do with the video.<\/p>\n\n

Resolve has an Object Removal effect that works paired with Magic Mask and is also an AI-enhanced feature. The process is fairly similar to the one we discussed before, but with some nuances.<\/p>\n\n

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Image source: MZed<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n