Visual Effects & Compositing Reel, 2009
Updated June 2009

Shot Breakdown (PDF, 8k)


Archive for October, 2009

Posted on 10-07-2009 under VFX

Roto in After Effects can be though; while there are embedded roto tools, they are not always optimized for highly precise rotoscoping. There are some good solutions for the missing pieces of the puzzle though.

  1. PVFeather from allows for per-vertex feathering (plugin)
  2. Imagineer Shape allows for I.O. and per-vertex feather using their planar tracker Mocha (solves most issues). I am testing this now, as it was just released to version 2, and v1 for the Shape plugin.
  3. TrackerViz is a huge help when it comes to roto in AE. AE has a good point tracker, but it can get really jittery and it is not always easy to get a track that works. TrackerViz really helps average out accurate tracks, can generate position, rotation and scale from 2 point tracks and in many cases can preclude the need to use a 3D tracker.
I have tried a demo of PVFeather and it seems like a good plugin. I can’t say I have a lot of time with it, but the price is right and the product seems solid. Anyone have any experience about this tool?
Using Imagineer Mocha, you can also do some really great tracking & stabilization work, import roto masks/splines from the Mocha program and further refine your final work in AE. My favorite part is the adjustable feather, this is a HUGE help when dealing with motion blur.
I love TrackerViz—I can’t say enough good things about it. There are a few minor bugs, but nothing that is a show stopper. The only real difficulty I have with it is that it is still crucial to get a track in the first place, requiring a lot of attention at times to follow a single point. Some shots are simply not trackable in AE, and you need to resort to a 3D solution or planar tracker such as Mocha. That said, as long as you get a decent managed track or two, you can get very far with TrackerViz, further than ever before in AE. We used it on dozens of shots for “The Pacific”, grabbing tracks where the built in AE tracker failed.
So with tracking and feather controls out of the way, roto in AE becomes the standard issue work that it is: monotonous, slow and often grueling. Some people love it, some hate it, but it is always necessary. My personal technique for setting up a roto shot in AE is to track to a black solid that is turned off, and attach that solid to a good track. Track Matte your footage pale to that solid as an alpha matte, and you are in business.