Object Masking: Every Edge, Every Frame, Pixel Perfect

Object masking is the foundation of every great removal and composite. Before anything can be removed, replaced, or composited, it needs to be isolated with a precise mask. We create frame-by-frame rotoscoped masks that follow your subject's every movement -- hair strands, fabric folds, motion blur, and all -- so the downstream work is flawless.

How It Works

25K+ Masks Created

99.8% Edge Accuracy

Sub-Px

Precision

MASKING ACTIVE

Subject

Alpha Matte

Draw

Spline

Refine

Export

Clean Alpha

Spline Roto

Netflix

Amazon

Disney

Sony

The Foundation

What Is Object Masking?

Object masking -- also called rotoscoping -- is the art of drawing a precise outline around a subject in every frame of video. This outline becomes a "mask" or "matte" that tells compositing software exactly which pixels belong to the subject and which belong to the background.

It's the invisible first step behind every great object removal, background replacement, and visual effect. Without a clean mask, everything downstream falls apart -- halos around edges, flickering boundaries, and unnatural composites.

We combine AI-assisted matting with expert manual rotoscoping to deliver masks that handle the hardest edges in the industry: hair, fur, transparent fabrics, motion blur, and smoke.

Spline-Based Roto

Bezier curves for precision

AI Alpha Matting

Hair & fine edges

Frame-Perfect

Zero edge flicker

Export Ready

Nuke, AE, Resolve formats

Masking Methods

Types of Masks We Create

Different subjects need different approaches. We choose the right technique -- or combine them -- based on your footage.

Hard-Edge Roto

Clean, sharp edges for solid objects -- vehicles, furniture, buildings, props. Bezier splines follow every contour precisely.

Cars, buildings, products

Clean geometric edges

Frame-by-frame accuracy

Soft-Edge / Alpha Matting

Semi-transparent edges for hair, fur, smoke, glass, and fabric. AI matting creates soft alpha channels that preserve translucency.

Hair, fur, flyaways

Transparent fabrics

Smoke, glass, water

Multi-Layer Masking

Multiple masks for complex scenes -- separate masks for body, hair, clothing, and held objects. Each layer can be composited independently.

Body + hair separate

Independent layer control

Complex compositing

What We Mask

Every Subject, Every Complexity

People & Talent

Full body isolation including hair, clothing folds, and hand gestures through movement.

Vehicles

Cars, bikes, aircraft -- clean hard edges with proper wheel and reflection handling.

Animals & Fur

The hardest masking challenge. Fur edges require advanced alpha matting techniques.

Glass & Transparents

Windows, bottles, glasses -- preserving transparency and refraction in the alpha channel.

Smoke & Fire

Volumetric effects with soft, constantly changing edges that require per-frame attention.

Wires & Thin Objects

Cables, wires, antennas -- extremely thin elements that need pixel-level masking precision.

Trees & Foliage

Leaves, branches, grass -- complex organic shapes with thousands of tiny edge details.

Water & Liquids

Splashes, rain, flowing water -- dynamic edges that change shape every single frame.

Our Process

How We Create Masks

Footage Analysis

We study your footage to understand edge complexity, motion, and the best masking approach for each element.

Initial Mask & Tracking

AI creates an initial mask and tracks it across frames. Artists then refine spline shapes on key frames and interpolate between them.

Edge Refinement

Every edge is refined for the correct softness -- hard where it should be hard, soft where translucency matters. Hair gets dedicated alpha treatment.

QA & Delivery

Every frame QA'd on a checkerboard pattern for edge accuracy. Delivered as animated masks in your pipeline's format -- Nuke, AE, or EXR sequences.

The Hard Part

Why Most Masking Looks Fake

Bad masks are the number one reason composites look amateurish. Here are the specific challenges that separate professional roto from quick-and-dirty cutouts.

Hair & Flyaways

Individual strands are semi-transparent. A hard mask creates a helmet-like outline that screams "cut out." We use AI matting to preserve every wisp.

Motion Blur Edges

Fast movement creates feathered edges that change every frame. The mask must match the blur direction and amount exactly or the composite chatters.

Edge Chatter

Frame-to-frame inconsistency in mask shape creates visible "buzzing" at edges. Professional roto uses smooth interpolation to eliminate this.

Color Spill at Edges

The original background color bleeds into edge pixels. If the mask doesn't account for spill, the subject carries traces of the old background into any composite.

Transparent Elements

Glass, veils, sheer fabric -- these aren't fully opaque or fully transparent. The alpha value must vary per pixel for convincing see-through compositing.

Deforming Shapes

Bodies twist, fabric billows, animals change shape constantly. The mask must deform naturally with the subject -- rigid shapes on organic subjects look robotic.

Our Approach

AI-Assisted vs. Pure Manual Roto

We use both -- and knowing when to use which is what makes the difference.

AI-Assisted Masking

Best for: hair, fur, smoke

AI creates soft alpha edges humans can't replicate

Fast initial pass

90% of the work done in minutes, not hours

Semi-transparent preservation

Captures translucency that splines can't represent

Needs human refinement

AI misses context -- artists fix errors and edge artifacts

BEST

Manual Spline Roto

Best for: hard edges, geometry

Clean bezier curves for crisp, defined boundaries

Total artistic control

Every point placed intentionally for exact results

Smooth interpolation

Keyframed shapes animate smoothly = zero edge chatter

Can't capture translucency

Splines are binary -- in or out. No soft alpha for hair

Our approach: We combine both methods on every shot. Hard body edges get spline roto. Hair and soft edges get AI alpha matting. The two are merged into one seamless matte that's better than either technique alone.

Why Us

What Makes Our Masking Different

Invisible Edges

No halos, no chatter, no hard edges where soft ones should be. Our masks are invisible in the final composite.

30+ Roto Artists

Experienced rotoscoping specialists averaging 10+ years. Not junior editors -- dedicated masking professionals.

Rush Available

Same-day turnaround for urgent projects. Standard delivery in 1-3 days depending on complexity.

NDA Protected

Encrypted transfers, signed NDAs, files deleted after delivery. Pre-release footage stays confidential.

Any Format, 8K

ProRes 4444, EXR, H.265 -- masks delivered as alpha channels in your pipeline's native format up to 8K.

Free Revisions

Not perfect? We revise until you're completely satisfied. Every project includes revision rounds at no extra cost.

Dedicated PM

One point of contact who knows your project inside and out. No repeating yourself to different people.

Transparent Pricing

Quoted per-shot based on edge complexity. No hidden fees, no scope creep billing.

25K+ Masks Delivered

30+ Roto Artists

10yr+

Avg. Experience

Our Toolkit

Industry Tools, Expert Hands

Silhouette FX

The industry's top dedicated roto tool. Non-destructive spline workflows with per-point tracking and feathering.

Nuke RotoPaint

Node-based roto integrated directly into the compositing pipeline. Masks flow seamlessly into downstream VFX work.

AI Matting Models

Deep learning alpha matting for hair, fur, and translucent edges. Creates soft alpha channels that spline roto alone can't achieve.

Mocha Pro Tracking

Planar tracking drives mask animation between keyframes. Reduces manual work by 60% while maintaining precision.

Industries

Who Needs Professional Masking?

Film & VFX Studios

Feature film roto for compositing, wire removal masks, green screen cleanup, and character isolation for VFX shots.

Advertising & Brands

Product isolation for compositing, talent masks for background replacement, and element isolation for motion graphics integration.

Broadcast & TV

News graphics compositing, presenter isolation, virtual set integration, and weather map compositing with clean talent masks.

Music Videos

Artist isolation for creative compositing, effect layering, background replacement, and multi-exposure creative looks.

Gaming & Trailers

Live-action element isolation for game cinematics, trailer compositing, and hybrid live-action/CG integration.

Education & Corporate

Presenter isolation for branded backgrounds, product demo compositing, and training video element masking.

Case Studies

Real Masking Projects We've Delivered

Feature Film Roto

VFX Studio

200+ shots of character roto for a sci-fi feature. Full body isolation with hair detail across fight sequences, dialogue, and wide shots. Delivered as Nuke scripts with embedded shapes.

200+ Shots

5 days

Delivered

Pet Food Commercial

Advertising

Golden retriever isolation for background replacement in a pet food ad. Fur edges handled with AI alpha matting for realistic compositing against a studio set.

45 Shots

2 days

Delivered

Music Video Multi-Layer

Music Video

Artist isolation with separate body, hair, and clothing layers for creative multi-exposure compositing. Enabled the director to recolor each layer independently in the grade.

120 Shots

3 days

Delivered

Output Formats

We Deliver in Your Pipeline's Language

Every studio has a different workflow. We deliver masks in whatever format drops directly into your pipeline with zero conversion needed.

Nuke Scripts

Rotoshapes embedded directly in .nk scripts. Splines, edge feathering, and per-point motion blur all preserved. Drops into your comp tree as a node.

.nk files

RotoPaint

Shapes

EXR / ProRes 4444

Rendered matte passes as image sequences or video with embedded alpha channel. Ready for any compositing software on any platform.

.exr

ProRes 4444

Alpha

After Effects / Silhouette

Native project files with mask shapes on adjustment layers. Editable splines you can adjust in your own session if needed.

.aep

.sfx

Editable

Complexity Guide

How We Rate Masking Difficulty

Not all masks are equal. Here's how we assess complexity, which determines pricing and timeline.

Simple Hard-Edge

$3.99/sec

Solid objects with clean geometric edges. Cars, furniture, buildings, props. Locked or slow camera.

People / Moderate Detail

$5.99/sec

People with short/tied-back hair, moderate motion. Body edges need hand gestures and clothing fold handling.

People with Hair Detail

$7.99/sec

Flowing hair, flyaways, wind-blown strands. Requires AI alpha matting combined with spline body roto.

Animals / Fur / Complex

$10.99/sec

Fur, feathers, grass edges, complex transparency. Every pixel of the edge needs individual alpha treatment.

Multi-Layer / VFX-Grade

Custom

Separate masks for body, hair, clothing, held objects. Smoke, fire, water. Feature film and premium commercial quality.

Pricing

Edge-Complexity Pricing

A car with hard edges costs less than a person with flowing hair. Price reflects actual masking difficulty.

Hard-Edge

$3.99 per video second

Solid objects & vehicles

Clean geometric edges

48-hour delivery

1 revision

Our Quality Checklist for Every Mask

Checkerboard edge test

Every edge examined against high-contrast checkerboard at 100% zoom

Temporal scrub test

Full-speed playback to check for edge chatter, flicker, or drift

Hair & soft edge alpha review

Semi-transparent edges verified against multiple colored backgrounds

Motion blur matching

Mask edge softness matches the subject's actual motion blur per frame

Spill-free edges

No original background color bleeding through at mask boundaries

Pipeline compatibility verified

Delivered file opens correctly in client's software with proper naming and structure

99.8% First-Pass Approval

Our QA process is so thorough that nearly every mask is approved by the client on the first delivery. The rare revision is usually a creative direction change, not a quality issue.

6 QA checkpoints

100% Full-res review

Every

Frame checked

3x Background test

Integrations

Fits Into Any Production Pipeline

We've worked with dozens of studios, each with different workflows. Here's how our masks integrate with the most common setups.

Nuke

RotoPaint nodes, embedded shapes, per-point tracking data. Drops directly into your comp tree.

After Effects

Native .aep projects with mask shapes on pre-comps. Editable splines for your own adjustments.

DaVinci Resolve

EXR or ProRes 4444 matte passes that import as external mattes in the Fusion page.

ShotGrid / ftrack

Files named and organized to match your production management system's naming conventions.

"We needed 200+ shots of roto for a feature film VFX sequence. Their masks were so clean our compositor said they were the best outsourced roto he'd ever received. Hair edges were flawless."

Marcus Stone

VFX Supervisor, Horizon FX

Sophie Laurent

Head of Post, Frame One Studios

"The cat masking was incredible. Fur edges that actually look real against a new background -- no hard outlines, no color fringing. Our ad agency was blown away by the composite quality."

Ryan Cooper

Director, Wildframe Productions

"We sent them 80 shots of smoke and fire elements for isolation. Volumetric masking is incredibly hard -- every frame is different. They delivered soft alpha mattes that composited perfectly over our CG environment. Saved us weeks of work."

Alex Kim

Lead Compositor, Ember VFX

"They matched our Nuke pipeline perfectly -- naming conventions, node structure, everything. The shapes dropped right into our comp scripts with zero adjustments needed. That attention to pipeline detail is rare and incredibly valuable."

Priya Nair

Pipeline Supervisor, Atlas Studios

"We needed multi-layer masks for a music video -- separate body, hair, and clothing channels so the colorist could grade each independently. They delivered all three layers perfectly registered across 120 shots. Our colorist had a field day with the creative possibilities."

Tomoko Hayashi

Music Video Director, Neon Pulse Media

"Glass bottle masking for a beverage commercial. The transparency was the critical challenge -- they preserved the see-through quality of the glass in the alpha so when we composited it over the new background, the refraction looked completely natural."

Daniel Wright

Post Producer, Splash Creative Agency

Common Questions

What format do you deliver masks in?

We deliver in whatever format your pipeline needs: Nuke scripts with embedded shapes, After Effects projects, EXR sequences with alpha, ProRes 4444 with alpha channel, or standalone matte passes. Just tell us your workflow.

How do you handle hair and fine edges?

Hard body edges get spline-based roto. Hair and fine edges get a separate AI alpha matting pass that creates soft, semi-transparent edges for individual strands. The two are combined into a single clean matte.

Can I get separate masks for different body parts?

Yes! We can deliver multi-layer masks with separate channels for body, hair, hands, clothing, or any element you need to control independently in compositing.

How do you handle motion blur?

Motion blur creates feathered edges that change per frame. We match the mask's edge softness to the exact blur direction and amount so the matte integrates naturally. The mask edge looks blurred where the subject is blurred.

What about masking for green screen footage?

For green screen footage, we use chroma keying as the foundation, then augment with roto where the key is imperfect -- contact areas, shadows, green spill zones, and fine hair edges.

How long does masking typically take?

Hard-edge roto: same day for short clips. Soft-edge people roto: 1-2 days. Complex multi-layer: 2-4 days. Rush and same-day delivery available. We always confirm timelines upfront.

Can I get a free test before committing?

Yes! Send us a short clip and we'll create a free sample mask so you can evaluate our edge quality before committing. No obligation.

Is my footage confidential?

100%. NDAs signed for every project. Encrypted transfers, secure storage, permanent deletion after delivery. We handle pre-release VFX shots regularly.

Can you match our existing roto pipeline?

Yes. We adapt to your naming conventions, folder structures, and delivery specs. If you use Nuke, we deliver Nuke scripts. AE? We deliver AE projects. We integrate seamlessly into your existing pipeline.

Do you handle batch roto for large projects?

What's the difference between a mask and an alpha matte?

A mask is the spline shape we draw around an object -- it's vector-based and resolution-independent. An alpha matte is the rendered output of that mask as a grayscale image where white = subject, black = background, and gray = semi-transparent. We deliver both depending on your pipeline needs.

Can you provide masks at a different resolution than the source?

Yes. Since our spline masks are vector-based, they can render at any resolution. If your source is 4K but you need masks at 8K for overscan or reframing, we deliver at whatever resolution you specify with no quality loss.

Do you QA masks on a checkerboard?

Yes. Every mask is reviewed on a high-contrast checkerboard pattern at full resolution to catch edge issues invisible against normal backgrounds. We also scrub through every frame to check for temporal consistency and edge chatter.

Getting Started

What to Send Us for a Quote

Source Footage

Send the clip or a representative sample. We need to see edge complexity, motion, and any difficult areas like hair or transparency.

What to Mask

Describe or mark what needs isolation. Single subject? Multi-layer? Separate masks for body, hair, and held objects? The more detail, the better the quote.

Delivery Format

Nuke scripts, AE projects, EXR sequences, or ProRes 4444 with alpha? Tell us your pipeline and we'll match it exactly.

Timeline

Same-day, 24hr, or standard 2-4 day delivery. Knowing your deadline helps us allocate the right team size for your project.

Send us a clip for a free sample mask

Need Clean Masks for Your Project?

Send us a shot. We'll create a free sample mask so you can evaluate our edge quality before committing.

Talk to Our Team

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