Journal

Notes on the craft.

Practical writing on VFX shot work: cleanup, clean plates, mattes, background replacement, delivery, and where AI belongs in post-production.

Three performers in rust, charcoal and green coats walk in a line across a vast frozen lake under a pale sun, a small camera crew on a sled to one side.

Roto & mattes9 min

Object Matte vs Magic Mask vs Object Mask: AI masking compared (2026)

After Effects Object Matte, Premiere Pro Object Mask and DaVinci Resolve Magic Mask as of September 2026: workflow, refinement, cost and independent tests.

Sep 24, 2026

In a smoky studio, four grips raise a huge silk diffusion frame in front of a bright lamp, their silhouettes sharp against the glowing fabric.

Compositing & delivery9 min

How to export an alpha channel: ProRes 4444, EXR and PNG sequences

Sep 24, 2026

In an unfinished high-rise at dusk, an actress stands at a floor-to-ceiling window over a glittering city while a camera operator on a dolly and a crew member film her from the dark.

Compositing & delivery7 min

How to replace a video background without a green screen

Sep 24, 2026

On a snowy airfield at sunrise, a crew member carries two hard drive cases from a van toward a small plane while the pilot waits by the door.

Workflow & trust9 min

Is it safe to upload client footage to AI tools? A checklist for post teams

Sep 24, 2026

Scenic painters on scaffolding paint a vast desert-planet backdrop in a studio, one working on the rock spires while another steps back to look.

Compositing & delivery8 min

Does generative AI change your footage? Full-frame vs plate-preserving edits

Sep 24, 2026

An empty desert highway running to the horizon, a cinema camera on a low mount in the middle of the road while crew walk back to their trucks.

Cleanup9 min

How to make a clean plate for VFX

Sep 24, 2026

A motocross rider flies over the crest of a dune at sunset, sand spraying from the rear wheel, a camera car with a crane arm tracking him below.

Roto & mattes8 min

Is AI rotoscoping good enough for client work?

Sep 24, 2026

A dancer in a flowing red dress spins on a black-sand beach at dusk, the fabric and her hair sweeping in the wind, a small film crew far behind her.

Roto & mattes8 min

What is rotoscoping in VFX, and why does it take so long?

Sep 24, 2026

At sunrise a line of crew members hauls a camera crane on wheels up a steep sand dune by ropes, their long shadows falling down the slope.

Perspective8 min

Will AI replace roto artists? Where AI belongs in post-production

Sep 24, 2026

In a hangar with a wall covered in tracking markers, a performer flies on wires while three riggers haul the lines below a bright lamp.

Cleanup8 min

Wire removal, rig removal and how to remove tracking markers

Sep 24, 2026

An open-air screening in the desert at dusk, seen from behind a scattered audience watching a city carved into a mountain on the screen.

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