Just a Quick Paint Job - Fixing problematic shots using Media Composer's Paint effect

Avid Community Post by dvasuez

As editors, we are often called on to fix problems created in production. We all know the "fix it in post" cliché. That can be harder that the director may realize, or easy to do than we want them to know. Either way, Media Composer includes some powerful tools that can help. One of my go-to favorites is the Paint effect. A real-time, built-in effect, it's really a Swiss Army knife of useful tools that has often saved the shot -- and my butt in the process.

The Paint effect is an "intraframe effect" meaning it lets you manipulate pixels within each field. Effects are vector-based, and processed in 8-, 10- or 16-bits, depending on project settings. It contains no less than 28 different modes to work with, as well as integrated motion tracking on up to 8 points.

When you apply the Paint effect, you won't see any immediate change. It's a neutral effect, a blank canvas. In some ways, it's like an adjustment layer in Photoshop. All adjustments are made within shapes that you draw over the images. So, the first thing you need to do is draw a shape, using the various tools and brushes built into the effect.

Then you set the Mode, which dictates the changes made to the pixels within the shape. You can copy and paste shapes to save time. And, shapes can be layered to control their interaction.

Some notable modes worth calling out are: read more...


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