<p>If the camera's static, then it's totally doable. Start by making a clean plate image of the whole area, as I think you have done. </p>

<p>Put that on a layer above (on top of) your original footage. Whenever the problem people wander in to shot, cover them up by putting a masked area of your clean plate over them. </p>

<p>As you mentioned, sometimes this means the desirable foreground subjects get covered up by the clean plate. But there is a solution to this, (even though it is time consuming):</p>

<p>Duplicate your original footage, and put the duplicated track on top of your clean plate, so it's the uppermost layer. Whenever you have some "desirable foreground" subject overlapping your clean plate, animate a masked area of it on top of the plate. Use lots of feathering and careful key framing, and you should be able to get an acceptable result.  </p>

<p>Here's a (non-video) tutorial showing how to remove an unwanted object:
<a href="http://www.surfacedstudio.com/blog/after-effects-how-to-remove-an-object" rel="nofollow">http://www.surfacedstudio.com/blog/after-effects-how-to-remove-an-object</a></p>

<p>Here's the excellent video copilot series, showing how to animate a mask:
<a href="http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/04.Keying/" rel="nofollow">http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/04.Keying/</a></p>

<p>Neither show the idea of putting another foreground track over the top, but should get you along the way...</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-07T16:44:29.287Z
If the human subject movement is the chief interference or deviation between the clean plate and the footage, then some kind of blend mode could create a reasonable dynamic mask. Maybe Difference, or the result of Subtraction between the duplicated track and the clean plate.
Gyan
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-09T17:04:07.650Z
I'm sorry, but I have done quite a bit of googling to find tutorials, it's why I came here, because I don't know what I'm looking for. I don't know what it means to "animate a masked area on top of the plate." If you could explain this or help me find a tutorial that would be appreciated.
Preston Shumway
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-09T17:15:42.577Z
i've added a couple of links to the end of my suggestion - hope they help - the video copilot Basic Training series is excellent, and free!
tomh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-07T16:12:03.727Z
2015-11-09T17:15:08.887Z
2015-11-09T17:15:08.887Z
tomh
<p>I am working on a project for someone's video series about pain relief during child birth. During the whole scene, every shot takes place from <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/KEzJl.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> perspective. There's a couple people walking through the stairs on the right and behind the window there. I understand that by use of 'rotoscoping' and 'masks' I should be able to cover up the background with a still image and allow the blonde woman in the foreground to walk over the still images, but I don't know where I'd start that.</p>

<p>I've already made <a href="https://i.sstatic.net/x5fbD.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer">this</a> background layer in Photoshop.</p>

<p>I'd really appreciate your help! :)</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-07T03:21:48.890Z
Is the camera static throughout the shot?
tomh
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-11-07T14:52:01.807Z
It doesn't move, if that's what you mean.
Preston Shumway
<after-effects><mask>
Remove unwanted person from background of a shot?
Preston Shumway
# Remove unwanted person from background of a shot?

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-11-06)

I am working on a project for someone's video series about pain relief during child birth. During the whole scene, every shot takes place from [this](https://i.sstatic.net/KEzJl.jpg) perspective. There's a couple people walking through the stairs on the right and behind the window there. I understand that by use of 'rotoscoping' and 'masks' I should be able to cover up the background with a still image and allow the blonde woman in the foreground to walk over the still images, but I don't know where I'd start that.

I've already made [this](https://i.sstatic.net/x5fbD.png) background layer in Photoshop.

I'd really appreciate your help! :)

**Tags:** after-effects, mask

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Is the camera static throughout the shot?  
> **username_0**: It doesn't move, if that's what you mean.  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_1 on 2015-11-07. Score: 1 | Accepted answer

If the camera's static, then it's totally doable. Start by making a clean plate image of the whole area, as I think you have done.

Put that on a layer above (on top of) your original footage. Whenever the problem people wander in to shot, cover them up by putting a masked area of your clean plate over them.

As you mentioned, sometimes this means the desirable foreground subjects get covered up by the clean plate. But there is a solution to this, (even though it is time consuming):

Duplicate your original footage, and put the duplicated track on top of your clean plate, so it's the uppermost layer. Whenever you have some "desirable foreground" subject overlapping your clean plate, animate a masked area of it on top of the plate. Use lots of feathering and careful key framing, and you should be able to get an acceptable result.

Here's a (non-video) tutorial showing how to remove an unwanted object:
<http://www.surfacedstudio.com/blog/after-effects-how-to-remove-an-object>

Here's the excellent video copilot series, showing how to animate a mask:
<http://www.videocopilot.net/basic/tutorials/04.Keying/>

Neither show the idea of putting another foreground track over the top, but should get you along the way...

> **Comments:**
> **username_2**: If the human subject movement is the chief interference or deviation between the clean plate and the footage, then some kind of blend mode could create a reasonable dynamic mask. Maybe Difference, or the result of Subtraction between the duplicated track and the clean plate.  
> **username_0**: I'm sorry, but I have done quite a bit of googling to find tutorials, it's why I came here, because I don't know what I'm looking for. I don't know what it means to "animate a masked area on top of the plate." If you could explain this or help me find a tutorial that would be appreciated.  
> **username_1**: i've added a couple of links to the end of my suggestion - hope they help - the video copilot Basic Training series is excellent, and free!  

---

