Creating Soft-Edge Keys

Keeping with the Photoshop method of creating custom matte key images, you can easily avoid hard-edge cutouts and add a touch of softness. To create soft-edge matte key cutouts, do the following:

1. Select a soft-edge brush in Photoshop when painting your matte key image, as shown in Figure 7.15.

   Figure 7.15. The Brushes palette in Photoshop.

   

2. To select different brush sizes and edges, select Window > Show Brushes.

3. The gradient or feathered areas appear as a soft-edge image when you apply Premiere's image matte key effect, as shown in Figure 7.16.

   Figure 7.16. Add a creative touch to your movie by using soft-edge matte keys.

   

You can make the soft edge very subtle by utilizing a small pixel spread. I always use a very small amount of soft edge on all my matte keys (even where I don't necessarily want a feathered look). The slightest bit of soft edging helps make the blend between the two images more natural without making the image look like it was cut out with a pair of those safety scissors you used back in first grade. To create a larger, more extreme soft-edge key, use a brush with a broad pixel spread. This applies the "feathering" look over a wider area. This gives the image a very soothing, mild blend into the background image.