Split-screen magic

Use a mask to combine two layers in creative ways

Control handles

These green control handles enable you to position the mask over the pole so that the person is hidden when she walks behind the masked area. You can also rotate the mask to follow the tilted line of the pole.

Source clips

Here we have two clips of a garden. The bottom layer features a woman walking past a washing pole. The top one is a clip of the location without the woman.

Inspector

The Inspector enables you to fine-tune various mask properties. Here, we’ve reduced the Feather to zero to give the mask a hard edge where it overlaps the sharp lines of the pole.

Effects browser

The Effects browser’s Masks category enables you to hide or show specific parts of a particular layer. We’ve used a Shape Mask to hide the woman on the lower layer when she passes to the right of the pole.