How can I create a simple exportable black mask?

Question

My PS skills are still elementary but I really thought I was beginning to break through. Until the past two days. I've spent at least 8 hours trying to create a black mask with a transparent circle. I want to export the png and use it to mask video in a different program. The attached image is a video still I brought into PS to use as a reference. If I turn off that layer, I lose the mask. I'm guessing there's a simple solution.

Semaphoric · Answer

If you have a mask in place on an existing document, and you want your exportable version to be the same pixel dimensions, you can File > New; for Document Type, choose your source from the drop down, Color Mode = Grayscale, and Background Contents = Transparent. In this doc, Select > Load Selection, with your original mask as the Source, and the Invert box checked. Fill with Black, and de-select. You can now save or export this doc.

One issue is if you move the circle around in the new doc, the hard edges move into the live area.

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