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Correct answer PaulMurphy

There are a couple of ways to do this.

 

With 3 layers

  1. Stack 3 copies of the same clip on V1 to V3.
  2. Create the color mask on V3. Open the Lumetri Color panel, go to HSL Secondary, and use the color pickers to select your colors. Adjust the H, S, and L sliders to set the color range and softness.
  3. Under the H/S/L sliders, click the dropdown and choose White/Black. This turns your mask into a luma matte.
  4. On V2, add the Track Matte Key effect. Set Matte to Video 3 and Composite Using to Matte Luma.

This masks everything except the color selection you made on V3. Add your effects below the Track Matte Key effect, and they will affect only your color selection.

Note: The Track Matte Key effect will not work correctly if the footage is scaled in the timeline.

 

With 2 layers

  1. Stack 2 copies of the same clip on V1 and V2.
  2. Create the color mask on V2. Open the Lumetri Color panel, go to HSL Secondary, and use the color pickers to select your colors. Adjust the H, S, and L sliders to set the color range and softness.
  3. Under the H/S/L sliders, click the dropdown and choose Color/Black. This makes everything in V2 black except for the color selection.
  4. Add the Ultra Key effect to V2 to mask the black. Ultra Key selects black by default. You may need to further refine the softening with the Ultra Key controls.

Add your effects below the Ultra Key effect, and they will affect only your color selection.

Note: Applying Ultra Key can cost you some of the edge detail from your HSL Secondary mask, and you will have two separate sets of controls for refining edges and softening, one in HSL Secondary and one in Ultra Key.

11 replies

PaulMurphyCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
July 18, 2026

There are a couple of ways to do this.

 

With 3 layers

  1. Stack 3 copies of the same clip on V1 to V3.
  2. Create the color mask on V3. Open the Lumetri Color panel, go to HSL Secondary, and use the color pickers to select your colors. Adjust the H, S, and L sliders to set the color range and softness.
  3. Under the H/S/L sliders, click the dropdown and choose White/Black. This turns your mask into a luma matte.
  4. On V2, add the Track Matte Key effect. Set Matte to Video 3 and Composite Using to Matte Luma.

This masks everything except the color selection you made on V3. Add your effects below the Track Matte Key effect, and they will affect only your color selection.

Note: The Track Matte Key effect will not work correctly if the footage is scaled in the timeline.

 

With 2 layers

  1. Stack 2 copies of the same clip on V1 and V2.
  2. Create the color mask on V2. Open the Lumetri Color panel, go to HSL Secondary, and use the color pickers to select your colors. Adjust the H, S, and L sliders to set the color range and softness.
  3. Under the H/S/L sliders, click the dropdown and choose Color/Black. This makes everything in V2 black except for the color selection.
  4. Add the Ultra Key effect to V2 to mask the black. Ultra Key selects black by default. You may need to further refine the softening with the Ultra Key controls.

Add your effects below the Ultra Key effect, and they will affect only your color selection.

Note: Applying Ultra Key can cost you some of the edge detail from your HSL Secondary mask, and you will have two separate sets of controls for refining edges and softening, one in HSL Secondary and one in Ultra Key.

Jeffrey24092419vzou
Participating Frequently
July 18, 2026

Thank you for such a thoughtful and complete response. I don’t know if I would want to go to those lengths, but it does answer my question. If it makes you feel any better FCP doesn’t have Pen Masking directly on adjustments/effects, only on the layer itself like you’re describing here.

Community Manager
July 18, 2026

I’d have to have a play, but I like the idea you have. Perhaps an expert can lend a hand here. I’ll ask around. If we can’t find a good alternative, then we’ll move it. OK? ​@PaulMurphy might have an idea.

 

Thanks,
Kevin

Jeffrey24092419vzou
Participating Frequently
July 18, 2026

It’s not my idea, but I’m cross-training an intern in Premiere and FCP and apparently giving them bad advice.

Jeffrey24092419vzou
Participating Frequently
July 18, 2026

Thanks for responding. You can move this wherever you want but I know for a fact that Adobe is already aware of this feature.

Community Manager
July 17, 2026

Hi Jeffrey,

It sounds like you want to do a secondary color correction, which is possible with the Lumetri color effect. Have you tried that? Let me know.


Thanks,
Kevin

Jeffrey24092419vzou
Participating Frequently
July 17, 2026

Not a color adjustment, a color mask. See the link I included above. Color masks function similar to a shape or object mask but allow you to isolate masks by color range.

Community Manager
July 18, 2026

OK. Shall I move your post into Feature Requests, then? Perhaps the feature could be added.

 

Cheers,
Kevin