problem making custom vignette with ellipse masking tool

Question

Using PP 2026 I can make a custom ellipse mask, move it to to the opacity section of effects and adjust opacity to darken the center of the ellipse with the area around the ellipse black, or invert it and get a black center with the opacity slider affecting the exterior. this is not what I want.

I want a clear center, showing the unchanged exposure of the underlying shot, with adjustable black OUTSIDE the ellipse, so I can adjust opacity to create a simple vignette effect.

I want to do it via ellipse tool instead of with the built-in lumetri effect for more control.

What settings make this possible? Can it be done right on a clip or does it require an adjustment layer?

Nothing I try with blend modes, etc seems to make a difference.

Thanks very much for your help!

Steve

wrong
opacity changes inside, not outside ellipse.

CORCTON34033231 · Accepted Answer

Hi Steve — the issue is where the mask lives: a mask under Opacity only controls transparency, so it can't darken the edges no matter what you try with blend modes.

You can do this right on the clip, no adjustment layer needed:

1. Select the clip in the timeline, then in the Toolbar hold the Object Mask Tool and choose the Ellipse Mask Tool, and draw the ellipse in the Program Monitor.

2. In the Effect Controls panel, track the mask forward and backward.

3. Apply the Brightness & Contrast effect with that mask, then select Inverted so the darkening applies outside the ellipse — the center stays at its original exposure and the edges go black. Feather to taste.

This is exactly the technique Adobe documents for custom vignettes with masks:

https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/create-vignettes-using-masks.html

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