Making a Luma Track Matte ...... help!

[Letty2019]

Hi, I'm stuck.

Have a face, and am removing the background from the scene. Basic stuff.  Can't use a pen tool, the face turns and talks and is far to difficult to mask a moving wriggling face.  

So luma is the ticket.  (shadowy face, light background)

I'm using Extract to remove the light luma background, works great.

then, I use

Matte Choker to refine the edge.

then I use

Refine Hard Matte to remove the chatter, etc.

OK, it's all cleaned up and looks good.

Now how do I apply that luma mask to the original footage to make a Luma Track Matte?

This is where I break down.

How do I apply this luna matte to the original to remove the background?

Thanks for your advice!

Letty

[Byron Cortez]

I think you mean this, but I think you should use an Alpha Track Matte because you already removed the background and you have transparency. However, I'm not sure why you want to use a Track Matte if you've already removed the background and you already have the transparency.

[Letty2019]

sorry, I'm very confused.

I think what I'm trying to get at is,  to refine the mask, instead of using Extract and Choker, isn't there a way to do it using Luma ?

I'd like an exact mask around the image, but using Extract and choker always seem to dull the edge and it doesn't look perfect.

Luma Matte and  Extract  gets close, is that the best I should hope for?  Using luma mate, extract and choker to refine the edge?

I thought there was a Luma track matte (not sure of the lingo here) that will remove the background and all the luma pixels that are brighter than the actors face?

Thanks for your help,

Letty

btw, I read this on a blog:

Make a copy of the footage and crush it with a Levels filter
Either use a slight blur or use the matte choker to smooth it out a little.
Then take the original footage and use a luma track matte to pass it through this hi contrast “window”.

Is that what I need?  a luma track matte as a window?

[Letty2019 · Accepted solution]

oh nevermind.  I'm just gonna use the new rotobrush 2.0 and toss all this mask stuff where it belongs.

Sincerely, thanks anyways.

[Byron Cortez]

You're welcome! Letty.