So basically i wanted to Mask myself using the Pen Tool so i can do some effects on me, I started to connect the points and when i'm done suddenly all the background changes to Black !
could you please help me !
1 Correct answer
the mask is changing but you don't see the result because the Render is turned OFF. if you want to see the result you need to tick the Render option
now you will see the layer cut on black (which is your background color)
another way to work with masks is to choose one of these modes
this will show you the result on top of the layer itself, or a transparent background, or the composition background color
if you want to see THE RESULT COMPOSITE , you need to click on the composition window
now you wi
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Replies
Hey Ezzo this is how masking works in Ae. you closed the masks so now it's in "Add" mode, meaning it's doing what it's set to do - cut the image. if you want to edit the mask without seeing the final result you can do this it 2 ways:
1. set the mask to "None"
2. better - click twice on your footage and in the Layer view you can toggle "Render" off and work on your masks with seeing all the footage.
BTW I am looking at your masks and it does not look promising 
there's a lot more to Rotoscoping (cutting masks out of a live video) then just moving the vertices of the masks, make sure you read through the first part about Rotoscoping here:
Managing and animating shape paths and masks in After Effects
here's a quickstart tutorial:
After Effects CC tutorial: Rotoscoping with paths | lynda.com - YouTube
you might consider using Rotobrush for cutting an image.
try reading here here
Roto Brush and Refine Matte in After Effects
quick start tutorial:
Hey Roei thanks for the reply
first of all the cutting is not important how accurate it is, because what i'm trying to do is Ink Smoke disappear
and i did the second way you gave me which is to double click on my layer and toggle off Render and i got rid of the black background
but the problem now is when i change the values of the Mask it doesn't make any change !!
i'll show you 2 pictures
the first one is mine and the second one is from a guy that i'm trying to follow his tutorial
the mask is changing but you don't see the result because the Render is turned OFF. if you want to see the result you need to tick the Render option
now you will see the layer cut on black (which is your background color)
another way to work with masks is to choose one of these modes
this will show you the result on top of the layer itself, or a transparent background, or the composition background color
if you want to see THE RESULT COMPOSITE , you need to click on the composition window
now you will see the layer cut on top of your background
another way to explain:
the Layer window - this is where you can edit your mask and use different ways to see it - but not in the context of your composition. it is a place where you can work on your layer in the context of itself. you can choose to "Render" (tick the "Render") the mask or any effect or not (untick the "Render"). but this is just the layer. it's not your Composition. you can only see the layer cut on itself, on black, on transparent, on red, and a luma matte. that's it.
if you want to see the layer you cut in the context of your composition, you need to get back to your composition window here:
a good practice would be to set BOTH windows side by side and get the best out of both worlds - cut the mask in one window, see the result on top of the background plate in the other.
or like I wrote before, you can choose the other, less complicated, but more limited way of working - in the composition window you set your mask to NONE, do the work and when you are done, set it back to ADD.
see if you get it 
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