Rotoscope is the process you will probably have to go through, but it does not have to be frame by frame. It seldom is. There is also the option of using Rotobrush which can automate a lot of the process if your footage is suitable.
Roto work often involves motion stabilizing the image, then you put the motion back in the shot. It is often more efficiently done if you use a solid layer as a track matte instead of drawing the mask directly on the footage. If you must rotoscope by drawing masks the biggest mistake people make is trying to include too much in a single mask. The second biggest mistake they make is just moving forward one frame and adjusting the mask. It is almost impossible to get a smooth, clean roto that way and no professional FX artist would ever work that way.
A typical shot of someone walking could be efficiently rotoscoped if you used one simple mask for the main body, another for just the head, and two or three masks for each arm and leg. Maybe this video I did a long time ago will help a little. It demonstrates the multiple mask technique I talked about, setting keyframes initially only when the direction of the action changes, as well as some basic motion stabilization and then returning the motion to the frame. I hope it helps:
You should also look at this article from Scott Squires, a friend and one of the most experienced effects and compositing artists anywhere. Rotoscoping - The Basics - Effects Cornereffectscorner.blogspot.com. Make sure you go through all of the articles that he has listed in the intro article. He is not using After Effects in the demo, but the workflow and the theory are as valid today as it ever was. There is no more efficient way to do hand roto.
If you are still lost please post at least a screenshot of your video so we will have a better idea of what you are dealing with.
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