Following the post Editing 101; EdTPA & Final Cut, need to censor out a face in your video? This tutorial will walk you through the steps to quickly, and as easily as possible, apply a static or dynamic (tracking) censor effect to a segment of video.
Things to remember:
- Have your clips and audio levels done FIRST, before applying censor
- Editing 101 video post: https://wp.wwu.edu/ajbarse/2018/12/21/editing-101-edtpa-final-cut-pro/
- Command + B will allow you to place a break in your clip
- Be careful NOT to accidentally move or roll clips when you do this
- Be sure to keep an eye on the “Background Tasks” progress when finished (see Editing 101 video for refresher)
- Student Technology Center: https://stc.wwu.edu/
- Previous blog on Camera 101 : https://wp.wwu.edu/ajbarse/2018/09/27/camera-101-fall-pilot/
Pearson: EdTPA site
http://www.edtpa.com/PageView.aspx?f=GEN_Prepare.html
The “Cookbook”
Alternative Approach : HitFilm
Let’s say you have a clip where you have perhaps you had someone walk around with the camera in your classroom (off the tripod), and have a face you need to blur out for EdTPA. Another tool that might help in this regard might be HitFilm 2018. It is free (Mac & PC), made from a company out of the UK, but the interface can be a bit confusing. But this 3min video from Gear Up Digital shows how you can use the application’s tracking tool to track a certain face through the entirety of a clip.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fhcs_VZj5_I
TL;DR HitFilm
- Free download from https://fxhome.com/hitfilm-express
- Go with a compound clip, and run a tracking layer, make a masking layer (copy and paste tracking keyframes), and then ‘distort’ effect you’ll need to look for is “Witness Protection”
- When you export, you will still need to use 640×360 for size of your clip.
Run into a face blurring snag? Stop by!
In either case, blurring can be a difficult task, as always feel free to come by my office(HH225) or stop by the STC with your footage for assistance.