Ellipse Mask Node

The Ellipse Mask is one of the 3 basic primitive masks (along with Rectangle and Triangle). Unlike the Polygon Mask, which requires you to draw points, the Ellipse is ready to use right away - simple parametric geometry.

Typical uses: a soft radial vignette, a spotlight to dramatize an area, an isolation mask for a roughly round subject (head, sun, light).

• Effects Library: Tools > Mask > Ellipse
• Quick add: right-click in the Node Editor → Add Tool > Mask > Ellipse

Ellipse Mask

A fixed parametric mask (circle/ellipse). No points to draw. Fast and precise for simple round shapes.

Polygon Mask

A point-based mask. More flexible but slower to set up. For irregular or organic shapes.

Rule of thumb: simple round area → Ellipse. Irregular shape or roto → Polygon.

• Effect Mask (blue) - optional. A mask to combine through the Paint Mode.

Radial vignette:
MediaIn → Color Corrector (Gain 0.5) ← Ellipse Mask (Invert, high Soft Edge)
       → MediaOut
(darkens everything except the center)

Dramatic spotlight:
Dark shot → Color Corrector (Gain 2) ← Ellipse Mask (moderate Soft Edge, Center on the subject)
(brightens only the masked area)

Round isolation for grading:
MediaIn → Color Corrector (saturation boost) ← Ellipse Mask
       → MediaOut
(custom grading inside the round area)

Center X / Y

Position of the center. Can be moved with the crosshair in the viewer.

Width / Height

Dimensions. Equal = a perfect circle. Different = an ellipse. Resizable in the viewer by dragging the edges.

Angle

Rotation (only relevant for an ellipse, not a circle).

Solid

On: filled mask. Off: only the ring outline.

Border Width

Outline thickness when Solid is off.

Soft Edge

Feathers the edges. Crucial for clean vignettes - a Soft Edge of 0.1-0.3 gives a natural falloff. Gaussian filter recommended.

Level

Mask opacity (0-1).

Paint Mode

How it combines with an incoming mask: Merge, Add, Subtract, Multiply, Invert, Replace, etc.

Invert

Inverts the mask: the round area becomes a transparent hole and the rest becomes opaque. Essential for vignettes (you want the outside masked).

• Radial vignette - Ellipse Mask with Invert + high Soft Edge + Color Corrector with a low Gain = progressive darkening toward the outside. The most common use.
• Dramatic spotlight - an area brightened locally in the center (or on a subject) with a Color Corrector boost. A cinematic noir look.
• Isolating a face - an Ellipse roughly matching the head → localized skin grading. Faster than a precise Polygon for a quick test.
• Mask for a sun / light - a round area around a light source (sun, headlight) for local effects (glow, boost).
• Focus bubble effect - an Ellipse with a low Soft Edge → Blur Effect Mask (inverted) = everything blurred except inside the bubble (fake macro portrait effect).
• Iris transition (in/out) - an animated Ellipse (Size 0 → 1) to reveal a scene from the center = the classic iris open.
• Several combined Ellipses - with Paint Mode Add, combine several ellipses to create patterns or multi-masked areas.

• High Soft Edge for vignettes - a Soft Edge of 0.3-0.5 gives a very soft, natural falloff, essential for a professional, invisible vignette.
• Invert for a vignette - the classic: the Ellipse masks the center, but you want the effect on the outside (on the edges). Invert gives you that behavior.
• Diagonal drag to keep the aspect ratio - in the viewer, drag between two edges to resize while keeping the ratio.
• Gaussian filter for quality - the best feather rendering. Box/Bartlett are faster for previews.
• Animated Center for tracking - move the Center to follow a subject over time. Attach it to a Tracker modifier for automatic tracking.
• Very different Width / Height = a very elongated ellipse, useful for specific areas (horizon, bar, track).
• For a round mask with a detailed shape (e.g. the outline of a head), prefer B-Spline, which smooths more naturally than the rigid Ellipse.