Video Masking vs Video Rotoscoping
Which you need, what each costs, and when a project wants both — video masking compared with video rotoscoping.
Last revised
Both sit under Video Background Editing, and clients regularly ask which of the two they actually want. The short answer is below; the rest of this page is how to tell, what each costs, and the cases where a project needs both.
What each one is
- Video Masking Isolating parts of video frames with masks, so effects, colors or backgrounds can be changed in only those areas.
- Video Rotoscoping Tracing subjects frame by frame to separate them from the background, for shots where no green screen was used.
The numbers
| Video Masking | Video Rotoscoping | |
|---|---|---|
| Starts at | From $1.50 per frame | From $1.50 per frame |
| Services underneath | 17 | 15 |
How to decide
Go with Video Masking when
- The job is specifically 3D masking, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically alpha channel masking, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically animated masking, which sits under this one
Go with Video Rotoscoping when
- The job is specifically 3D rotoscoping, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically automated rotoscoping, which sits under this one
- The job is specifically background replacement rotoscoping, which sits under this one
When a project wants both
Worth knowing: More often than the question implies — the same job frequently touches both, and one team covers them, so moving between them is a conversation rather than a second supplier. If you are not sure which your files need, that is what the free trial is for. The process is the same either way: whichever you pick, the work runs through the same stages and is checked against the same bar. Video Background Editing sets that out.
Questions we get on this specific choice
Is one of them cheaper?
They start at the same rate, so the choice is about what the job needs rather than about budget. Complexity moves both.
Which is faster?
Much the same, and volume moves the number far more than the choice between these two does.
Can you tell me which one my files need?
Yes, free. Send two or three real files — that judgment is part of the trial rather than something quoted separately.
Can I switch after we start?
Yes. If the files say the other one is the right answer, we re-quote before doing the work rather than after.
Where to go from here
- Video Masking — what it is, in full, with its own pricing
- Video Rotoscoping — the same for the alternative
- Video Background Editing pricing — both rates side by side with the US market ranges
- Try it free — a 30-second cut from your own footage, and we will tell you which of the two your files need
- Get a quote if the scope is already clear
- Every rate we publish, on one page
