What is Paint-Out?
Paint-out is removing something from a shot that should not be there, such as a logo, a boom microphone, a rig, a crew reflection, or a blemish, and filling the space so the removal cannot be seen. It is the most common VFX request on commercial work.
- Category
- Creative & Video Production
- Also called
- Cleanup, Object removal, Wire removal, Rig removal
- In our work
- VFX & Cleanup
On a stable shot with a simple background, paint-out can be quick: the area behind the object is rebuilt from nearby frames or pixels. The difficulty rises with camera movement, with anything passing in front of the object, and with detailed or moving backgrounds, because the fill has to stay consistent across every frame.
AI fill tools handle many simple cases well and give complex ones a head start. The failure to watch for is flicker, where the filled area shifts slightly from frame to frame, which is why finished paint-out is checked at full resolution before delivery.
Common questions.
Can you remove a logo from a video?
Usually, yes. A logo on a stable shot is a simple removal; one on a moving camera or behind someone who walks past it takes more work. Whether a logo needs removing for legal reasons is a separate question for the client and its lawyers.
What footage should I send for paint-out?
The original camera file or the highest-quality export available, not a download from a social platform. Compression throws away exactly the detail the fill needs to rebuild the background convincingly.
Related terms.
Rotoscoping
Creative & Video ProductionRotoscoping is drawing a moving mask around a subject, frame by frame, so it can be separated from its background.
Compositing
Creative & Video ProductionCompositing is combining elements from different sources, such as a filmed subject, a replaced background, a screen insert, or a generated object, into a single image that reads as one shot.
Screen Replacement
Creative & Video ProductionScreen replacement is placing new content, such as an app interface, a website, or a video, onto a phone, laptop, or monitor screen in footage after it was filmed.
Scoping a project?
Reading definitions because you are scoping a project? Skip ahead and just ask.