One of the first effects I did as a kid was filming a friend, having them leave frame, then starting the camera again. Tada! Disappearing act done.
Well these days a disappearing effect should be a little more… advanced.
In this video, Casey Faris walks us through a straightforward way to achieve it.
Here are some of the steps you’ll learn:
- Making a clean plate from handheld footage
- Tracking the video
- Using the clone brush
- Creating the effect
- Adding a warp & glow

Gedaly is the Managing Editor of DVresolve.com. He is a professional editor, having cut national commercials for major companies, and does color & VFX for indie films at Mask & Feather. He’s also a filmmaker, writing and directing shorts & features. Gedaly is the co-founder of Working.Actor and former marketing strategist for large brands.