How To Place video Inside Of A Shape

Placing video inside a shape in video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro, After Effects, or DaVinci Resolve transforms flat footage into dynamic, visually striking compositions that grab attention instantly, turning ordinary clips into branded logos, talking heads in circles, or cinematic vignettes framed in stars.

The technique begins by importing your video clip and a vector shape—circle, triangle, custom mask—onto the timeline, then using opacity masks or track mattes to confine the video strictly within the shape’s boundaries.

In Premiere, drop the video on V2, the shape (white fill, no stroke) on V3, then apply the Track Matte Key effect to the video, selecting V3 as the matte—video instantly vanishes outside the shape while retaining full motion inside. Refine with feathered edges via mask expansion for soft glows, or animate the shape’s path for morphing frames.

In After Effects, pre-compose the video, draw a mask directly on the layer, invert if needed, and keyframe mask paths for shape-shifting effects. Audio remains untouched, syncing perfectly. In lecture terms, this is visual containment: the shape becomes a portal, focusing viewer eyes exactly where intent demands, amplifying storytelling impact. It powers lower-thirds, social media avatars, product reveals, and broadcast graphics, all non-destructively editable.

To place a video inside a shape in Premiere Pro:

1. Import Shape: Import your shape image (PNG with transparency is ideal).
2. Layer Above Video: Place the shape layer above your video clip in the timeline.
3. Track Matte Key: Apply the “Track Matte Key” effect to the video layer.
4. Select Matte: In the Effect Controls, choose the shape layer as the matte.

This effectively masks the video, displaying it only within the boundaries of the shape.