Understand the key differences between masks and track mattes in motion design, and learn how each can be used for dynamic text and shape animations. This article highlights how track mattes—based on alpha or luma values—enable creative effects commonly seen in professional title sequences and TV show intros.
Key Insights
- Masks are embedded directly on a layer and transform with it, while track mattes use separate layers, allowing independent animation of content and matte.
- Track mattes can be built from any visual layer—such as shapes, graphics, or videos—and operate based on either alpha (transparency) or luma (brightness) data.
- Noble Desktop's advanced class on motion graphics includes specific instruction on track matte animation for creating effects used in high-profile series like True Detective and Yellowstone.
So like I said, if you want to read up, there is a section on masks versus trackmats. But the main difference, a mask is physically on a layer, which means when the layer transforms, the mask has to transform as well. A trackmat uses a different layer, which means they could be animated separately.
Or one could be animated, one could be static, which is the example here, by the way. Okay, now, where have you seen trackmats before? I did this while you were working on your projects. If you, a lot of title design, a lot of text animation uses trackmats.
Because sometimes you want text or graphics or images to appear from behind something like that little diagonal line, which could not possibly hide any words, except it can hide words. Okay, it does that. I don't need the grid for this, by the way.
That was just… Because hello is basically moving into position of the left mat, which is literally just a shape I drew with the pen tool. All starts off over there and moves into the position of the right mat. Again, a shape I drew with the pen tool.
So the result is they start off on opposite sides, slide in, and as they cross over the mat for each one, they reveal, like so. So it is a very common technique used in title design, any text animation, shape animation, to reveal things. It's like amazingly common.
In the infographic animation you did, you used a solid layer. Fine. I used a shape, because I can custom shape those shapes, basically, okay? You can use anything.
So you can import a graphic, you could use a logo as a track mat, anything can be a track mat. If you take the advanced class, there is a section specifically on track mats and track mat animation. Because technically, track mats can be made of two different bits of information.
This is alpha, which is transparency. By the way, alpha is the video name for transparency. But track mats can also be based on luma, which is the brightness of layers, which means you could take an image or a video and use it as a track mat.
Okay. Where have you seen that? Watch television. Seriously, watch television.
That's the image of that, okay? Artofthetitle.com. It's about time design, by the way. True Detective. Summary.
That's their open it, okay? That's video used the track mat. That's video used the track mat, okay? They're basically using the luma, the brightness, as a track mat, which is how it allows video without transparency to do it. Okay, which is pretty cool, by the way.
If you watch, what is that show I don't watch? Yellowstone. Apparently, their opening uses the same kind of animation. Or Landman.
Apparently, actually, it's that guy. Taylor Sheridan is the producer or creator of those shows. Apparently, he likes this effect, by the way.
Because a lot of the shows use this double exposure thing, which is, again, a track mat feature. It's pretty cool, by the way. They're very commonly used in graphics and animation, okay? It's kind of cool.
Okay, but yeah, we use it a lot. But like I said, so even though we used it with a solid layer, shape layer, we could have done that. Just draw a rectangle, same thing.
Or we could have imported any graphic and used it. So track mats can mat any kind of layer, and they can be matted from any kind of layer. Except audio, obviously.
Audio is not visual.