Adobe Just Killed the Most Boring Part of Video Editing with New AI Tools
I have a confession to make. As much as I love creating content, there is one specific task in video editing that makes me want to pull my hair out: Masking.
If you are an editor, you know the pain. Clicking point-by-point with the Pen tool, frame by frame, trying to separate a subject from the background. It is tedious, it is soul-crushing, and it kills the creative flow.
But today, looking at Adobe’s latest update for Premiere Pro and After Effects, I think those dark days might finally be over.
Adobe has just released a suite of new AI-powered tools, and unlike some “flashy” AI features that are just for show, these are designed to solve real, practical problems. The highlight? A new Object Mask tool that changes everything.
Here is my deep dive into what’s new, how it works, and why I think this is a massive win for our workflows.
The End of Manual Rotoscoping?
Let’s talk about the star of the show: the Object Mask in Premiere Pro.
In the past, if I wanted to isolate a person or a coffee cup in a video, I had to manually draw a shape around them. Now, Adobe says, “Just hover and click.”
- How it works: You literally hover your mouse over an object in the video. The AI instantly recognizes the boundaries of that object. You click once, and boom—it creates a precise mask.
- Refining: It’s not a “take it or leave it” deal. You can still use the Lasso or Rectangle tools to add to or subtract from the mask. You can tweak the feathering and expansion just like before.
But here is the best part: This AI runs entirely on-device. I can’t stress enough how important this is. It doesn’t upload your footage to the cloud to process it. This means two things:
- Speed: It’s instant. No waiting for server uploads.
- Privacy: Your footage never leaves your computer. For those of us working under NDAs or just valuing privacy, this is a huge relief. Adobe explicitly stated that user data is not used to train this specific model.
20x Faster Tracking: A Need for Speed
Masking is useless if it doesn’t move with the object. We’ve all been there—you mask a face, the person moves, and the mask stays behind.
Adobe claims to have overhauled the tracking engine under the hood. The new system is reportedly 20 times faster than previous versions.
I haven’t tested this on a 4K RAW file yet, but if it’s even half as fast as they claim, it’s going to save hours of rendering time. The new Shape Mask tools (ellipse, rectangle, pen) have also been moved directly to the toolbar, making them much more accessible. It feels like Adobe is finally listening to UI complaints and streamlining the “boring” stuff so we can focus on storytelling.
After Effects Gets Some Love Too
While Premiere Pro stole the headlines, After Effects got some solid updates that 3D artists will appreciate.
- Parametric 3D Meshes: You can now create 3D objects—cubes, spheres, cylinders—directly inside After Effects. This might sound basic to a Blender user, but for motion graphics artists who want to stay inside one app, it’s a great workflow booster.
- SVG Support: Finally! We can now import SVG files directly. No more converting vector files into weird formats just to get them to play nice with AE.
Smoother Workflow with Firefly and Stock
Adobe is also tightening the integration between its services. The update brings Adobe Stock directly into the app, so you don’t have to switch to a browser to find B-roll. They’ve also improved the Firefly Boards integration for importing media.
It’s all about keeping you in the “flow state.” Every time I have to Alt-Tab out of Premiere to download a stock clip or look for a vector file, I lose a bit of focus. These changes seem small, but they add up to a much smoother day in the edit bay.
My Verdict
I’ve been critical of Adobe in the past for adding “bloat” to their software. But this update feels different.
The Object Mask tool isn’t a gimmick; it’s a time-saver. By using AI to automate the tedious grunt work of masking and tracking, Adobe is giving time back to creators. And doing it locally on the device? That is the cherry on top.
These updates are rolling out now via Creative Cloud. I’m updating my rig as I write this.
What about you? Are you ready to trust AI with your masking, or are you still a “Pen Tool” purist? Let me know in the comments below!
You Might Also Like;
