Despill Maestro

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User Guide ​

Learn how to use Despill Maestro with a simple step-by-step workflow.

Plugin Interface

The Basic Workflow ​

Follow these steps to remove spill from your footage. We'll walk through the process with options at each stage based on your specific needs.

Step 1: Apply the Effect ​

  1. Select your footage layer in After Effects
  2. Go to Effects > Jordan Steele > Despill Maestro (or search in the Effects panel)
  3. The effect applies with default settings: Green despill at 100%

If you're working with blue screen: Change Despill Color from Green to Blue right away.

If you have a non-standard background color: Set Despill Color to "Custom" and use the color picker to sample your background.

Step 2: Choose Your View Mode ​

Before adjusting anything, switch to the right visualization mode:

  1. Find View Mode near the bottom of the effect
  2. Choose based on what you're doing:
    • Spill Map - See where spill is being detected (white = more spill, black = no spill)
    • Normal - See the final despilled result
    • Protection Mask - See what areas are protected (useful later)
    • Alpha - See the alpha channel (if using Silhouette Alpha)

Recommended: Start with Spill Map to visualize the spill, then switch to Normal to see results.

Step 3: Select an Algorithm ​

Open the Spill Refinement group and choose your algorithm:

For most situations:

  • Start with Channel Average (the default)

If you're working with people:

  • Try Double Red Average - best for preserving skin tones

If the default is removing too much color:

  • Switch to Largest Channel or Exceed Channel Avg by 10% (more conservative)

If spill remains:

  • Try Smallest Channel (more aggressive)

Learn more about all 10 algorithms →

Step 4: Adjust Despill Amount ​

Find Despill Amount at the top and adjust the strength:

  • 80-100% - Subtle spill removal
  • 100-150% - Standard green screen (start here)
  • 150-250% - Heavy spill or difficult footage

Tip: In Spill Map view, you'll see the white areas grow/shrink as you adjust this.

Step 5: Fine-Tune with Refinement Controls ​

In the Spill Refinement group, adjust these as needed:

Expansion (default: 0%)

  • Increase to 20-50% if spill remains on edges
  • Lowers the detection threshold to catch more spill
  • Too much will affect colors that aren't spilled

Softness (default: 0%)

  • Increase to 20-60% for smoother, more natural transitions
  • Higher values create gradual falloff
  • Use when edges look harsh or digital

Desaturation (default: 0%)

  • Increase to 20-40% to push despilled areas toward grayscale
  • Helps eliminate residual color tints
  • Smoothly transitions at edges

Step 6: Protect Important Colors (Optional) ​

If skin tones or wardrobe colors are being affected, enable protection:

  1. Open the Protection group
  2. Check Enable Protection
  3. Use the Protection Ranges gradient UI or set manually:

For skin tones:

  • Hue: 0-30° (red/orange range)
  • Saturation: 20-80%
  • Luma: 20-80%

For other colors:

  • Switch View Mode to "Protection Mask"
  • Adjust ranges until white areas cover what you want to protect
  • Black areas will be despilled

  1. Adjust Protection Strength (default: 100%)

    • Reduce to 70-80% if protection is too strong and leaving spill

  2. Increase Protection Softness (default: 20%)

    • Set to 30-60% for natural transitions between protected and despilled areas

Tip: Use View Mode: Protection Mask to preview - white = protected, black = despilled.

Step 7: Consider Color Replace (Optional) ​

If despill removes too much color and leaves areas washed out:

  1. Open the Color Replace group
  2. Check Enable Color Replace
  3. Set Replacement Color:
    • Try neutral gray (128, 128, 128) first
    • Or sample a color from the subject
  4. Adjust Color Strength to blend (try 30-60%)

Luma Correction (optional): Increase to 50-100% to match original brightness.

Step 8: Generate a Matte (Optional) ​

If you need an alpha channel based on spill removal:

  1. Open Alpha Handling group
  2. Check Silhouette Alpha
  3. Switch View Mode to "Alpha" to preview
  4. Adjust thresholds:
    • Low Threshold: Drag up to eliminate weak edges (try 5-15%)
    • High Threshold: Drag down to soften bright areas (try 90-95%)
  5. Apply Falloff if needed:
    • Values > 1.0 contract the matte
    • Values < 1.0 expand the matte
  6. Add Alpha Smoothing for softer edges (Smooth, Smoother, or Smoothest)

Step 9: Final Check ​

  1. Switch View Mode back to Normal
  2. Review your footage at full resolution
  3. Check that spill is removed and colors look natural
  4. Toggle the effect on/off to compare before/after

Next Steps ​

  • Need parameter details? Check the Parameters page for complete descriptions
  • Want to understand the algorithms? Visit Spill Algorithms for technical details
  • Experiment! Every shot is different - try different algorithms and settings to find what works best

Copyright © 2026 Jordan Steele