Guide: How to remove lenses from VR footage in Mistika Boutique

If you're working with VR footage, unwanted lenses in the frame can be a frustrating issue. Fortunately, Mistika Boutique provides a streamlined way to remove them. Use our video tutorial to clean up your shots and create a seamless, immersive experience.

First, download the ENV file for this project and open with Mistika. Then watch this tutorial: 

We have provided step-by-step instructions but we recommend following the above video tutorial below so you can see the precise buttons and the most accurate workflow. 

Step 1: Import and Prepare Your Footage

• Open Mistika Boutique and import your Canon VR footage.
• Separate the video and audio layers by right-clicking and selecting "Audio/Video Break".

Step 2: Create the VR Stitch

• Duplicate your footage layer.
• Apply the V-Stitch effect by selecting FX > V-Stitch.
• Hold Alt and drag the footage to create a duplicate.
• In the VR Stitch panel, set up two cameras:
  • Camera 1: Assign the right half as the left eye.
  • Camera 2: Assign the left half as the right eye.
• Choose Equidistant Fisheye as the projection type.
• Adjust the focal length and fine-tune the horizontal alignment for basic stitching.

Step 3: Apply Framing to Remove the Lenses

• Create a Comp3D layer (FX > Comp3D) to add extra space.
• Inside Comp3D, add a Framing effect to mask out the lenses.
• Duplicate the footage twice to use as clean plates.
• Use the Bezier shape tool (found under Shapes) to mask the unwanted lens areas.
• Adjust the X offset to reposition clean portions of the image over the lenses.
• Feather the edges to blend the replacement seamlessly.

Step 4: Fine-Tune and Export

• Use Blending Mode (C3D Attributes > Blend) to align the mask with surrounding footage.
• Adjust horizontal/vertical scaling and positioning as needed.
• Once satisfied, export your cleaned-up VR footage.

Now, your footage is free of distracting lenses, making for a more immersive VR experience.