If you’ve ever wished you could easily separate your subject from the background in your footage, maybe for color correction, lighting tweaks, or just to add a little visual drama, you’re going to love what Boris FX just dropped.

In their latest tutorial video, “Dive Deep into Automatic Depth Maps with Continuum,” Boris FX’s Ben Brownlee walks us through the powerful capabilities of Depth Map ML, one of the smartest tools inside Boris Continuum.

This isn’t your typical plugin; this is AI-powered precision for video editors who want complete control.

What Is Depth Map ML Anyway?

Depth Map ML is part of the plugin BCC family inside Boris FX Continuum, a must-have collection of visual effects tools. Specifically, this filter uses machine learning (plugin AI) to analyze your footage and create a grayscale matte that defines what’s near and what’s far, essentially building a 3D depth map from a flat 2D video.

And the best part? You don’t need special cameras or depth sensors. Just your footage, the Depth Map ML plugin, and a vision.

Why You Should Care About Depth Maps

Depth maps give you more than just cool sci-fi vibes. They unlock professional-level control in post-production. With them, you can:

• Create natural-looking background blur (no green screen required)
• Target specific areas in your frame for color correction or relighting
• Animate depth-based effects for added drama
• Isolate your subject with precision

This can seriously elevate your work, especially if you're using Final Cut Pro plugins or After Effects plugins and want tighter creative control without the headache of rotoscoping frame-by-frame.

Using Depth Map ML as a Standalone or Inside Pixel Chooser

Ben shows how you can use Depth Map ML in two main ways:

1. As a standalone effect: Just drag and drop it onto your clip, tweak a few settings, and you’re off.
2. Inside the Pixel Chooser: This is where things get exciting. Pixel Chooser is a smart feature within many Continuum effects that lets you isolate parts of your image. When combined with Depth Map ML, it becomes a surgical tool for your After Effects plug-in workflow or effects for Final Cut Pro.

Precision Control with Mapping Modes and Matte Tools

Depth Map ML isn’t just “set it and forget it.” You’ve got powerful controls at your fingertips:

• Mapping Modes: Choose between Min Max and Guided to define how the plugin interprets depth.
• Distance Controls: Pinpoint exactly where your foreground and background sit.
• Matte Refinement Tools: Think sliders for Brightness, Contrast, Gamma, plus smart masks like Threshold, Range, and Slice giving you frame-by-frame polish without the frame-by-frame grind.

Real-World Use Cases: From Color Correction to Relighting

One of the coolest parts of the tutorial is seeing Depth Map ML in action. Imagine giving the subject in your footage a gentle spotlight while dimming the background, all without keyframes or masks. Or changing the mood of your scene by shifting color and light based on depth. Whether you're working on music videos, commercials, or cinematic shorts, these subtle tweaks can make a massive difference.

And because Depth Map ML is part of Boris Continuum, you can combine it with dozens of other plugin BCC effects, making your post-production workflow smoother and smarter.

Watch the full tutorial to see Depth Map ML in action, and explore what’s possible when machine learning meets professional creativity.