This phase involves preparing the footage for compositing by removing unwanted elements (e.g., wires, reflections, crew members) or preparing assets for further manipulation. It also includes tasks like removing or altering backgrounds and repairing any issues in the footage (such as damaged frames or unwanted shadows).

Paint: In this stage, artists use digital painting techniques to enhance or fix specific areas of the footage. This can involve touch-ups to smooth out visual inconsistencies, painting out imperfections, or even creating elements that weren’t captured in the original shot. For example, if a part of the background was incomplete or a reflection was visible on a surface, paintwork would digitally alter or recreate the missing details.