The SIMPLEST way is to use your pen tool and cut a mask. You're going to have to move it around frame-by-frame (keyframe the mask POSITION), but if you have no other method of keying, that's what I'd do.
You can adjust all the parameters of the mask, feathered, etc.
I'd suggest starting out by keying it for the first frame of your sequence, and the last, and then sucessively hitting the centers. That way, AE does a LOT of the inbetweening for you and if you're lucky, you don't have to do a lot.
For example, if you have 30 frames in your sequence, put your mask in frame 01, and then activate the SHAPE keyframe and then go to frame 30, activate the shape keyframe at f30, and then move the mask. Then look at frame 15. If you're lucky, most of your pen points will already be close to where they belong. Keyframe the shape at frame 15 and move it, then check at 7 and 22. Same thing.
Keep cutting your work area in half until you're doing every other frame.
PROBABLY you'll be okay doing every other frame. For most things you will be, and if there's a lot of complex movement in one tight sequence, you can always frame-by-frame that little bit.
Cheers,
Edward
"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door
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