1. A computer-implemented digital video object compositing method of reducing the effect of shadows cast by the object comprising: comparing the brightness of an input image that contains an object to the brightness of an input image that does not contain the object; determining whether hue values of the input image that contains the object are within hue tolerances of the input image that does not contain the object; determining whether portions of the input image that contains the object contain shadows cast by the object; and adjusting portions of an alpha image that correspond to portions of the input image that contains the object, wherein the portions of the input image contain shadows cast by the object thereby conveying to the alpha image information on which portions of the input image that contains the object are shadows cast by the object.