How to Composite Using Blend Modes

In today’s world of media production, image creation that was once the domain of graphic designers, photographers, and animators has now evolved into a principle element of video post-production. With digital processing, video editors can layer multiple clips in the Timeline and use blend modes to adjust how the color values of one clip visually interact with those of clips beneath it.

A simple composite contains two layered clips stacked one above the other in the Timeline – the blend layer and the base layer. A blend mode applied to the upper layer employs a unique mathematical equation to combine the color information of each pixel in both layers, resulting in a creative and distinctive visual style. To apply a blend mode to a clip in Final Cut Pro X, select the upper layer in the Timeline and choose a blend mode in the Video Inspector > Compositing menu. In Adobe Premiere CC, select the upper track in the Timeline, activate the Effect Controls panel, and choose a blend mode in the Blend Mode menu.

The composite images illustrated below show how the color values from each layer interact when using different blend modes. When examining the resulting composites, pay attention to the highlights and shadows in both the blend layer and the base layer.

The Multiply blend mode emphasizes the darkest parts of each overlapping clip; lighter regions of overlapping clips become increasingly translucent. For example, if you superimpose a scanned sheet of handwritten text over a base layer using the Multiply blend mode, the resulting composite becomes textured with the darker parts of the blend layer.

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The Screen blend mode emphasizes the lightest parts of both the base layer and the blend layer. The Screen blend mode is useful for glow and lighting effects, and for combining areas of vivid color in two clips.

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In the Overlay blend mode, whites and blacks in the blend layer become translucent and interact with the color values of the base layer, causing intensified contrast. Overlay multiples the dark pixels of the blend layer if the color information of pixels in the base layer are dark. If the color information of pixels in the base layer are light, Overlay will screen the blend layer.

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The Subtract blend mode darkens all overlapping colors. Whites in the blend layer go black and blacks become transparent, while blacks in the base layer are preserved. The Subtract blend mode is useful for overlaying graphics onto a clip and inverting whites to blacks.

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Blend modes provide a number of options for combining clips to create unique imagery and titling. The blend mode you choose will depend on your video content and the visual style you are striving for. Experiment with various graphics, images, and video and note how the highlights and shadows of multiple stacked layers interact with one another when blend modes are applied.

Written by Kate Lee, Senior Media Producer

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