In video terminology, layering is the stacking of media elements in a video project timeline to enable playback of multiple elements simultaneously. The most common layering effect is the split screen layout with multiple ‘windows’ of video playing at the same time. By rearranging the stacking order and scaling, rotating and repositioning each clip, an editor can create compelling video montages for music videos, bumpers and teasers.

Compositing is the overlaying of two or more media elements in a project timeline to produce a blended look from the combined tracks. The most common methods for composting include:

• Opacity Levels: Adjust the opacity parameter to subtly blend two or more layers together, or animate this parameter over time to create fade-ins and fade-outs.
• Composite Modes: Select a composite mode for a video clip layered on top of another clip to achieve a blending of the two elements determined by the interaction of their respective gray-scale or color values.
• Alpha channels: Some graphic files include an additional channel of grayscale information that determines the transparency of the image. Unlike a simple opacity control, an alpha channel specifies a unique transparency value for each pixel in the image. Alpha channels can be used as masks to hide parts of an image or to create transparency that varies throughout the image.
• Keying: All keys involve compositing a foreground image over a background image. By shooting a subject against a colored background and then using FCPX or Motion5 to remove the color, you can place your subject in any environment you like. This process is called “keying” or “pulling a key.”

The more layers you have, the more creative you can get! How many layers can you create in FCPX? A recent test by fcp.co to push Final Cut ProX to its limits on a MacPro laptop revealed astonishing results – 1600 tracks of 4K ProRes on a 558 Day Timeline!

Written by Kate Lee, Smith College Senior Media Producer