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Faking A Neutral Density For Skies
Okay… I have my source landscape clip, with blue sky sitting in top half of shot.
I put that in Video Track 1.
Then I make a black video clip and place it in Track 2.
I apply a Ramp (blck->white from top to bottom) to track 2.
Then I go to the landscape clip in Track 1 and apply Calculations effect to it. I set the “Second Source 2nd Layer” to Video 2 and set “Second Layer Opacity” to 100%.
I then set the blending mode to ‘Overlay’.
PROBLEM:
This works correctly for the top half of the gradient/landscape, but the bottom half where the ramp turns to white is lightening the ground.So it is effectively darkening the sky like I want, but it is brightening the ground. Why does it brighten the ground? It shouldn’t. I know it doesn’t do that in Photoshop at least. Shouldn’t white in the ramp turn to transparent? If not, how can I make it so the white in the ramp is transparent on the final shot?
Thanks for any help!
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3 Replies
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Change the ramp to Black – 50% grey or mask the bottom of it. Multiply should also give you a similar effect without white affecting your shot underneath. Fiddle with the opacity to get the best level of sky. I use this feature too and overlay does lift in the white – Even in Photoshop you probably haven’t noticed it.
– JOn 🙂How many editors does it take to change a light bulb?
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I know this is an old old post but I was having the same problem as you and I figured it out!
Use a gradient image instead of ramp. Create one in photoshop and add it as a static image on top of your clip and modify the opacity.
Also use a tiff. Tiffs can fade into a background as opposed to fading into white. Then it won’t brighten up the foreground when you bring up your opacity.
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