[Ken Rodriguez]

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.