The Layer settings in the Video Editor control how a clip looks on your timeline. You can make a clip more or less see-through and adjust its colour so every shot in your highlight or video looks consistent. This article walks through each setting in the order it appears.
[VIDEO PLACEHOLDER: Video_Editor_10_Layer_and_Colour_v1.1.mp4]
Before you start
Open a project in the Video Editor with at least one clip on the timeline.
Select the clip you want to change. Layer and colour settings apply to the selected clip only, so other clips on your timeline are not affected.
Open the Layer settings
Click the clip on the timeline to select it. Its settings appear in the settings panel.
Scroll down past the earlier settings, such as size, position, rotation and audio, until you reach Layer.
Keep the preview player in view while you work. Changes show in the preview as you make them, so you can judge the result straight away.
Set the opacity
Opacity sets how see-through the clip is. At full opacity the clip is solid and completely covers anything below it. As you lower the opacity, the clip becomes more transparent and whatever sits underneath it on the timeline starts to show through.
You might lower opacity to:
Place an image or logo, such as the LIGR Demo League badge, softly over match footage.
Blend two clips together for a layered look.
Tone down a graphic or overlay so it doesn't distract from the action.
If there is nothing underneath the clip, lowering opacity will simply make it look faded. Check the preview to make sure that is the effect you want.
Adjust the colour
Footage from different cameras, angles or times of day can look quite different. Use the colour controls to make your shots match so your edit flows smoothly. For example, a wide shot of Harbour City (HCF) v Ridgeview (RVR) at LIGR Demo Stadium might look darker than a close-up from another camera. A few small tweaks can bring them together.
Brightness
Brightness makes the whole clip lighter or darker. Raise it for footage that looks dull or underexposed. Lower it if the clip looks washed out or too bright compared with your other shots.
Contrast
Contrast changes the difference between the light and dark parts of the clip. Higher contrast makes the image look punchier and sharper. Lower contrast gives a flatter, softer look. Go easy here, because too much contrast can lose detail in shadows and bright areas.
Saturation
Saturation controls how strong the colours are. Increase it to make team kits and the pitch look more vivid. Decrease it to mute the colours, or take it right down for a black and white effect.
Shift the colours with Hue
Hue shifts all the colours in the clip around the colour wheel. Instead of making colours stronger or weaker, it changes the colours themselves. Small changes can correct a slight colour tint in your footage. Larger changes create a stylised effect, but they can also make grass, skin tones and team colours look unnatural, so use them carefully.
Check your changes
Play the clip in the preview player to see how it looks in motion.
Play across the join with the clips before and after it to check the shots match.
Make any final adjustments, then carry on editing or move to export when you are happy.
Tips and common mistakes
Make small adjustments. Subtle changes usually look more natural than big ones.
Adjust one setting at a time and check the preview after each change, so you know what made the difference.
Pick one clip that looks right and match your other clips to it, rather than adjusting every clip separately by eye.
Keep team colours recognisable. Viewers should still be able to tell Harbour City and Ridgeview apart after your changes.
If a clip seems to have disappeared, check its opacity. A very low opacity can make a clip almost invisible.
Remember the settings only affect the selected clip. Select each clip in turn if you want to change several.