Stacking video layers for brightening

Norm Sanders

Norm Sanders

Script Wrangler
I read a thread a while ago about adding/stacking layers to brighten & bring detail to an image. Just looking for feedback about what you find works best for you. If I leave the track as Source Alpha, nothing happens. But, if I change it to Screen, Dodge, or Add, I get a little more of the brightening effect (basically the sun was behind the subject, so I'm fighting a bit of a sillouette effect & had to crank up the Iris to compensate ... not that angle is darker than the rest & I'm trying to bring it upp).

So, each has a different look, slightly, and was just looking for a what others tend to use more when trying to bring up their light levels/details by adding/stacking a layer.
 
Yep, definately need some input here about stacking layers for brightening/picking up detail. I've stacked two layers with the top track's composite mode set on "Dodge". It at first appears to be the best, but looking at it further, it changes the coloring some, giving things more of a red/shiny look .... not what I'm after.

Input anyone? Help??
 
Not sure Envision - I'm actually a Premeire Pro guy myself. Maybe some of the Vegas Guru's will see this and lend a hand. Doesn't sound doable with layers though.....
 
I'm new to this...but stacking images is a major part of what I do with Astronomical photography. We do this to increase image detail and brightness...so the concept is well established in that field of study. Might wanna search the term stacking as it associates with astronomy.

Thanks,
Prof. D.
La.
 
Thanks Sirius (for getting attention to this thread again) ProfD and Rapier! I'll look into Jubal's recommendation and see about perhaps OVER brightening the track, then cutting back on the opacity with a duplicate original layer underneath ... see what that does. This is different from the stacking method ProfD mentioned, and I know can be done for photographs ... I'm assuming there's a way to do this in Vegas as well.

Kind of like when you stack multiple tracks of the same font on top of each other, that font becomes more bold & brighter ... hoping to do the same with typical video layers, but can't seem to get what I'm looking for.

For anyone who's interested, I've figured out a killer way to create fake shadows, etc. within Vegas. Just take a dupilcate layer underneath, cut the opacity of it down to 1-20% (to taste), then use your Bezier curves/mask in pan/crop on the upper track. By doing a negative mask, and some feathering in both directions, you can create VERY realistic looking shadows on your subject for a cool noir look.

Now, to get that stinking track I need to increase detail & brightness without additional noise. I'll get back to work.
 
Envision said:
Thanks Sirius (for getting attention to this thread again) ProfD and Rapier! I'll look into Jubal's recommendation and see about perhaps OVER brightening the track, then cutting back on the opacity with a duplicate original layer underneath ... see what that does. This is different from the stacking method ProfD mentioned, and I know can be done for photographs ... I'm assuming there's a way to do this in Vegas as well.

Kind of like when you stack multiple tracks of the same font on top of each other, that font becomes more bold & brighter ... hoping to do the same with typical video layers, but can't seem to get what I'm looking for.

For anyone who's interested, I've figured out a killer way to create fake shadows, etc. within Vegas. Just take a dupilcate layer underneath, cut the opacity of it down to 1-20% (to taste), then use your Bezier curves/mask in pan/crop on the upper track. By doing a negative mask, and some feathering in both directions, you can create VERY realistic looking shadows on your subject for a cool noir look.

Now, to get that stinking track I need to increase detail & brightness without additional noise. I'll get back to work.
Click to expand...


Can you post a pic of your shadow technique?
 
I was JUST about to for you, then realized I'd be breaking the current festval rules, as the clips I've worked on are for part of our zombie short. Sorry!
 
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