Apple Final Cut Express 4 - Manual (Page 821)

Chapter 52 Compositing and Layering 821
IX
Hard Light
Whites and blacks in the foreground image block overlapping areas in the background
image. Whites and blacks in the background image, on the other hand, interact with
overlapping midrange color values in the foreground image.
Overlapping midrange color values are mixed together differently depending on the
brightness of the background color values. Lighter background midrange values are
mixed by screening. Darker background midrange values, on the other hand, are mixed
together by multiplying.
The visible result is that darker color values in the background image intensify
overlapping areas in the foreground image, while lighter color values in the
background image wash out overlapping areas in the foreground image.
The order of two clips affected by the Hard Light composite mode is important.
Soft Light
The Soft Light composite mode is similar to the Overlay composite mode. Whites and
blacks in the foreground image become translucent but interact with the color values
of the background image. Whites and blacks in the background image, on the other
hand, replace the overlapping areas in the foreground image. All overlapping midrange
color values are mixed together, creating a more even tinting effect than that created
by the Overlay composite mode.
The order of two clip affected by the Soft Light composite mode is important.
Boxes clip on top Monkey clip on top
Boxes clip on top Monkey clip on top