How to Use Overlays to Stylize Footage in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (2018)

Overlays are one of the fastest ways to stylize your footage in Premiere Pro. They are essentially video files (smoke, fire, light leaks, rain, bokeh, embers, film grain) that you layer on top of your footage and blend in using blend modes. The result looks like the effect was captured in camera, but you added it entirely in post.

This technique is widely used in music videos, trailers, and cinematic edits. You can go from plain footage to something visually rich in just a few minutes. Today we are going to learn how to use overlays in Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

How to Add Overlays in Premiere Pro

Finding Overlays

1. Search YouTube or free stock sites for overlays. Common search terms include “smoke overlay,” “ember overlay,” “light leak overlay,” “rain overlay,” and “bokeh overlay.” Many creators offer free overlay packs for download. You want overlays that are on a black background, since this is what the Screen blend mode needs to work properly.

Applying the Overlay

2. Import the overlay file into your Premiere Pro project.
3. Before adding the overlay, select your footage and do any color correction you want. I usually warm up the color temperature to match the mood of the overlay I am about to add.
4. Drag the overlay onto a track above your footage on the timeline.
5. In Effect Controls, adjust the Scale so the overlay covers the full frame.
6. Under the overlay clip’s Opacity section, change the Blend Mode from Normal to Screen. This makes the black background disappear and only the light elements (smoke, embers, light) show through.
7. Lower the Opacity to taste. You usually want overlays to be subtle, not overpowering. Start around 50-70% and adjust from there.

Color Matching the Overlay

8. You can color correct the overlay to match your footage. Apply Lumetri Color to the overlay clip and adjust the temperature, tint, or hue to match the overall mood. For example, if your footage is warm-toned, make the overlay warmer too.
9. Adjust the speed of the overlay if needed. Right click on the overlay, go to Speed/Duration, and increase or decrease the speed. Slower overlays feel more atmospheric. Faster ones feel more energetic.

Layering Multiple Overlays

10. You can stack multiple overlays for a richer look. For example, combine a smoke overlay with an ember overlay and a subtle red flashing overlay. Each one goes on its own track above the footage, each set to Screen blend mode.
11. Adjust each overlay’s opacity independently to balance them. The key is making them work together without any single one dominating.

Common Overlay Types

• Smoke/Fog adds atmosphere and mystery
• Embers/Sparks work great for action and fire scenes
• Light Leaks add a warm, vintage film quality
• Bokeh creates soft, out-of-focus light circles for dreamy shots
• Rain adds weather effects without getting the camera wet
• Film Grain adds texture and a cinematic quality
• Dust Particles create a sense of age or atmosphere

Tips

• Black background is essential. The Screen blend mode only works correctly when the overlay has a pure black background. If the background is dark gray, it will show through slightly.
• Loop shorter overlays. If your overlay file is shorter than your footage, duplicate it on the timeline and butt the copies together. Add a short cross dissolve at the seams to hide the loop point.
• Try other blend modes. Screen works for most overlays, but Add creates a brighter, more intense version. Overlay and Soft Light are more subtle and blend differently with the colors underneath.
• Pair overlays with enhanced night footage or a dreamy effect for maximum style.

That is how you use overlays in Premiere Pro. They are incredibly easy to apply and can completely transform the look and feel of your footage in minutes.