Blend FFmpeg Filter – 30+ Blend Modes for Creative Compositing

In Photoshop, you can layer images and choose from dozens of blend modes — multiply, screen, overlay, difference, and more. These modes determine how pixels from one layer combine with pixels from the layers below, enabling everything from subtle colour corrections to dramatic visual effects.

FFmpeg's blend filter brings this same power to video. It takes two video streams and blends them together using one of 30+ blend modes, with component-level control, dynamic expressions, and GPU acceleration via Vulkan.

Whether you're creating glitch art, cinematic overlays, colour grading effects, or motion graphics, blend is one of FFmpeg's most versatile creative tools.

The Gap: Photoshop-Style Blending for Video

FFmpeg users have long used the overlay filter to composite videos — placing one video on top of another with optional transparency. But overlay doesn't blend pixel values; it just layers them. If you want to combine pixels — multiply them, add them, or apply a photoshop‑style blend — overlay won't help.

That's where blend comes in. It offers the full spectrum of Photoshop blend modes, but unlike Photoshop, it works frame by frame on video.

The Symptom: "I Just Want to Mix These Videos Like Photoshop Layers"

You've got two videos. You want to overlay them with a blend mode — maybe screen for a light effect, or multiply for a dark cinematic look, or difference for a glitch effect. You know how to do this in Photoshop, but FFmpeg seems to only have overlay.

That's the gap blend fills.

Core Concepts: What Is the Blend Filter?

The blend filter "blends two video frames" using a specified blend mode. It takes two input streams and produces one output stream.

Key characteristics:

• 30+ blend modes — from standard Photoshop modes to unique FFmpeg modes.
• Component‑level control — you can blend R, G, B, and A channels separately.
• Expressions — use mathematical expressions for dynamic, custom blending.
• Vulkan acceleration — blend_vulkan for GPU‑accelerated processing.
• Any pixel format — works with all formats, unlike xstack.

The filter has been part of FFmpeg for years and is well‑tested in production.

Blend Filter Syntax & Parameters

The basic syntax for blend is:

[input0][input1]blend=all_mode=MODE[out]

Parameters:

Important: You must specify either a mode or an expression, but not both for the same component.

As the FFmpeg source notes: "Both parameters can be set to 'all' to apply the same mode or expression to all components".

All 30+ Blend Modes

Here are the available blend modes, grouped by category:

Most commonly used modes:

• multiply — Darkens; used for shadows and cinematic grading.
• screen — Brightens; used for lens flares and overlays.
• overlay — Combines multiply and screen for high contrast.
• difference — Inverts colours; used for glitch effects and alignment.
• addition — Adds pixel values; used for exposure blending.
• exclusion — Similar to difference but less intense.
• softlight — Gentle contrast; used for subtle colour grading.

Practical Examples: From Basic to Creative

Example 1: Multiply Blend – Cinematic Darkening

Using multiply to darken a video with a colour overlay.

# Multiply blend — darken a video with a colour overlay
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -f lavfi -i color=0.1:0.05:0.2:1.0:1920x1080 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=all_mode=multiply[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4

Explanation:

• -f lavfi -i color=... — generates a solid colour video.
• blend=all_mode=multiply — blends the video and colour using multiply.

Example 2: Screen Blend – Lens Flare / Light Overlay

Using screen to add a light overlay (or lens flare effect).

# Screen blend — add a lens flare overlay
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i lensflare.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=all_mode=screen[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4

Explanation:

• screen mode brightens the video where the overlay is bright.
• Perfect for adding lens flares, light leaks, or sparkles.

Example 3: Difference Blend – Glitch Effect

Using difference to create a glitch or invert effect.

# Difference blend — glitch effect
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i video.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=all_mode=difference[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4

Explanation:

• difference blends a video with itself (or a shifted version) to create glitch effects.
• Add a delay or offset for datamosh‑style glitch art.

Example 4: Component-Level Blending

Blend R, G, and B channels separately for creative colour effects.

# Channel‑specific blending — red channel multiply, green channel screen, blue channel normal
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i overlay.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=c0_mode=multiply:c1_mode=screen:c2_mode=normal[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4

This creates a unique colour effect by applying different blend modes to each channel.

Advanced: Dynamic Blending with Expressions

The blend filter supports expressions for dynamic, custom blending. You can use variables like X (column), Y (row), W (width), H (height), and T (time in seconds).

Example: Checkerboard Pattern

# Checkerboard blend pattern
ffmpeg -i video1.mp4 -i video2.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=all_expr='if(eq(mod(X,100),50),A,B)'[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 output.mp4

This creates a checkerboard pattern using pixels from the two videos.

Example: Animated Glitch (Time‑Based)

# Time‑based glitch (drops to difference every 2 seconds)
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i video.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[0:v][1:v]blend=all_expr='if(eq(mod(T,4),2),A-B,A+B)'[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 output.mp4

This switches between normal blending and difference blending every 2 seconds.

Example: Chroma Key with Difference

# Chroma key with difference blending
ffmpeg -i video.mp4 -i green_screen.mp4 \
-filter_complex "[1:v]format=rgba,colorchannelmixer=aa=0.5[fg];[0:v][fg]blend=all_expr='if(gte(A,0.5),A,B)'[out]" \
-map "[out]" -c:v libx264 output.mp4

This uses the difference between frames for chroma key‑style removal.

blend vs. overlay – Which to Use?

Recommendation: Use blend for creative effects, color grading, and pixel‑level compositing. Use overlay for simple compositing with transparency.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Final Word

The blend filter is one of FFmpeg's most powerful creative tools. With 30+ blend modes, component‑level control, and dynamic expressions, it brings Photoshop‑style compositing to video — frame by frame.

Whether you're creating cinematic colour grades, glitch art, lens flares, or complex motion graphics, blend gives you the control you need.

Key takeaways for your workflow:

• Use multiply for dark, cinematic looks
• Use screen for light effects and overlays
• Use difference for glitch and invert effects
• Use component‑level blending for creative colour effects
• Use expressions for dynamic, time‑based blending

Next time you need to blend two videos, reach for blend. Your creative options are limitless.