Summary
In Final Cut Pro, LIQUID is a set of liquid effect video overlays you attach as a connected clip above your primary storyline and composite via Video inspector > Compositing > Blend Mode, set to Screen or Add. Those modes throw away the overlay's black background, so it composites without keying. You then cut your subject out with the Draw Mask or Shape Mask effect set to Invert. It's $30.00, reduced from $47.00.
What Is LIQUID?
LIQUID is a pack of drag-and-drop liquid effect overlays supplied as video clips. That's an important distinction in Final Cut Pro, because it means there is no Motion Template to install. Nothing goes into Movies > Motion Templates > Effects, nothing appears in the Effects Browser, and nothing breaks when Final Cut updates. The clips live in your library as media.
The pack's line is that it's hard to make liquid effects without After Effects — and Final Cut Pro users feel that more than most, since there's no equivalent fluid simulation waiting in the app. Pre-shot overlay footage closes that gap without a round trip to Motion or a third-party tool.
The pack is $30.00, down from $47.00, and the clips are formatted for compatibility across editing software including Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve. Final Cut Pro is macOS-only, so this is a Mac workflow.
How LIQUID Works in Final Cut Pro
-
Import —
File > Import > Media(Cmd+I) and bring the clips into an event. Give them a keyword so they're easy to pull mid-edit. - Connect the overlay — drag it from the Browser and drop it above the clip in your primary storyline. It attaches as a connected clip, anchored to the frame you drop it on.
- Set the blend mode — select the overlay, open the Video inspector, find the Compositing section, and set Blend Mode to Screen. Add is directly above it in the same list and gives a brighter result.
- Set opacity — the Opacity slider sits in the same Compositing section. Screen at 100% over a bright shot is usually too strong.
- Fit the frame — use the Transform controls in the Video inspector, or click the Transform button in the lower-left of the Viewer for on-screen handles.
- Mask your subject out — open the Effects Browser (Cmd+5), go to the Masks category, and drag Draw Mask onto the overlay clip. Click points around your subject in the Viewer to close a shape, then in the inspector set Mask Blend Mode to Subtract so the overlay is removed inside the shape instead of only appearing there. Adjust Feather and Falloff.
- Animate the mask — keyframe the Control Points in the inspector as your subject moves. For simple movement, Shape Mask is faster: it gives you a circle or rectangle with a single position, scale and feather set to keyframe.
- Retime — press Cmd+R to open the Retime editor above the clip, then drag the handle to slow the liquid down or set a Speed Ramp so it lands on a beat.
Why Screen and Add Drop the Black Background
Screen inverts both layers, multiplies them and inverts the result — run black through it and the frame underneath comes back untouched, because black is zero and zero contributes nothing. Add sums the two values instead, and adding zero also changes nothing. In both cases the overlay's dark background disappears on its own and only the bright liquid composites.
That's the whole reason these clips work as drag-and-drop assets. No keyer, no alpha channel, no matte to build. If you've used the same technique for light leaks and film burns, this is identical — only the footage changes.
Connected Clips, Compound Clips and Storylines
- Connected clips — the default. The overlay anchors to a specific frame in the storyline below, so it travels with that shot if you move it. Watch the connection point: if you drop the overlay on the wrong frame, ripple edits earlier in the timeline will drag it somewhere you didn't intend.
- Connected storylines — select the overlay and press Cmd+G to wrap it into a connected storyline. Now you can trim, add transitions between multiple overlays, and slide the whole group without breaking anchors.
- Compound clips — select the footage and the overlay and press Option+G. The pair becomes one clip you can grade, mask or blend as a single unit. This is how you apply one grade over the finished composite instead of to each element.
- Adjustment approach — Final Cut has no adjustment layer natively. A compound clip of the whole timeline is the usual substitute when you want a final pass over everything.
Tips for a Clean Composite
- Grade the overlay itself — add Color Board or Color Wheels to the overlay clip and pull exposure down before judging the blend. Overlays almost always come in too hot.
- Tint toward your scene — a small hue push on the overlay so it shares your grade's colour does more than a tighter mask ever will.
- Feather the mask generously — a hard Draw Mask edge looks cut out. Raise Feather until the boundary stops announcing itself.
- Cut under the peak — when using liquid as a transition, put the edit on the frame where the liquid covers the most screen.
- Leave background rendering on — blend modes and masks are composite work. Let Final Cut render behind you and playback stays smooth.
Conclusion
Final Cut's version of this workflow is short: connect the clip above your storyline, set Compositing > Blend Mode to Screen or Add, add Draw Mask set to Subtract for your subject, and retime with Cmd+R. Nothing installs, nothing to update, and it works the same on every project.
LIQUID is $30.00, reduced from $47.00, and includes video clips formatted for compatibility across editing software including Final Cut Pro, Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve. Grade underneath it with something like the CineFilm LUT pack and the composite has somewhere to sit.
FAQ
Q: Where is the blend mode in Final Cut Pro?
A: Select the clip, open the Video inspector, and look under Compositing. The Blend Mode dropdown and Opacity slider are both there.
Q: Do I need to install a Motion Template?
A: No. These are video clips, not templates or plugins. Nothing goes into Movies > Motion Templates > Effects and nothing appears in the Effects Browser.
Q: How do I stop the liquid covering my subject?
A: Apply the Draw Mask effect to the overlay, trace your subject, and set Mask Blend Mode to Subtract. Feather the edge and keyframe the control points as the subject moves.
Q: Screen or Add?
A: Screen for most work. Add when you want the liquid to glow — it pushes highlights harder, so pull Opacity back afterwards.
Q: Can I apply one overlay over several shots?
A: Yes. Connect it above the section, or make a compound clip of those shots and run the overlay over the compound.
Q: Does this work on Final Cut Pro for iPad?
A: The workflow described here — the Video inspector's Compositing section and the Draw Mask effect — is the macOS version. The pack also covers Premiere Pro, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve.