Overlay System
Versionary composites overlay elements onto your master video during encoding. No manual After Effects work required — define overlays in your delivery matrix and the system handles the rest.
Supported Overlay Types
Video Overlays (Title Treatments)
Pre-rendered video files with transparency, exported as ProRes 4444 from your NLE or motion graphics software. These typically contain animated title treatments, lower thirds, or caption sequences.
Requirements:
- ProRes 4444 with alpha channel (
.mov)
- Same duration as the master video (or shorter — will be trimmed)
- Any resolution (Versionary scales to match the output)
Logo Images
Static logo files placed at a specified position on the frame.
Requirements:
- PNG with transparency recommended
- Any resolution (scaled proportionally)
Caption Overlays
Text-based caption files burned into the video.
How Overlays Are Assigned
Each row in your delivery matrix can specify:
| Column | Purpose | Example |
|---|
| Overlay | Overlay video filename | title_9x16.mov |
| Logo | Logo image filename | client_logo.png |
| Logo Position | Where to place the logo | bottom_right |
Logo Positions
| Position Value | Placement |
|---|
top_left | Upper left corner |
top_right | Upper right corner |
bottom_left | Lower left corner |
bottom_right | Lower right corner |
center | Center of frame |
Processing Paths
Versionary selects the optimal encoding pipeline for each deliverable:
- Overlay + Reframe — composites overlay onto smart-reframed video
- Overlay only — composites overlay onto center-cropped video
- Reframe only — smart reframe with no overlay
- Plain crop — simple center crop, no overlay or reframe
The system automatically detects which path each deliverable needs based on your matrix and uploaded files.
Preparing Overlays in Your NLE
When exporting overlay files from Premiere Pro, After Effects, or DaVinci Resolve:
- Export as ProRes 4444 (not ProRes 422 — you need the alpha channel)
- Ensure the background is pure black with alpha transparency
- Match the frame rate of your master video
- Name files clearly so Versionary can match them to matrix rows
Overlays with opaque black backgrounds (no alpha) will still work — Versionary applies colorkey filtering to remove black pixels. However, true alpha transparency produces cleaner results.
