Editing a thumbnail

Scene presets: adding a backdrop

Additive by design: your subject, text and composition stay exactly where they are.

Plan Starter and up Cost 1 request 4 min read

Backdrops layered into the frame

The editor's Scene tab adds a setting to an existing thumbnail — jungle, city at night, space, a stadium — without replacing what is already there. That distinction is deliberate and it is the whole design of the feature: scene presets composite into the existing background rather than wiping it out. Your subject, your text and your composition stay exactly where they are; the world behind them gains new elements.

The presets

PresetWhat gets layered inFits
JungleLeaves, vines, soft mistSurvival, adventure, exploration
City NightNeon signs, bokeh lights, wet street reflectionsVlogs, music, street content
BeachSun flare, sand particles, ocean horizonTravel, summer, lifestyle
StudioSoftened gradient background, clean light falloffInterviews, education, product
SpaceStarfield and nebula glowScience, sci-fi, tech, mystery
MountainsSnowy peaks at golden hour on the horizonFitness, adventure, motivation
StadiumPacked crowd and stadium lightsSports, esports, competition
Money PileFlying cash, gold coins, moneyFinance, business, side hustle
ExplosionFire and sparks behind the subjectGaming, action, drama
MansionLuxury interior, chandelier accentsWealth, real estate, lifestyle

Additive, not a background swap

If you want the background genuinely replaced, a scene preset is the wrong tool — say so explicitly in the custom edit chat: "replace the background entirely with a plain dark studio, keep the subject and text exactly in place". The presets are built to preserve, which is what you usually want and occasionally do not.

Getting a clean result

  1. Apply the scene before the mood. Add the elements first, then grade the whole frame so the new and old parts share a colour treatment. Doing it the other way leaves the new elements ungraded.
  2. Pick a scene that could plausibly be behind your subject. A studio-lit talking head with a jungle composited behind reads as a green screen, because that is effectively what it is. Match the light.
  3. Do not stack scenes. Jungle plus Space plus Explosion is three worlds in one frame and none of them read.
  4. Check your text after. Busy scenes eat text legibility. If the headline is now sitting on a crowd, either move the text or pop the subject out and rearrange.

Scene preset vs. regenerating

 Scene presetNew generation
CompositionPreserved exactlyNew every time
CostOne requestOne request, two variations
TextStays putRe-rendered
Best whenThe frame works, the world is dullThe frame itself is wrong

Using scenes to build a series

One strong subject shot plus a different scene per episode is a reliable series device: the viewer recognises you instantly and the changing backdrop tells them each video is new. Pair it with a fixed text layer position and a fixed grade, and you have a template that takes two edits per video.

Frequently asked questions

Do scene presets replace the background?

No — they composite elements into it, preserving the original scene. If you want a full replacement, say so explicitly in the custom edit chat.

Should I apply the scene before or after the mood?

Scene first, then mood. Grading after the composite makes the new and original elements share one colour treatment.

The composite looks like a green screen. Why?

The lighting does not match. A studio-lit subject with a jungle behind them reads as pasted — apply a lighting preset afterwards so one source lights the whole frame.

Try it on your next video

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