Vignette
A soft darkening around a video's edges that keeps the eye inside the frame and draws attention toward the subject.
See it
What it is
A vignette is a gradual brightness change near the edge of the frame, usually a darkening that keeps attention on the center. In video it can come from the lens, but it is often added during the grade as a broad, soft oval rather than a visible black border. The heavy version became a signature of early Instagram filters, which is exactly why a modern one should stay invisible.
Reach for it when a face or product needs gentle separation from a busy background, or when several shots need a more consistent falloff at the edges. If the subject moves, animate or track the center instead of leaving the darkest part sitting on the subject.
Gotcha: viewers notice a vignette as soon as the midpoint is too tight or the corners are crushed. It can also exaggerate compression noise and lens shading already present in the source. Correct unwanted lens vignetting first, then add the creative pass while watching the shot in motion, not on one flattering frame.
Ask AI for it
Add a restrained vignette with Adobe Premiere Pro's Lumetri Color Vignette controls: set Amount to -0.8, Midpoint to 55, Roundness to 0, and Feather to 80. Keep the falloff broad enough that no ring is visible, protect faces and products near the edge, and keyframe a separate feathered opacity mask instead if the subject moves far from center. Correct any original lens shading before this creative pass.