Recolor a clip in two colors: one for the shadows, one for the highlights. The picture keeps its shapes and light, but all hue comes from the pair you choose. It is the look of Spotify-era campaign posters, band visuals, and branded social clips.
Choosing the pair
Contrast between the two colors decides how readable the clip stays. A dark navy against a bright orange keeps faces and edges clear. Two colors of similar brightness, such as red and green at full saturation, flatten the picture until only outlines are left.
Enter exact hex values to match a brand palette. The same pair gives the same result on every frame, so a series of clips cut from different sources ends up in one consistent look.
Balance
Balance shifts how brightness maps onto the gradient. Pushing it toward Shadow suits bright footage that would otherwise wash out in the highlight color. Pushing it toward Highlight lifts dark footage.
Source footage
Because color is thrown away and rebuilt from brightness, the result depends on the light in the source. Shots with strong light and shadow give a bold two-tone image. Evenly lit, low-contrast footage lands in the middle of the gradient and looks like a flat tint. Raise contrast in the video workflow before the duotone step to fix that.