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I am trying to shade an image to achieve a desired effect but, after several tutorials, I haven't been successful.  I have tried various masks and gradient shadings, but, evidently, I haven't deciphered the right order of tasks.  I want a headshot that looks like those depicted in this video:  [MEDIA=youtube]xJr7_VkMZJc[/MEDIA] . I begin the process by selecting a photo, cropping it, removing the background, and cleaning up the image. As you can see in the video, I need to darken a portion of the headshot. This is the point where I have trouble. When I use the gradient tool, it adds back a "black background" to the image when it is placed in the video program.   So, when the headshot is moving, it has a dark rectangular background around the headshot instead of a "cut-out silhouette." How can I shade a portion of the "cut-out silhouette" so it doesn't re-introduce a background. I feel confident that there is some combination of masking, gradient settings, and other tools that I haven't tried that will work. Oh, and if you haven't figured it out, I am quite a Photoshop rookie.