Control How Layers Behave Across Scenes in Descript

By default, a visual layer lives only in the scene where you added it, from that scene’s start to its boundary. Manually extend the layer past its original scene boundary to repeat it across scenes, or to stretch it across multiple scenes.

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How layers work in scenes

When you add a visual layer to a scene, Descript automatically attaches it to the current scene:

• The layer appears only within that scene
• Any changes (position, scale, effects) only apply within that scene

Layers stop at the scene boundary and won’t continue into the next scene unless you extend them manually.

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Snap a layer to a scene boundary

To attach a layer to an entire scene:

1. Select the layer in the timeline.
2. Drag the edge of the layer to the scene’s left boundary until a dashed vertical line appears, then release to snap it.

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How to extend a layer across scenes

Extending a layer across scenes is helpful when:

• You want a visual element to persist across multiple scenes (e.g. a logo)
• You’re applying a consistent layout or background
• You’re styling captions that stretch across scenes

You can extend layers in two ways:

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Option 1: Use the Apply to all scenes toggle

Apply your changes to every scene where the layer appears:

1. Select the layer in the timeline or scene editor.
2. Use the scene editor toolbar or the Properties panel to click Apply to all scenes.
3. Make your change — such as position, scale, or effect. It will apply the change to that layer in all scenes in the composition.

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Option 2: Drag the layer across scenes

1. Open the timeline and select the layer you want to extend.
2. Drag the edge of the layer across one or more scenes. Release to set the new duration.