frank678 said:
... I've found making one frame with the contrast set far apart and one with the contrast in the mid range and layering as transparencies then I get a composite spread of the different information I could'nt get from one set of settings on one frame.

I, too, have tried using such "presets" (for lack of a better term) -- techniques for area-targeted adjustments. snicker mentioned the Colorama tool in After Effects for such adjustments. As I don't have that, my paint program must suffice with it's Layers settings:

They are fun and produce interesting effects. But, ultimately, it's all manipulation of the R/G/B either individually and/or locked together (luminance). I've found that Historgram settings does a man's job of correction or just plain alteration:

One really learns how picture colors work with these controls -- compress / expand; progressive increasing / decreasing [gamma]; min / max / low / high limits -- and, judiciously used across both locked & unlocked R/G/B, can produce almost everything you'd like to do.

Once you know what's going on there, then Curves adjusting does "the impossible":

As you can see, one can do anything to the curve (with enough control points) to do anything to a picture or to parts of a picture. Dangerous territory. :)

For an example, see my post over in the THX 1138 preservations (Italian Cut available, see 1st post) thread -- http://originaltrilogy.com/forum/topic.cfm/THX-1138-preservations-Italian-Cut-available-see-1st-post/post/590208/#TopicPost590208
The curves are not pictured but the control-point numbers are there for an amazing result in color restoration.