Yeah I had overlaid the "blank banner" image over the whole thing and reduced it to just where the silver cross area is in a method similar to what you're referencing, but the values in the blank banner are such that by the time it was bright enough it lost all its mid values too...so i found a different cloth and used that.
im actually a motion graphics artist, lol - so i know PS, although AE and C4D are more where I spend my time
- My Work -just wanted to fix it quick so overdriven could get it in the pack - and im lazy lol
i appreciate your critique on the banner, the addition of the extra texture on the silver cross def helped it!