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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Create a black video above your clip
Open the Project panel, click the New Item button at the bottom and choose Black Video. Keep the default settings, which match your sequence, and click OK. Drag the new black video onto a track above the clip you want to use the effect on.
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Step 2: Draw the first circle
Open the Effects panel, search for Circle and drag it onto the black video. In Premiere Pro it sits in the Obsolete folder under Video Effects. With the black video selected, open Effect Controls and increase the Radius to 400. A white circle appears over your footage.
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Step 3: Soften the edge and set the blend mode
Expand Feather and set Feather Outer Edge to around 30 to smooth the edges. Then set the Blend Mode of the circle effect to Screen. This turns the footage behind the circle black, so you can see the shape clearly on a black background.
Step 4: Duplicate the circle for the second lens
To move the circle into position, change the first Center value to around 620. A binocular needs two circles, so right-click the Circle effect in Effect Controls and choose Copy. Then right-click the gray space below it and choose Paste. Scroll all the way down to the new effect and set its first Center value to 1260. You now have two overlapping circles.
Step 5: Reveal the footage with Multiply
Scroll to Opacity in Effect Controls and change the Blend Mode to Multiply. The footage now shows only inside the circles and the rest turns black, which gives you the binocular look.
Step 6: Add a realistic hand-held shake
Real binoculars never stay perfectly still. Go to the start of the clip and click the stopwatch next to Position to create a keyframe. Also raise Scale to about 105, so you have some wiggle room and no edges show when the frame moves.
Move forward a bit and nudge the position with a small random change. Keep the moves small and subtle. Repeat this a few times, then select all the keyframes, press Ctrl+C (Cmd+C on Mac), go to the last keyframe and press Ctrl+V to paste them again. Repeating the pattern gives you believable hand movement for longer shots.
Step 7: Add the red and yellow glitch edge
For the glitchy edge, search the Effects panel for Chromatic Aberration and apply VR Chromatic Aberrations to the black video. In Effect Controls drag it to the bottom of the effects list, below all the other effects, otherwise it will not work. Enable Falloff Invert and set Falloff Distance to 0. You get a red and yellow fringe around the circles. If it feels too strong, increase the red Aberration value a little.
Tips
- Keep the shake small. Tiny position changes look like a steady hand, big ones look like a mistake.
- Try other footage. Wide landscapes and distant objects work best because the circles frame a single subject.
- Move the lenses closer or apart. Change the two Center values to make the circles overlap more or less.
FAQ
Why can't I find the Circle effect in Premiere Pro?
It is in the Obsolete folder under Video Effects. Search for "circle" in the Effects panel and it will show up there.
Why does the chromatic aberration not show?
It needs to be the last effect in the list. Drag VR Chromatic Aberrations to the bottom of Effect Controls.
Can I use this effect with any video?
Yes. The black video sits on top and uses Multiply, so it works on any clip underneath.
The Circle effect lives in the Obsolete folder, and you can get it and other hidden effects back with the free restored obsolete effects pack.
