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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Add VR Digital Glitch to your clip
Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects) and search for VR Digital Glitch. You will find it under Video Effects > Immersive Video. Drag it onto your clip on the timeline, or select the clip and double-click the effect. It is designed for VR footage, but it works well on normal video too.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of VR Digital Glitch and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 2: Keyframe Master Amplitude where the glitch should hit
With the clip selected, open Effect Controls and find VR Digital Glitch. Move the playhead to the exact moment you want the glitch to happen, for example when a person moves or the shot changes. Click the stopwatch next to Master Amplitude to create a keyframe at its default value of 100.
Step 3: Hide the glitch before and after
Right now the glitch is on for the entire clip. To fix that, press the Left Arrow key 3 times to move back 3 frames and set Master Amplitude to 0. That makes the effect invisible before the event.
Next, jump back to the first keyframe with the Go to Next Keyframe arrow next to the property, press the Right Arrow key 3 times to move 3 frames forward and set Master Amplitude to 0 again. You now have three keyframes: 0, 100 and 0. The glitch pops in for a short moment and disappears, which is how real glitches feel.
Step 4: Tweak the distortion settings
Expand Distortion under VR Digital Glitch to change the look. Color Distortion controls the red, green and blue color splitting, and you can set it to 0 to turn the color effect off. The geometry values change how the picture tears and bends. Try different numbers and scrub through the glitch to compare the results.
Step 5: Add a camera shake with Scale and Position
For a more violent glitch, make the whole picture jump. First go to the first Master Amplitude keyframe. Open the Motion settings and raise Scale slightly, to around 105. This hides the black borders that would show when the picture moves around.
Click the stopwatch next to Position to create a keyframe. Then move forward a couple of frames and make a small random change to the position, and check that no black edges show in the monitor. Repeat this two more times with other small random moves. For the last keyframe, move forward 2 frames and click the Reset button next to Position so the picture goes back to the center.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Tips
- Keep it short. A glitch of 3 to 6 frames hits harder than a long one.
- Add sound. A short digital sound effect on the same frame makes the glitch feel real.
- Use it on transitions. Place the glitch at the cut between two clips to hide the edit.
- Combine looks. A text distortion pairs well with it. See how to make a text wiggle effect in Premiere Pro.
FAQ
How do I make a glitch effect in Premiere Pro?
Apply VR Digital Glitch to your clip, then keyframe Master Amplitude from 0 to 100 and back to 0 over a few frames.
Why does the glitch show on my whole clip?
Master Amplitude is probably at 100 for the full clip. Add keyframes before and after the glitch moment and set them to 0.
How do I remove the colored edges?
Expand Distortion and set Color Distortion to 0.
Want ready-made glitches with sound? Download the free glitch transitions with sound.
