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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Add Lighting Effects to your icon
Drop your icon onto the timeline. A PNG icon with a clean shape works best. Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects), search for Lighting Effects, and drag it from Video Effects > Adjust onto the clip.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Lighting Effects and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 2: Draw a slanted bar with the Pen Mask
With the clip selected, open Effect Controls and find Lighting Effects. Hover over it and pick the Pen Mask tool (click and hold the mask tool in the toolbar if you cannot see it). Click four points in the Program Monitor to draw a tall, slanted bar that crosses the icon. This bar is the shape of your shine, so tilt it a little for a more natural glint.
The mask appears as Pen Mask under the effect. Leave its Blend Mode on Add, so the lighting is added only inside the bar.
Step 3: Soften the mask and brighten the light
A hard-edged bar looks like a stripe, not a shine. Raise the mask's Feather value until the edges turn soft and glowy. The video uses a value of around 20.
Then scroll down in the Lighting Effects settings and increase Ambience Intensity. This is what makes the inside of the bar light up. Start from the default and push it up until the streak reads clearly on your icon without blowing out the whole logo.
Step 4: Keyframe the mask Position
Expand the mask's Transform group and click the stopwatch next to Position at the first frame. Place the bar so it starts off to the left of the icon. Move the playhead about a second or so forward and drag the bar across to the right side until it has fully passed the icon. Premiere creates the second keyframe for you.
Press the spacebar to play it back. At this point the shine moves at a constant speed, which feels mechanical.
Step 5: Ease the keyframes for a snappy sweep
Select both Position keyframes, right-click one of them and choose Temporal Interpolation, then pick an ease option such as Ease In and Ease Out. Twirl open the Position property to see the velocity graph, and drag the handles so the shine whips across fast and then settles. Real light glints feel quick, not slow and floaty. If you want more background on this, read our guide to easing keyframes in Premiere Pro.
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 shine that lasts under a second feels premium. Anything longer starts to drag.
- Tilt the bar. A perfectly vertical bar looks like a scanner. A slight slant looks like light hitting a surface.
- Use it on any logo. The same setup works on text, badges and app icons. Just redraw the mask to fit.
FAQ
Where do I find Lighting Effects in Premiere Pro?
Open the Effects panel and search for Lighting Effects. It lives under Video Effects > Adjust.
How do I make the shine move across the icon?
Draw a mask on the Lighting Effects, then animate the mask's Position with keyframes so the bar travels from one side of the icon to the other.
Why does my shine look like a hard stripe?
The mask edges are too sharp. Increase the mask Feather until the edges blend into the icon.
Want finished looks ready to drop on your clips? Browse the Ultimate Premiere Pro Presets pack with over 500 presets.
