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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Add a subtle blur
Old TV pictures are never razor sharp. Open the Effects panel, search for Gaussian Blur and drag it onto your clip. In Effect Controls, set Blurriness to around 8. This adds a really subtle softness to the video.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Gaussian Blur and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 2: Create the vertical lines with Grid
Search for Grid in the Effects panel and apply it to the clip. In Effect Controls, scroll all the way down and change the Corner Y position value so the horizontal lines are pushed out of the screen. Then change the Anchor values and the first Corner value until you get thin vertical lines only. Remove the center line if one is left, and keep adjusting until the lines look right to you.
Finally, set the Blending Mode at the bottom of the Grid effect to Overlay. Now the lines blend into your picture, and you will see the TV look more clearly if you zoom in. The Border value makes the lines thicker or thinner.
Step 3: Curve the screen with Lens Distortion
To bend the picture like a tube TV, search for Lens Distortion, apply it, and set Curvature to around 11. The picture now bulges, and a white background appears around the edges. To remove it, scroll to the top of the effect and raise Scale a bit until the edges are filled.
Step 4: Brighten and add contrast in Lumetri Color
Open the Lumetri Color panel. If you cannot see it, use Window > Lumetri Color. Expand Basic Correction and raise Exposure to around 0.7, and raise Contrast to about 75. Then expand Vignette and set Amount to about -0.7, or whatever you like, for dark corners.
Step 5: Add a subtle chromatic aberration
For the glitchy color fringing, search for Chromatic Aberration in the Effects panel and apply it to the clip. In Effect Controls, tick Falloff Invert so the effect only happens at the edges, and set Falloff Distance to 0. This gives a very subtle color split on the edges.
Step 6: Blur the edges with an adjustment layer
In the Project panel, click New Item, choose Adjustment Layer and click OK. Drag it above your video on the timeline. Apply Gaussian Blur to it and set Blurriness to around 7.
One click with Mako: the free Mako panel adds an adjustment layer over the selected clips, at the playhead, on the first free track, in one click. Get Mako for free
Click the circle icon under Gaussian Blur to create a circular mask, drag the oval to fit the middle of the picture with the blue handles, and tick Inverted so the blur only hits the edges. If the transition looks hard, increase Mask Feather until it is smooth.
Step 7: Add flicker, grain and shake
Apply the Strobe Light effect to the adjustment layer. Set Blend With Original to around 98, Strobe Duration to 0.01 and Strobe Period to 0.02, and give Random Strobe Probability a random value for a subtle light flicker. For a weaker flicker, use a higher Blend With Original value.
On top of all this, drag a grain overlay above all other layers and set its Blend Mode to Overlay. Last, search for Camera Shake, and apply it to the adjustment layer for a bit of handheld movement. That is the finished effect.
Tips
- Zoom in to judge the lines. The grid lines are fine, so check them at 100% instead of Fit.
- Keep every effect subtle. The look works because each effect is quiet, and together they add up.
- Nest for reuse. Once you like the look, copy the effects onto other clips.
FAQ
Which effects create the TV look?
Gaussian Blur, Grid, Lens Distortion, Lumetri Color, Chromatic Aberration, Strobe Light and a grain overlay, all of them standard in Premiere Pro except the grain clip.
Why are my lines horizontal and not vertical?
The Grid effect starts as a full grid. Push the horizontal lines out of the frame with the Corner Y value so only the vertical lines remain.
Can I save this as a preset?
Yes. Select all the effects in Effect Controls, right-click and choose Save Preset. See our guide to importing Premiere Pro presets to reuse it.
Finish your retro look with the free grain overlay.
