Unleash Nostalgia: Easy VHS Effects in Final Cut Pro

Do VHS Effect with Final Cut Pro in the Right Way

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

These days, nostalgia for the 1990s appears to be in fashion. VHS effects are among the most popular, as seen in internet photos and mobile apps. If you know how to make VHS effects, you can join the trend by making vintage-style videos.

Fortunately, you don’t have to reshoot your video using an analog camera and transfer the movie to a VCR video format to achieve the effect of an old recording (with the date on the screen, tracking lines, and other telltale indications). It’s made up of a few similar layers with slightly different Effects and a fun overlay layer to give it that tubular, radical ‘90s vibe.

In this article, you will learn how to add VHS effects to a video in Final Cut Pro X, how to use VHS video effects, and some common VHS filter choices to use in your next project, so keep reading:

Part1: How to do VHS effect in FCPX?

A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording. Adding this antique effect to an edit adds a fantastic old-school discord. How often should you utilize these glitchy and vintage effects? When the mood you’re trying to create begs for some visual or aural distortion. Perhaps you need to recreate the appearance of discovered film or express a dramatic flashback to a character’s history. In any case, VHS tapes and glitch effects are pretty trendy right now.

If you want to know how to add VHS effect to your videos without any plugins in Final Cut Pro X, then follow these steps:

Open Final Cut Pro and click on New Project.

Name your project as VHS effect in the Project Name section. Change the Video format to NTSC SD and frame rate to 29.97p. Click on Ok.

Drag and drop your footage in the timeline of FCPX. After this, scale your project so that it fits the frame.

Open the Effects, and in the search bar, type Add Noise. Select the Add Noise effect and drop it on your footage.

Go to the option Blend Mode and select Color Dodge. Now click on Type and select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). In the Amount section, add the amount between 0.23-0.32.

Now go back to the search bar and type Gaussian Blur. Select that and drop it to your footage in FCPX.

Go to the Gaussian settings and set the amount to roughly 2.0-3.0.

Go back to the search bar in FCPX and type Sharpen. Select the Sharpen effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Set the amount of sharpness to around 8.0-9.0.

Now in the search bar type Bad TV effect. Select it and drop it on your footage in FCPX.

Set the amount of the effect to roughly around 8.0-9.0. In the option, Static Type, select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). Select Soft Light in Static Blend mode option.

Now go to the search bar again and type Prism. Select the prism effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro. This will add some 3D effect to your footage.

Set the amount to around 13.0-14.0.

Go back to the search bar and type Color Correction. Drag and drop this effect to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Click on Exposure and adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadow. Go to the Saturation option and lower it. Now go to the Color and adjust the tint of your video by changing the Global option. Also, adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows. Wait for a few minutes for it to render.

After your video is rendered, you will get the final results using the VHS filter in Final Cut Pro. Your video will look like it was made in a VCR Video format.

Part2: How to do VHS effect in easy steps?

If you want to quickly add VHS effect to your video, you can use Filmora X. You will have to add different effects and values to get the final results. You can use VHS effects on your lyric video, intro, outro, or any other video that you like by following the same process.

First, if you haven’t got Filmora, click here to download it for free!

To do VHS effects quickly, follow these steps:

• Open Wondershare Filmora on your device.
• Go to the Media tab and select Sample Colors.
• Select the Black Color.
• Drag and drop it to your project timeline and adjust its duration.
• Click on the Titles tab and select the End Credits.
• Drag and drop Credit 1 to your project timeline and pace it above the black image.
• Stretch it all the way to the black image. Change all the text in it as you like.

Go to Effect, and in the search bar, type VHS.

• Drag and drop the VHS Distortion Bad effect on the timeline above the text layer.
• Double click on it and change the Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

• Now drag the VHS Distortion effect and place it above the previous one.
• Double click on it and change its Alpha value to 35 and click Ok.

• Drag and Place the VHS Rewind effect above the previous layer.
• Change its Alpha value to 10 and click Ok.

Now search for the Strong Glitch effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

Search for Chromatic Aberration effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Double click on it.
• Change its Alpha value to 60 and Fade to 0.05 and click Ok.

Now Search for VCR Distortion in the search bar.

1. Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
2. Stretch it all the way across. Double click on it.
3. Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.
4. Add Glitch Distortion effect above the previous one.
5. Drag and drop it above the last layer.
6. Stretch it all the way across.
7. Change its Alpha value to 30 and click Ok.
8. At last, add the Distort effect and place it above the top of all layers.
9. Change its Amplitude value to 15, Frequency value to 17, and Alpha value to 0 and click Ok.
10. Export your video.

You can play around with these values to change the intensity of the VHS effect.

Still not enough? See this article: The Best Glitch Video Editors.

Part3: Where to find the best plugins or templates for the VHS effect?

If you want to recreate some of that analog feel to your video clip with plugins or templates, you can use the following recommendations to give your film a VHS effect:

Damaged VHS Effects

This is a paid collection; however, it has an extensive library of VHS-style effects. The variety of effects is impressive, with some slight distortions and others that are almost unwatchable. There’s also some stock video from TV, sound effects, and transitions. Everything may be customized to your taste.

This template will set you back $59, which is a small price to pay for such a large selection. Only After Effects CS3 and above are supported!

VHS Opener

This After Effects template is jam-packed with effects and glitches that are ideal for conjuring a nostalgic mood. Upload your film and customize your titles and text. This is a simple, vintage template that you may use.

Filmstock

A resources center built for Filmora. You can find all the materials and effects you need in Filmstock, including VHS effect.

Click to learn more about glitch effect in Filmstock.

Stories – Glitch & VHS Edition

This template is ideal for use with mobile apps like Instagram Stories. You’ll get two vertical video openers, complete with glitches and VHS effects. Premiere Pro CC 2017 and newer are supported!

VHS Glitch

The look of a VHS glitch effect is basic yet incredibly authentic. This one was made in an old-school way by causing damage to the inside of a genuine VHS tape and capturing the effect. It can’t get much more natural than that! To be confident of what you can and can’t do with this overlay, read the license information

Conclusion

The appearance and feel of your production may be significantly enhanced by using VHS video effects. Nothing brings back memories for a viewer like a VHS video. By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily use the VHS effect in your video. However, we recommend you use Wondershare Filmore to create VHS effect as you wouldn’t require any plugin. What are some of your favorite VHS effects?

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

These days, nostalgia for the 1990s appears to be in fashion. VHS effects are among the most popular, as seen in internet photos and mobile apps. If you know how to make VHS effects, you can join the trend by making vintage-style videos.

Fortunately, you don’t have to reshoot your video using an analog camera and transfer the movie to a VCR video format to achieve the effect of an old recording (with the date on the screen, tracking lines, and other telltale indications). It’s made up of a few similar layers with slightly different Effects and a fun overlay layer to give it that tubular, radical ‘90s vibe.

In this article, you will learn how to add VHS effects to a video in Final Cut Pro X, how to use VHS video effects, and some common VHS filter choices to use in your next project, so keep reading:

Part1: How to do VHS effect in FCPX?

A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording. Adding this antique effect to an edit adds a fantastic old-school discord. How often should you utilize these glitchy and vintage effects? When the mood you’re trying to create begs for some visual or aural distortion. Perhaps you need to recreate the appearance of discovered film or express a dramatic flashback to a character’s history. In any case, VHS tapes and glitch effects are pretty trendy right now.

If you want to know how to add VHS effect to your videos without any plugins in Final Cut Pro X, then follow these steps:

Open Final Cut Pro and click on New Project.

Name your project as VHS effect in the Project Name section. Change the Video format to NTSC SD and frame rate to 29.97p. Click on Ok.

Drag and drop your footage in the timeline of FCPX. After this, scale your project so that it fits the frame.

Open the Effects, and in the search bar, type Add Noise. Select the Add Noise effect and drop it on your footage.

Go to the option Blend Mode and select Color Dodge. Now click on Type and select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). In the Amount section, add the amount between 0.23-0.32.

Now go back to the search bar and type Gaussian Blur. Select that and drop it to your footage in FCPX.

Go to the Gaussian settings and set the amount to roughly 2.0-3.0.

Go back to the search bar in FCPX and type Sharpen. Select the Sharpen effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Set the amount of sharpness to around 8.0-9.0.

Now in the search bar type Bad TV effect. Select it and drop it on your footage in FCPX.

Set the amount of the effect to roughly around 8.0-9.0. In the option, Static Type, select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). Select Soft Light in Static Blend mode option.

Now go to the search bar again and type Prism. Select the prism effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro. This will add some 3D effect to your footage.

Set the amount to around 13.0-14.0.

Go back to the search bar and type Color Correction. Drag and drop this effect to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Click on Exposure and adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadow. Go to the Saturation option and lower it. Now go to the Color and adjust the tint of your video by changing the Global option. Also, adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows. Wait for a few minutes for it to render.

After your video is rendered, you will get the final results using the VHS filter in Final Cut Pro. Your video will look like it was made in a VCR Video format.

Part2: How to do VHS effect in easy steps?

If you want to quickly add VHS effect to your video, you can use Filmora X. You will have to add different effects and values to get the final results. You can use VHS effects on your lyric video, intro, outro, or any other video that you like by following the same process.

First, if you haven’t got Filmora, click here to download it for free!

To do VHS effects quickly, follow these steps:

• Open Wondershare Filmora on your device.
• Go to the Media tab and select Sample Colors.
• Select the Black Color.
• Drag and drop it to your project timeline and adjust its duration.
• Click on the Titles tab and select the End Credits.
• Drag and drop Credit 1 to your project timeline and pace it above the black image.
• Stretch it all the way to the black image. Change all the text in it as you like.

Go to Effect, and in the search bar, type VHS.

• Drag and drop the VHS Distortion Bad effect on the timeline above the text layer.
• Double click on it and change the Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

• Now drag the VHS Distortion effect and place it above the previous one.
• Double click on it and change its Alpha value to 35 and click Ok.

• Drag and Place the VHS Rewind effect above the previous layer.
• Change its Alpha value to 10 and click Ok.

Now search for the Strong Glitch effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

Search for Chromatic Aberration effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Double click on it.
• Change its Alpha value to 60 and Fade to 0.05 and click Ok.

Now Search for VCR Distortion in the search bar.

1. Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
2. Stretch it all the way across. Double click on it.
3. Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.
4. Add Glitch Distortion effect above the previous one.
5. Drag and drop it above the last layer.
6. Stretch it all the way across.
7. Change its Alpha value to 30 and click Ok.
8. At last, add the Distort effect and place it above the top of all layers.
9. Change its Amplitude value to 15, Frequency value to 17, and Alpha value to 0 and click Ok.
10. Export your video.

You can play around with these values to change the intensity of the VHS effect.

Still not enough? See this article: The Best Glitch Video Editors.

Part3: Where to find the best plugins or templates for the VHS effect?

If you want to recreate some of that analog feel to your video clip with plugins or templates, you can use the following recommendations to give your film a VHS effect:

Damaged VHS Effects

This is a paid collection; however, it has an extensive library of VHS-style effects. The variety of effects is impressive, with some slight distortions and others that are almost unwatchable. There’s also some stock video from TV, sound effects, and transitions. Everything may be customized to your taste.

This template will set you back $59, which is a small price to pay for such a large selection. Only After Effects CS3 and above are supported!

VHS Opener

This After Effects template is jam-packed with effects and glitches that are ideal for conjuring a nostalgic mood. Upload your film and customize your titles and text. This is a simple, vintage template that you may use.

Filmstock

A resources center built for Filmora. You can find all the materials and effects you need in Filmstock, including VHS effect.

Click to learn more about glitch effect in Filmstock.

Stories – Glitch & VHS Edition

This template is ideal for use with mobile apps like Instagram Stories. You’ll get two vertical video openers, complete with glitches and VHS effects. Premiere Pro CC 2017 and newer are supported!

VHS Glitch

The look of a VHS glitch effect is basic yet incredibly authentic. This one was made in an old-school way by causing damage to the inside of a genuine VHS tape and capturing the effect. It can’t get much more natural than that! To be confident of what you can and can’t do with this overlay, read the license information

Conclusion

The appearance and feel of your production may be significantly enhanced by using VHS video effects. Nothing brings back memories for a viewer like a VHS video. By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily use the VHS effect in your video. However, we recommend you use Wondershare Filmore to create VHS effect as you wouldn’t require any plugin. What are some of your favorite VHS effects?

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

These days, nostalgia for the 1990s appears to be in fashion. VHS effects are among the most popular, as seen in internet photos and mobile apps. If you know how to make VHS effects, you can join the trend by making vintage-style videos.

Fortunately, you don’t have to reshoot your video using an analog camera and transfer the movie to a VCR video format to achieve the effect of an old recording (with the date on the screen, tracking lines, and other telltale indications). It’s made up of a few similar layers with slightly different Effects and a fun overlay layer to give it that tubular, radical ‘90s vibe.

In this article, you will learn how to add VHS effects to a video in Final Cut Pro X, how to use VHS video effects, and some common VHS filter choices to use in your next project, so keep reading:

Part1: How to do VHS effect in FCPX?

A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording. Adding this antique effect to an edit adds a fantastic old-school discord. How often should you utilize these glitchy and vintage effects? When the mood you’re trying to create begs for some visual or aural distortion. Perhaps you need to recreate the appearance of discovered film or express a dramatic flashback to a character’s history. In any case, VHS tapes and glitch effects are pretty trendy right now.

If you want to know how to add VHS effect to your videos without any plugins in Final Cut Pro X, then follow these steps:

Open Final Cut Pro and click on New Project.

Name your project as VHS effect in the Project Name section. Change the Video format to NTSC SD and frame rate to 29.97p. Click on Ok.

Drag and drop your footage in the timeline of FCPX. After this, scale your project so that it fits the frame.

Open the Effects, and in the search bar, type Add Noise. Select the Add Noise effect and drop it on your footage.

Go to the option Blend Mode and select Color Dodge. Now click on Type and select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). In the Amount section, add the amount between 0.23-0.32.

Now go back to the search bar and type Gaussian Blur. Select that and drop it to your footage in FCPX.

Go to the Gaussian settings and set the amount to roughly 2.0-3.0.

Go back to the search bar in FCPX and type Sharpen. Select the Sharpen effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Set the amount of sharpness to around 8.0-9.0.

Now in the search bar type Bad TV effect. Select it and drop it on your footage in FCPX.

Set the amount of the effect to roughly around 8.0-9.0. In the option, Static Type, select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). Select Soft Light in Static Blend mode option.

Now go to the search bar again and type Prism. Select the prism effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro. This will add some 3D effect to your footage.

Set the amount to around 13.0-14.0.

Go back to the search bar and type Color Correction. Drag and drop this effect to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Click on Exposure and adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadow. Go to the Saturation option and lower it. Now go to the Color and adjust the tint of your video by changing the Global option. Also, adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows. Wait for a few minutes for it to render.

After your video is rendered, you will get the final results using the VHS filter in Final Cut Pro. Your video will look like it was made in a VCR Video format.

Part2: How to do VHS effect in easy steps?

If you want to quickly add VHS effect to your video, you can use Filmora X. You will have to add different effects and values to get the final results. You can use VHS effects on your lyric video, intro, outro, or any other video that you like by following the same process.

First, if you haven’t got Filmora, click here to download it for free!

To do VHS effects quickly, follow these steps:

• Open Wondershare Filmora on your device.
• Go to the Media tab and select Sample Colors.
• Select the Black Color.
• Drag and drop it to your project timeline and adjust its duration.
• Click on the Titles tab and select the End Credits.
• Drag and drop Credit 1 to your project timeline and pace it above the black image.
• Stretch it all the way to the black image. Change all the text in it as you like.

Go to Effect, and in the search bar, type VHS.

• Drag and drop the VHS Distortion Bad effect on the timeline above the text layer.
• Double click on it and change the Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

• Now drag the VHS Distortion effect and place it above the previous one.
• Double click on it and change its Alpha value to 35 and click Ok.

• Drag and Place the VHS Rewind effect above the previous layer.
• Change its Alpha value to 10 and click Ok.

Now search for the Strong Glitch effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

Search for Chromatic Aberration effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Double click on it.
• Change its Alpha value to 60 and Fade to 0.05 and click Ok.

Now Search for VCR Distortion in the search bar.

1. Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
2. Stretch it all the way across. Double click on it.
3. Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.
4. Add Glitch Distortion effect above the previous one.
5. Drag and drop it above the last layer.
6. Stretch it all the way across.
7. Change its Alpha value to 30 and click Ok.
8. At last, add the Distort effect and place it above the top of all layers.
9. Change its Amplitude value to 15, Frequency value to 17, and Alpha value to 0 and click Ok.
10. Export your video.

You can play around with these values to change the intensity of the VHS effect.

Still not enough? See this article: The Best Glitch Video Editors.

Part3: Where to find the best plugins or templates for the VHS effect?

If you want to recreate some of that analog feel to your video clip with plugins or templates, you can use the following recommendations to give your film a VHS effect:

Damaged VHS Effects

This is a paid collection; however, it has an extensive library of VHS-style effects. The variety of effects is impressive, with some slight distortions and others that are almost unwatchable. There’s also some stock video from TV, sound effects, and transitions. Everything may be customized to your taste.

This template will set you back $59, which is a small price to pay for such a large selection. Only After Effects CS3 and above are supported!

VHS Opener

This After Effects template is jam-packed with effects and glitches that are ideal for conjuring a nostalgic mood. Upload your film and customize your titles and text. This is a simple, vintage template that you may use.

Filmstock

A resources center built for Filmora. You can find all the materials and effects you need in Filmstock, including VHS effect.

Click to learn more about glitch effect in Filmstock.

Stories – Glitch & VHS Edition

This template is ideal for use with mobile apps like Instagram Stories. You’ll get two vertical video openers, complete with glitches and VHS effects. Premiere Pro CC 2017 and newer are supported!

VHS Glitch

The look of a VHS glitch effect is basic yet incredibly authentic. This one was made in an old-school way by causing damage to the inside of a genuine VHS tape and capturing the effect. It can’t get much more natural than that! To be confident of what you can and can’t do with this overlay, read the license information

Conclusion

The appearance and feel of your production may be significantly enhanced by using VHS video effects. Nothing brings back memories for a viewer like a VHS video. By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily use the VHS effect in your video. However, we recommend you use Wondershare Filmore to create VHS effect as you wouldn’t require any plugin. What are some of your favorite VHS effects?

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

These days, nostalgia for the 1990s appears to be in fashion. VHS effects are among the most popular, as seen in internet photos and mobile apps. If you know how to make VHS effects, you can join the trend by making vintage-style videos.

Fortunately, you don’t have to reshoot your video using an analog camera and transfer the movie to a VCR video format to achieve the effect of an old recording (with the date on the screen, tracking lines, and other telltale indications). It’s made up of a few similar layers with slightly different Effects and a fun overlay layer to give it that tubular, radical ‘90s vibe.

In this article, you will learn how to add VHS effects to a video in Final Cut Pro X, how to use VHS video effects, and some common VHS filter choices to use in your next project, so keep reading:

Part1: How to do VHS effect in FCPX?

A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording. Adding this antique effect to an edit adds a fantastic old-school discord. How often should you utilize these glitchy and vintage effects? When the mood you’re trying to create begs for some visual or aural distortion. Perhaps you need to recreate the appearance of discovered film or express a dramatic flashback to a character’s history. In any case, VHS tapes and glitch effects are pretty trendy right now.

If you want to know how to add VHS effect to your videos without any plugins in Final Cut Pro X, then follow these steps:

Open Final Cut Pro and click on New Project.

Name your project as VHS effect in the Project Name section. Change the Video format to NTSC SD and frame rate to 29.97p. Click on Ok.

Drag and drop your footage in the timeline of FCPX. After this, scale your project so that it fits the frame.

Open the Effects, and in the search bar, type Add Noise. Select the Add Noise effect and drop it on your footage.

Go to the option Blend Mode and select Color Dodge. Now click on Type and select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). In the Amount section, add the amount between 0.23-0.32.

Now go back to the search bar and type Gaussian Blur. Select that and drop it to your footage in FCPX.

Go to the Gaussian settings and set the amount to roughly 2.0-3.0.

Go back to the search bar in FCPX and type Sharpen. Select the Sharpen effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Set the amount of sharpness to around 8.0-9.0.

Now in the search bar type Bad TV effect. Select it and drop it on your footage in FCPX.

Set the amount of the effect to roughly around 8.0-9.0. In the option, Static Type, select Gaussian Noise (Film Grain). Select Soft Light in Static Blend mode option.

Now go to the search bar again and type Prism. Select the prism effect and drop it to your footage in Final Cut Pro. This will add some 3D effect to your footage.

Set the amount to around 13.0-14.0.

Go back to the search bar and type Color Correction. Drag and drop this effect to your footage in Final Cut Pro.

Click on Exposure and adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadow. Go to the Saturation option and lower it. Now go to the Color and adjust the tint of your video by changing the Global option. Also, adjust the Highlights, Midtones, and Shadows. Wait for a few minutes for it to render.

After your video is rendered, you will get the final results using the VHS filter in Final Cut Pro. Your video will look like it was made in a VCR Video format.

Part2: How to do VHS effect in easy steps?

If you want to quickly add VHS effect to your video, you can use Filmora X. You will have to add different effects and values to get the final results. You can use VHS effects on your lyric video, intro, outro, or any other video that you like by following the same process.

First, if you haven’t got Filmora, click here to download it for free!

To do VHS effects quickly, follow these steps:

• Open Wondershare Filmora on your device.
• Go to the Media tab and select Sample Colors.
• Select the Black Color.
• Drag and drop it to your project timeline and adjust its duration.
• Click on the Titles tab and select the End Credits.
• Drag and drop Credit 1 to your project timeline and pace it above the black image.
• Stretch it all the way to the black image. Change all the text in it as you like.

Go to Effect, and in the search bar, type VHS.

• Drag and drop the VHS Distortion Bad effect on the timeline above the text layer.
• Double click on it and change the Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

• Now drag the VHS Distortion effect and place it above the previous one.
• Double click on it and change its Alpha value to 35 and click Ok.

• Drag and Place the VHS Rewind effect above the previous layer.
• Change its Alpha value to 10 and click Ok.

Now search for the Strong Glitch effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.

Search for Chromatic Aberration effect.

• Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
• Stretch it all the way across.
• Double click on it.
• Change its Alpha value to 60 and Fade to 0.05 and click Ok.

Now Search for VCR Distortion in the search bar.

1. Drag and drop it above the previous layer.
2. Stretch it all the way across. Double click on it.
3. Change its Alpha value to 25 and click Ok.
4. Add Glitch Distortion effect above the previous one.
5. Drag and drop it above the last layer.
6. Stretch it all the way across.
7. Change its Alpha value to 30 and click Ok.
8. At last, add the Distort effect and place it above the top of all layers.
9. Change its Amplitude value to 15, Frequency value to 17, and Alpha value to 0 and click Ok.
10. Export your video.

You can play around with these values to change the intensity of the VHS effect.

Still not enough? See this article: The Best Glitch Video Editors.

Part3: Where to find the best plugins or templates for the VHS effect?

If you want to recreate some of that analog feel to your video clip with plugins or templates, you can use the following recommendations to give your film a VHS effect:

Damaged VHS Effects

This is a paid collection; however, it has an extensive library of VHS-style effects. The variety of effects is impressive, with some slight distortions and others that are almost unwatchable. There’s also some stock video from TV, sound effects, and transitions. Everything may be customized to your taste.

This template will set you back $59, which is a small price to pay for such a large selection. Only After Effects CS3 and above are supported!

VHS Opener

This After Effects template is jam-packed with effects and glitches that are ideal for conjuring a nostalgic mood. Upload your film and customize your titles and text. This is a simple, vintage template that you may use.

Filmstock

A resources center built for Filmora. You can find all the materials and effects you need in Filmstock, including VHS effect.

Click to learn more about glitch effect in Filmstock.

Stories – Glitch & VHS Edition

This template is ideal for use with mobile apps like Instagram Stories. You’ll get two vertical video openers, complete with glitches and VHS effects. Premiere Pro CC 2017 and newer are supported!

VHS Glitch

The look of a VHS glitch effect is basic yet incredibly authentic. This one was made in an old-school way by causing damage to the inside of a genuine VHS tape and capturing the effect. It can’t get much more natural than that! To be confident of what you can and can’t do with this overlay, read the license information

Conclusion

The appearance and feel of your production may be significantly enhanced by using VHS video effects. Nothing brings back memories for a viewer like a VHS video. By following the steps mentioned above, you can easily use the VHS effect in your video. However, we recommend you use Wondershare Filmore to create VHS effect as you wouldn’t require any plugin. What are some of your favorite VHS effects?

Shanoon Cox

Shanoon Cox is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Shanoon Cox

Discover the Perfect Video Editor: Minitool Movie Maker Review and Alternatives

We all spend so much time on YouTube, watching our favorite YouTubers’ videos. There are two reasons why we get attracted to any video. One attraction factor is the content. Whereas the other attractive factor to any video is the editing.

The internet is full of great videos, and the market is flooded with amazing editors. This is all because of the competition and the editing skills everyone has. If you are not confident with your editing, then this article might be a miracle for you. MiniTool Movie Maker will be discussed in detail. This article will be a complete guide on MiniTool MovieMaker; along with that, we will also share its alternatives.

In this article

01 What Is Minitool Movie Maker?

02 How to Use Minitool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

03 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

Part 1. What Is MiniTool Movie Maker?

MiniTool Movie Maker is a very powerful tool used to edit videos. With MiniTool movie maker, you can create unlimited videos. The tool is free. Using MiniTool, you can edit stunning, eye-catching videos that everyone will love to watch. Mini Tool MovieMaker is the secret behind every mind-blowing video that you love to watch.

The best thing about Mini movie maker is that it has a very easy-to-use interface. Even beginners can easily create videos on MiniTool. You don’t need any video designing experience to create a video on this movie maker. The procedure to edit videos is also very basic. You just have to import the media to MiniTool MovieMaker, and then the cool editing elements will do a magical makeover to your video.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a well-known and very famous tool because of its unmatched features. With MiniTool MovieMaker, you can create perfect aesthetic videos that everyone loves to watch. The tool is full of wonders and surprises. If you are impatient to learn about its features, then the wait is over. Let us shed light on its incomparable features.

• MiniTool movie makersupports Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Whereas from old Windows version, it supports Windows 7.
• With the stunning Mini movie maker, you can do batch processing where you can edit multiple videos and images with just one click.
• The MovieMaker also lets you edit the audio from the original video. Which includes mute, fade in/ fade out, and volume control.
• The tool offers a variety of effects, transitions, text templates, and a lot more. All these elements enhance your video visually.

Part 2. How to Use MiniTool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

Now that the features of MiniTool Moviemaker have been discussed, you all must be very impressed by the tool. It is the secret ingredient that we all fall for because this makes your video stand out. Editing is a very crucial part of movie-making. It is said that editing can either make it or break it. This is why you should always select a powerful tool for editing.

One such tool is being discussed here today. Mini Tool Movie Maker is the editor that falls perfectly in this category where you can edit brilliant movies. If this tool is new for you, then you can take guidance from this article because we are going to share its step-by-step guideline with you.

Step 1: The first step to start using MiniTool movie maker is to launch it on your device. Then, from the main screen, the Project Library window, select ‘New Project.’

Step 2: Now, it’s time to import the media files. For this, click on ‘Import Media Files. After that, you have to locate the files that you want to import. Once done, click on ‘Open’; this will load all the media files. You will be able to see the files in the Media Library.

Step 3: After the media has been imported, now comes the fun part where you have to edit the movie. With MiniTool movie maker, you can add various transitions to your clips. By visiting the “Transitions” tab, you can select your favorite transition, and then by right-clicking on it, you can apply it.

Step 4: Like transitions, you can also add multiple effects to your movie and make it visually attractive. The “Effects” tab is full of classic and cool effects. You just have to explore the effects and then drag and drop the best effect on the target clip.

Step 5: With MiniTool Movie Maker, you can also add text to your movie. The wonderful tool has several title templates that could be used to add text to your videos. All these templates are under the “Text” section. You can completely customize the text.

Step 6: Along with these amazing services, Mini Tool Movie Maker has a lot to offer. You can add “Motion” effects to your movie clips. With this tool, you can trim and even split the video. Even editing audio of the original video and reversing a video are offered by this tool.

Step 7: Lastly, after all the fancy edits, you can export the movie to your device. For this, click on the Export option from the toolbar. You can select a file format and hit the ‘Export’ button to get the movie.

Part 3. 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

This article is a complete guide on Mini Tool moviemaker. Everything you need to know about this crazy powerful tool is in this article. Not just this tool, but we also promised to talk about its alternatives. In this section, we will discuss the 4 best alternatives for MiniTool moviemaker.

1. Wondershare Filmora

The very first and best alternative for mini-movie makers is Wondershare Filmora. This movie editing software rules over the editing world because of its unique and impressive features. You can do professional editing with Filmora.

It lets you do countless edits. Filmora owns a massive asset library that is full of images, audio effects, transitions, filters, elements, and whatnot. Filmora is a one-stop-shop where you can get every possible thing required for editing.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

2. OpenShot

The next famous and amazing alternative is OpenShot. With OpenShot, you can trim, merge and even cut your movie clips. Another very interesting and attractive element seen in movies is the split-screen. OpenShot also offers a split-screen. You can export movies without a watermark in 2.5K and also in 4K.

3. VSDC Free Video Editor

Another alternative is VSDC Free Video Editor. The editor is very beneficial to use because of its unmatched features. The fascinating thing about this editor is that it has a built-in DVD Burning Tool. The video editor offers color blending along with various amazing filters. It supports HD and 4K file formats.

4. Windows Movie Maker

The last alternative to be discussed is Windows Movie Maker. The Windows Movie Maker is famous because it has simple controls, a user-friendly interface, and automatic preview. This Movie Maker has transition overlays that enhance the movie visually. The editor also has a title customization tool from which you can add and edit stylish titles.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier that this article is a complete pack of information on moviemakers. After learning about MiniTool Movie Maker from this article, you will surely use it to edit your movies. The MovieMaker promises to deliver quality material. Its unique and matchless features make the tool worthy of trying.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

02 How to Use Minitool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

03 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

Part 1. What Is MiniTool Movie Maker?

MiniTool Movie Maker is a very powerful tool used to edit videos. With MiniTool movie maker, you can create unlimited videos. The tool is free. Using MiniTool, you can edit stunning, eye-catching videos that everyone will love to watch. Mini Tool MovieMaker is the secret behind every mind-blowing video that you love to watch.

The best thing about Mini movie maker is that it has a very easy-to-use interface. Even beginners can easily create videos on MiniTool. You don’t need any video designing experience to create a video on this movie maker. The procedure to edit videos is also very basic. You just have to import the media to MiniTool MovieMaker, and then the cool editing elements will do a magical makeover to your video.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a well-known and very famous tool because of its unmatched features. With MiniTool MovieMaker, you can create perfect aesthetic videos that everyone loves to watch. The tool is full of wonders and surprises. If you are impatient to learn about its features, then the wait is over. Let us shed light on its incomparable features.

• MiniTool movie makersupports Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Whereas from old Windows version, it supports Windows 7.
• With the stunning Mini movie maker, you can do batch processing where you can edit multiple videos and images with just one click.
• The MovieMaker also lets you edit the audio from the original video. Which includes mute, fade in/ fade out, and volume control.
• The tool offers a variety of effects, transitions, text templates, and a lot more. All these elements enhance your video visually.

Part 2. How to Use MiniTool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

Now that the features of MiniTool Moviemaker have been discussed, you all must be very impressed by the tool. It is the secret ingredient that we all fall for because this makes your video stand out. Editing is a very crucial part of movie-making. It is said that editing can either make it or break it. This is why you should always select a powerful tool for editing.

One such tool is being discussed here today. Mini Tool Movie Maker is the editor that falls perfectly in this category where you can edit brilliant movies. If this tool is new for you, then you can take guidance from this article because we are going to share its step-by-step guideline with you.

Step 1: The first step to start using MiniTool movie maker is to launch it on your device. Then, from the main screen, the Project Library window, select ‘New Project.’

Step 2: Now, it’s time to import the media files. For this, click on ‘Import Media Files. After that, you have to locate the files that you want to import. Once done, click on ‘Open’; this will load all the media files. You will be able to see the files in the Media Library.

Step 3: After the media has been imported, now comes the fun part where you have to edit the movie. With MiniTool movie maker, you can add various transitions to your clips. By visiting the “Transitions” tab, you can select your favorite transition, and then by right-clicking on it, you can apply it.

Step 4: Like transitions, you can also add multiple effects to your movie and make it visually attractive. The “Effects” tab is full of classic and cool effects. You just have to explore the effects and then drag and drop the best effect on the target clip.

Step 5: With MiniTool Movie Maker, you can also add text to your movie. The wonderful tool has several title templates that could be used to add text to your videos. All these templates are under the “Text” section. You can completely customize the text.

Step 6: Along with these amazing services, Mini Tool Movie Maker has a lot to offer. You can add “Motion” effects to your movie clips. With this tool, you can trim and even split the video. Even editing audio of the original video and reversing a video are offered by this tool.

Step 7: Lastly, after all the fancy edits, you can export the movie to your device. For this, click on the Export option from the toolbar. You can select a file format and hit the ‘Export’ button to get the movie.

Part 3. 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

This article is a complete guide on Mini Tool moviemaker. Everything you need to know about this crazy powerful tool is in this article. Not just this tool, but we also promised to talk about its alternatives. In this section, we will discuss the 4 best alternatives for MiniTool moviemaker.

1. Wondershare Filmora

The very first and best alternative for mini-movie makers is Wondershare Filmora. This movie editing software rules over the editing world because of its unique and impressive features. You can do professional editing with Filmora.

It lets you do countless edits. Filmora owns a massive asset library that is full of images, audio effects, transitions, filters, elements, and whatnot. Filmora is a one-stop-shop where you can get every possible thing required for editing.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

2. OpenShot

The next famous and amazing alternative is OpenShot. With OpenShot, you can trim, merge and even cut your movie clips. Another very interesting and attractive element seen in movies is the split-screen. OpenShot also offers a split-screen. You can export movies without a watermark in 2.5K and also in 4K.

3. VSDC Free Video Editor

Another alternative is VSDC Free Video Editor. The editor is very beneficial to use because of its unmatched features. The fascinating thing about this editor is that it has a built-in DVD Burning Tool. The video editor offers color blending along with various amazing filters. It supports HD and 4K file formats.

4. Windows Movie Maker

The last alternative to be discussed is Windows Movie Maker. The Windows Movie Maker is famous because it has simple controls, a user-friendly interface, and automatic preview. This Movie Maker has transition overlays that enhance the movie visually. The editor also has a title customization tool from which you can add and edit stylish titles.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier that this article is a complete pack of information on moviemakers. After learning about MiniTool Movie Maker from this article, you will surely use it to edit your movies. The MovieMaker promises to deliver quality material. Its unique and matchless features make the tool worthy of trying.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

02 How to Use Minitool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

03 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

Part 1. What Is MiniTool Movie Maker?

MiniTool Movie Maker is a very powerful tool used to edit videos. With MiniTool movie maker, you can create unlimited videos. The tool is free. Using MiniTool, you can edit stunning, eye-catching videos that everyone will love to watch. Mini Tool MovieMaker is the secret behind every mind-blowing video that you love to watch.

The best thing about Mini movie maker is that it has a very easy-to-use interface. Even beginners can easily create videos on MiniTool. You don’t need any video designing experience to create a video on this movie maker. The procedure to edit videos is also very basic. You just have to import the media to MiniTool MovieMaker, and then the cool editing elements will do a magical makeover to your video.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a well-known and very famous tool because of its unmatched features. With MiniTool MovieMaker, you can create perfect aesthetic videos that everyone loves to watch. The tool is full of wonders and surprises. If you are impatient to learn about its features, then the wait is over. Let us shed light on its incomparable features.

• MiniTool movie makersupports Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Whereas from old Windows version, it supports Windows 7.
• With the stunning Mini movie maker, you can do batch processing where you can edit multiple videos and images with just one click.
• The MovieMaker also lets you edit the audio from the original video. Which includes mute, fade in/ fade out, and volume control.
• The tool offers a variety of effects, transitions, text templates, and a lot more. All these elements enhance your video visually.

Part 2. How to Use MiniTool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

Now that the features of MiniTool Moviemaker have been discussed, you all must be very impressed by the tool. It is the secret ingredient that we all fall for because this makes your video stand out. Editing is a very crucial part of movie-making. It is said that editing can either make it or break it. This is why you should always select a powerful tool for editing.

One such tool is being discussed here today. Mini Tool Movie Maker is the editor that falls perfectly in this category where you can edit brilliant movies. If this tool is new for you, then you can take guidance from this article because we are going to share its step-by-step guideline with you.

Step 1: The first step to start using MiniTool movie maker is to launch it on your device. Then, from the main screen, the Project Library window, select ‘New Project.’

Step 2: Now, it’s time to import the media files. For this, click on ‘Import Media Files. After that, you have to locate the files that you want to import. Once done, click on ‘Open’; this will load all the media files. You will be able to see the files in the Media Library.

Step 3: After the media has been imported, now comes the fun part where you have to edit the movie. With MiniTool movie maker, you can add various transitions to your clips. By visiting the “Transitions” tab, you can select your favorite transition, and then by right-clicking on it, you can apply it.

Step 4: Like transitions, you can also add multiple effects to your movie and make it visually attractive. The “Effects” tab is full of classic and cool effects. You just have to explore the effects and then drag and drop the best effect on the target clip.

Step 5: With MiniTool Movie Maker, you can also add text to your movie. The wonderful tool has several title templates that could be used to add text to your videos. All these templates are under the “Text” section. You can completely customize the text.

Step 6: Along with these amazing services, Mini Tool Movie Maker has a lot to offer. You can add “Motion” effects to your movie clips. With this tool, you can trim and even split the video. Even editing audio of the original video and reversing a video are offered by this tool.

Step 7: Lastly, after all the fancy edits, you can export the movie to your device. For this, click on the Export option from the toolbar. You can select a file format and hit the ‘Export’ button to get the movie.

Part 3. 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

This article is a complete guide on Mini Tool moviemaker. Everything you need to know about this crazy powerful tool is in this article. Not just this tool, but we also promised to talk about its alternatives. In this section, we will discuss the 4 best alternatives for MiniTool moviemaker.

1. Wondershare Filmora

The very first and best alternative for mini-movie makers is Wondershare Filmora. This movie editing software rules over the editing world because of its unique and impressive features. You can do professional editing with Filmora.

It lets you do countless edits. Filmora owns a massive asset library that is full of images, audio effects, transitions, filters, elements, and whatnot. Filmora is a one-stop-shop where you can get every possible thing required for editing.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

2. OpenShot

The next famous and amazing alternative is OpenShot. With OpenShot, you can trim, merge and even cut your movie clips. Another very interesting and attractive element seen in movies is the split-screen. OpenShot also offers a split-screen. You can export movies without a watermark in 2.5K and also in 4K.

3. VSDC Free Video Editor

Another alternative is VSDC Free Video Editor. The editor is very beneficial to use because of its unmatched features. The fascinating thing about this editor is that it has a built-in DVD Burning Tool. The video editor offers color blending along with various amazing filters. It supports HD and 4K file formats.

4. Windows Movie Maker

The last alternative to be discussed is Windows Movie Maker. The Windows Movie Maker is famous because it has simple controls, a user-friendly interface, and automatic preview. This Movie Maker has transition overlays that enhance the movie visually. The editor also has a title customization tool from which you can add and edit stylish titles.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier that this article is a complete pack of information on moviemakers. After learning about MiniTool Movie Maker from this article, you will surely use it to edit your movies. The MovieMaker promises to deliver quality material. Its unique and matchless features make the tool worthy of trying.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

02 How to Use Minitool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

03 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

Part 1. What Is MiniTool Movie Maker?

MiniTool Movie Maker is a very powerful tool used to edit videos. With MiniTool movie maker, you can create unlimited videos. The tool is free. Using MiniTool, you can edit stunning, eye-catching videos that everyone will love to watch. Mini Tool MovieMaker is the secret behind every mind-blowing video that you love to watch.

The best thing about Mini movie maker is that it has a very easy-to-use interface. Even beginners can easily create videos on MiniTool. You don’t need any video designing experience to create a video on this movie maker. The procedure to edit videos is also very basic. You just have to import the media to MiniTool MovieMaker, and then the cool editing elements will do a magical makeover to your video.

MiniTool MovieMaker is a well-known and very famous tool because of its unmatched features. With MiniTool MovieMaker, you can create perfect aesthetic videos that everyone loves to watch. The tool is full of wonders and surprises. If you are impatient to learn about its features, then the wait is over. Let us shed light on its incomparable features.

• MiniTool movie makersupports Windows 8.1 and Windows 10. Whereas from old Windows version, it supports Windows 7.
• With the stunning Mini movie maker, you can do batch processing where you can edit multiple videos and images with just one click.
• The MovieMaker also lets you edit the audio from the original video. Which includes mute, fade in/ fade out, and volume control.
• The tool offers a variety of effects, transitions, text templates, and a lot more. All these elements enhance your video visually.

Part 2. How to Use MiniTool Movie Maker [Step by Step]

Now that the features of MiniTool Moviemaker have been discussed, you all must be very impressed by the tool. It is the secret ingredient that we all fall for because this makes your video stand out. Editing is a very crucial part of movie-making. It is said that editing can either make it or break it. This is why you should always select a powerful tool for editing.

One such tool is being discussed here today. Mini Tool Movie Maker is the editor that falls perfectly in this category where you can edit brilliant movies. If this tool is new for you, then you can take guidance from this article because we are going to share its step-by-step guideline with you.

Step 1: The first step to start using MiniTool movie maker is to launch it on your device. Then, from the main screen, the Project Library window, select ‘New Project.’

Step 2: Now, it’s time to import the media files. For this, click on ‘Import Media Files. After that, you have to locate the files that you want to import. Once done, click on ‘Open’; this will load all the media files. You will be able to see the files in the Media Library.

Step 3: After the media has been imported, now comes the fun part where you have to edit the movie. With MiniTool movie maker, you can add various transitions to your clips. By visiting the “Transitions” tab, you can select your favorite transition, and then by right-clicking on it, you can apply it.

Step 4: Like transitions, you can also add multiple effects to your movie and make it visually attractive. The “Effects” tab is full of classic and cool effects. You just have to explore the effects and then drag and drop the best effect on the target clip.

Step 5: With MiniTool Movie Maker, you can also add text to your movie. The wonderful tool has several title templates that could be used to add text to your videos. All these templates are under the “Text” section. You can completely customize the text.

Step 6: Along with these amazing services, Mini Tool Movie Maker has a lot to offer. You can add “Motion” effects to your movie clips. With this tool, you can trim and even split the video. Even editing audio of the original video and reversing a video are offered by this tool.

Step 7: Lastly, after all the fancy edits, you can export the movie to your device. For this, click on the Export option from the toolbar. You can select a file format and hit the ‘Export’ button to get the movie.

Part 3. 4 Best Alternatives for Minitool Movie Maker

This article is a complete guide on Mini Tool moviemaker. Everything you need to know about this crazy powerful tool is in this article. Not just this tool, but we also promised to talk about its alternatives. In this section, we will discuss the 4 best alternatives for MiniTool moviemaker.

1. Wondershare Filmora

The very first and best alternative for mini-movie makers is Wondershare Filmora. This movie editing software rules over the editing world because of its unique and impressive features. You can do professional editing with Filmora.

It lets you do countless edits. Filmora owns a massive asset library that is full of images, audio effects, transitions, filters, elements, and whatnot. Filmora is a one-stop-shop where you can get every possible thing required for editing.

Try It Free

For Win 7 or later (64-bit)

Try It Free

For macOS 10.12 or later

2. OpenShot

The next famous and amazing alternative is OpenShot. With OpenShot, you can trim, merge and even cut your movie clips. Another very interesting and attractive element seen in movies is the split-screen. OpenShot also offers a split-screen. You can export movies without a watermark in 2.5K and also in 4K.

3. VSDC Free Video Editor

Another alternative is VSDC Free Video Editor. The editor is very beneficial to use because of its unmatched features. The fascinating thing about this editor is that it has a built-in DVD Burning Tool. The video editor offers color blending along with various amazing filters. It supports HD and 4K file formats.

4. Windows Movie Maker

The last alternative to be discussed is Windows Movie Maker. The Windows Movie Maker is famous because it has simple controls, a user-friendly interface, and automatic preview. This Movie Maker has transition overlays that enhance the movie visually. The editor also has a title customization tool from which you can add and edit stylish titles.

Final Thoughts

As mentioned earlier that this article is a complete pack of information on moviemakers. After learning about MiniTool Movie Maker from this article, you will surely use it to edit your movies. The MovieMaker promises to deliver quality material. Its unique and matchless features make the tool worthy of trying.

Versatile Video Editor - Wondershare Filmora

An easy yet powerful editor

Numerous effects to choose from

Detailed tutorials provided by the official channel

Try It Free Try It Free

Download Royalty-Free Videos From These Top Websites

Best Websites to Download Public Domain Videos

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

• If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
• In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
• A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

• If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
• In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
• A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

• If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
• In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
• A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

In historic terms, cinema is still a relatively new art, and yet the amount of footage that has been filmed since the Lumière brothers released their first film is staggering. Capturing unique materials that were never seen by the world before has become the question of prestige among the filmmakers. Nonetheless, certain genres of film are almost entirely dependent on the public domain footage. Documentaries about historic events, space or any other topic that is impossible to stage rely on the videos that entered the public domain for one reason or the other. That’s why in this article, we are going to take you through some of the best websites that let you download public domain videos.

What is Public Domain Video?

Any video that is not subject to copyright can be considered a public domain video. This means that anyone can use this footage for free without having to ask for permission to do so. Videos can enter the public domain under the following circumstances:

• If the footage was produced by a government because governments are obligated by the law to offer the footage to the public domain.
• In case the author of the footage has forfeited his or her copyrights and dedicated the footage to the public domain
• A film or any other work of art becomes public domain 70 years after the death of the copyright holder. The expiration date of the copyrights is not the same in all the countries around the world, which is why you must make sure that the video you want to use is, in fact, a public domain video.

In addition, you should avoid using the footage that contains art or music that can be described as third-party intellectual property because you may unintentionally infringe copyrights.

Best Online Websites Where You Can Download Public Domain Videos

Finding free public domain footage or public movies on the Internet has never been too difficult, as you can watch thousands of public domain movies on YouTube, but you cannot download them. Over the course of the last couple of decades, the websites where you can download public domain footage have grown in number, which makes it somewhat easier to find the video clips you can use in your projects for free. Here are some of the best online destinations where you can download public domain videos.

1. Prelinger Archive

With more than 17,000 items in the collection, the Prelinger Archive is probably one of the largest public domain video libraries on the Internet. The archive was founded in 1983 by Rick Prelinger, but by 2002 it became a part of the Library of Congress Motion Picture Broadcasting and Recorded Sound Divison’s collection. You can download public domain video clips created by educational institutions, advertising companies, trade associations or corporations from this impressive collection. There are different download options available for each file, so you can choose the size of a file and the method you’re going to use to download a file to your computer.

2. The Public Domain Review

This is an excellent resource for researchers looking for essays, books, audio recordings, images or old films. The movies are divided into different categories such as Animals&Beasts, Politics, War or Sports which makes locating and downloading public domain videos faster and easier. The Public Domain Review offers footage that is available within different public domain licenses, so you must make sure that the film you want to download can be used for the purpose you have in mind. The vast majority of the films in this archive are from the last decade of the 19th and the first half of the 20th century. That’s why The Public Domain Review’s selection of films can only be useful if you are researching a topic from that era.

3. The National Screening Room

The National Screening Room is a project created by the Library of Congress National Audio-Visual Conservation Center with the aim of making the videos from their collection available to the viewers around the world. The vast majority of the videos in the collection were filmed during the 20th century, but there are only a few videos available that are produced outside of the United States. The National Screening Room can be a valuable asset if you are looking for videos you can use for educational or research videos that cover topics that range from the development of the arms industry to the daily life of great American inventors.

4. Pond5’s Public Domain Project

Industry professionals don’t need an introduction to the Pond5 platform, because it is probably the largest online marketplace for royalty-free media at the moment. Their Public Domain Project contains a thousand public videos that can be downloaded for free, but the duration of these videos is limited to just two minutes To make things worse, most of these public domain videos don’t have audio, so you can only use them if you already have a soundtrack for the video you’re making. The platform offers powerful search tools that enable you to look for videos based on different parameters. You can download public domain videos in HD resolution, but you must create an account on Pond5 before you can save them to your computer.

5. Pexels

Free public domain stock footage can be used on different types of projects, and it is usually a great choice if you’re looking for some extra shots that will make a scene in your video more cinematic. Pexels offers an impressive collection of free public domain stock videos, so you just have to insert a search term and pick a video clip that best fits your needs. The duration of the free videos you can find on Pexels rarely exceeds thirty seconds, which makes it difficult to make an entire video exclusively from free public domain stock footage. Hence it is better to use Pexels as a complementary source of shots in case you can’t go back to the filming location.

6. Vidsplay

All video clips you can find on this platform are free, so you just have to select one of the categories and start browsing through the available public domain stock footage. The only condition to use the stock footage on private or commercial projects for free is to credit the Vidsplay platform in the end credits, on the website or in the description of the videos you upload to your social media channels. All stock videos on Vidsplay are available in HD or 4K resolution, and you simply have to click on the Download button below a particular video to save it.

7. The Moving Image Archive

This is yet another archive of public domain videos you can find on the Arhive.org that features countless collections of texts, images, and videos. Within the Moving Image Archive, you can find different collections that contain full feature movies, art videos, animations, cartoons or television footage. The public domain videos hosted on The Moving Image Archive cover a broad range of topics, but some of them can be in poor resolution. The Moving Image Archive can be an excellent source of footage for anyone who wants to download public domain video clips and use them in their commercial or non-commercial projects.

8. PublicDomainFootage

BBC, National Geographics or NBC are just a few among many famous television networks that use the services of PublicDomainFootage. All content on the platform is divided into Archival Footage and Historic Newsreels sections that contain categories like Atomic Age, Civil Rights or Pop Culture. You can also use PublicDomainFootage to research a particular topic and request content that is not uploaded to the website. You can download a public domain video after you pay a one time fee that enables you to use that video as many times as you want. The platform’s YouTube channel provides an easy way of searching for public domain videos you are going to use in your next documentary film.

9. NASA’s Video Gallery

Space exploration is undoubtedly one of the hottest topics of our era, so if you are looking for some space public domain videos NASA’s website is the best place to start. Like all other government institutions, NASA is obligated by the law to offer all images and videos to the public domain. This means that all content you download from their website is free to use. Simply insert the search term and browse the results until you find the video clip you want to save to your computer. However, most public domain videos you can download from NASA’s website last only a couple of minutes.

10. Motion Elements

The collection of free public domain stock footage, this website offers contains more than 4,000 clips. Categories like Cityscape, Animals or Water contain hundreds of stock videos, so you just have to open one of the available categories and locate the video clip you want to download. However, you must first create an account on Motion Elements before you can save video files to your computer. In addition, the platform doesn’t allow you to make more than five downloads per week and you must invite your friends to join the platform if you want to increase the weekly number of downloads. Even so, Motion Elements is a great source of stock footage you can use without any restrictions.

Is It Okay to Use Public Domain Videos for Commercial Purposes?

All public domain videos can be used for both commercial and non-commercial projects, but you must approach using public domain videos for commercial purposes with caution. Crediting the author or providing the source from which you acquired the footage will reduce the likelihood of legal complications. The public domain videos that feature famous actors or third party intellectual property can also be a subject of legal disputes, which is why it is better to avoid using them on commercial projects.

What Should You Do If You Can’t Find Public Domain Footage for Your Project?

Opting for videos that are protected by the Creative Commons licenses is probably the safest option if you’re struggling to find the public domain footage you’d like to use in your project. Respecting the terms of the license under which a video is protected is of utmost importance, since failing to properly credit the author of the video, for instance, can have legal consequences. There are several different types of Creative Commons licenses and you must find out which one covers the video you’d like to use, before publishing your video. You can find more information about Creative Commons licenses at the FAQ .

Conclusion

Public domain videos cover very different topics, which means that the nature of your project determines the source from which you’ll acquire the footage. If you are researching the early days of cinema, then you’ll have no trouble downloading the public domain videos, but if the topic you’re exploring is more contemporary, finding the content you can use without any restrictions can prove to be troublesome. Which website do you like to use the most to download public domain videos? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Liza Brown

Battle of the Giants: Adobe Premiere Pro vs After Effects for Visual Storytelling

After Effects VS Adobe Premiere, 9 Differences Tell You Which One is Better?

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This is perhaps the most asked question regarding video processing on the internet. And looking at the product descriptions on the Adobe site gives us a clue why. There seems to be a large overlap between the two programs, and technically there is, although as we shall see capability doesn’t always mean suitability, so the similarities are not quite as pronounced as they would appear.

With that in mind, it is worth looking at the key differences between After Effects and Premiere to get a clearer understanding of what is best for which situation and why you would pick one program over the other. So below are the 9 points that I will make a comparison.

Comparison Table

After Effects	Adobe Premiere
Price	$31.49/month	$31.49/month
Offcial Features	Create motion graphics and visual effects	Professional video and film editing
	Includes 100GB of cloud storage	Includes 100GB of cloud storage
Support	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training
Users	Advanced/Average	Advanced/Average/Naive
Device	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone

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This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

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After Effects VS Adobe Premiere

1Timeline

There are numerous editing differences between the two programs, but we will start with the timeline as it perhaps best illustrates the different focus of each package. Premiere has a very detailed timeline panel with a huge amount of functionality built in to move through and manipulate the contents of a project. After Effects, on the other hand, has less options for dealing with multiple clips and is designed to deal with the composite components in a more user friendly way.

The upshot of this would be the basic premise of the differences, for editing clips into a movie, whilst both can perform the task to an extent, Premiere’s timeline interface makes it a much easier process with many more options to make technical editing easier for the user.

2Editing

In addition to the timeline, Premiere has an interface and toolset built for precise editing and clip manipulation, both audio and video. This is not surprising of course, Premiere is after all first and foremost an editing package. By contrast, whilst there is editing functionality within After Effects, it is neither as user friendly, nor remotely as comprehensive a tool set, and as such would not be a suitable environment for extensive editing workflow.

This is perhaps the crux of the differences between the two packages, for editing work Premiere offers a complete toolset far beyond the requirements for many projects, but as comprehensive as one wishes, whilst After Effects is focus more on composites and motion video work and has an editing tool set that is not conducive to efficiency and ease of use.

3Audio Mixer

In today’s market the audio component on a video product can be as important as the visual aspects, the audio clip mixer within Premiere is a professional grade tool designed to offer precise control over a projects audio output and includes the ability to use VST3 industry standard plugins. Because After Effects is primarily a composite application it lacks the finesse of Premiere where audio is concerned. Again this shouldn’t be read as being an inferior program, it simply has a different focus.

4Mercury Playback Engine

In terms of perceived functionality probably not the top of the list, but Premiere uses this to employ either software (useful) or hardware (brilliant), assuming you have a compatible graphics card, accelerated real time renderless viewing of clips and sequences. This creates a much faster workflow for editing than is possible with After Effects beyond the previously mentioned tools and interface restrictions.

5 Multicam

In terms of editing this is where After Effects just isn’t comparable at all, the multi camera interface within Premiere is exceptionally featured and allows on the fly angle changes and edits and the ability to sync a single shot through numerous camera simultaneously. As said, the editing functionality on offer here is what Premiere exists for, and whilst both Premiere and After Effects are video manipulation packages, editing and composting are very different focuses, and the products reflect those differences.

6Media Management

Often overlooked but very important for project fidelity, the media management facilities within Premiere are designed around the needs of editing production and enable a much easier organizational approach for large projects than that of After Effects.

7Masking

This is where After Effects comes to the fore. The ability to create masks that track through scenes is a fundamental component of After Effects workflow and why it is so good for effects creation and compositing. None of these effects are readily achievable within Premiere as it ships, and even add ons will never achieve the fluidity and ease of use the purpose designed interface provides.

8 Camera Tracker

The 3D camera tracker within After Effects is an incredibly useful tool designed to replicate the camera movements within a given scene to allow new layers to be added that precisely match the original scene, essential for composite work and simply not possible within Premiere.

9 Effects

The collection of specific tools within After Effects for applying motion control effects, for color control, blurring shadows transitions and titles is vast, and whilst Premiere includes some of its own, it is clear that here After Effects has the edge and it once again highlights the different approach taken by each program. Premiere is primarily an editing application, it is designed to enable the fastest, most efficient and highest quality non-linear editing of a project possible. Within that framework it includes the ability, both natively and with plugins, to incorporate a limited range transitions and effects to aid the editing process.

After Effects, however, is an application built around effects, it is designed to allow an almost unlimited variety of effects, transitions and animations to be incorporated into a project via compositing and as such has a wealth of tools to enable the efficient workflow of those tasks, including some editing tools that would likely be needed for that job.

Conclusion

I’ve seen it explained before in terms of Word and Excel. You can compose a letter in Excel and create a spreadsheet in Word with the tables functionality, but the end result will take much longer and never be quite as good doing it that way. This perhaps is the best way to explain the relationship between Premiere and After Effects.

Yes, a spec sheet makes the two programs seem somewhat comparable, but it is the focus of each application that shows why they differ so much. Ultimately, the best use of these programs is together, they complement each other perfectly.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This is perhaps the most asked question regarding video processing on the internet. And looking at the product descriptions on the Adobe site gives us a clue why. There seems to be a large overlap between the two programs, and technically there is, although as we shall see capability doesn’t always mean suitability, so the similarities are not quite as pronounced as they would appear.

With that in mind, it is worth looking at the key differences between After Effects and Premiere to get a clearer understanding of what is best for which situation and why you would pick one program over the other. So below are the 9 points that I will make a comparison.

Comparison Table

After Effects	Adobe Premiere
Price	$31.49/month	$31.49/month
Offcial Features	Create motion graphics and visual effects	Professional video and film editing
	Includes 100GB of cloud storage	Includes 100GB of cloud storage
Support	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training
Users	Advanced/Average	Advanced/Average/Naive
Device	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

After Effects VS Adobe Premiere

1Timeline

There are numerous editing differences between the two programs, but we will start with the timeline as it perhaps best illustrates the different focus of each package. Premiere has a very detailed timeline panel with a huge amount of functionality built in to move through and manipulate the contents of a project. After Effects, on the other hand, has less options for dealing with multiple clips and is designed to deal with the composite components in a more user friendly way.

The upshot of this would be the basic premise of the differences, for editing clips into a movie, whilst both can perform the task to an extent, Premiere’s timeline interface makes it a much easier process with many more options to make technical editing easier for the user.

2Editing

In addition to the timeline, Premiere has an interface and toolset built for precise editing and clip manipulation, both audio and video. This is not surprising of course, Premiere is after all first and foremost an editing package. By contrast, whilst there is editing functionality within After Effects, it is neither as user friendly, nor remotely as comprehensive a tool set, and as such would not be a suitable environment for extensive editing workflow.

This is perhaps the crux of the differences between the two packages, for editing work Premiere offers a complete toolset far beyond the requirements for many projects, but as comprehensive as one wishes, whilst After Effects is focus more on composites and motion video work and has an editing tool set that is not conducive to efficiency and ease of use.

3Audio Mixer

In today’s market the audio component on a video product can be as important as the visual aspects, the audio clip mixer within Premiere is a professional grade tool designed to offer precise control over a projects audio output and includes the ability to use VST3 industry standard plugins. Because After Effects is primarily a composite application it lacks the finesse of Premiere where audio is concerned. Again this shouldn’t be read as being an inferior program, it simply has a different focus.

4Mercury Playback Engine

In terms of perceived functionality probably not the top of the list, but Premiere uses this to employ either software (useful) or hardware (brilliant), assuming you have a compatible graphics card, accelerated real time renderless viewing of clips and sequences. This creates a much faster workflow for editing than is possible with After Effects beyond the previously mentioned tools and interface restrictions.

5 Multicam

In terms of editing this is where After Effects just isn’t comparable at all, the multi camera interface within Premiere is exceptionally featured and allows on the fly angle changes and edits and the ability to sync a single shot through numerous camera simultaneously. As said, the editing functionality on offer here is what Premiere exists for, and whilst both Premiere and After Effects are video manipulation packages, editing and composting are very different focuses, and the products reflect those differences.

6Media Management

Often overlooked but very important for project fidelity, the media management facilities within Premiere are designed around the needs of editing production and enable a much easier organizational approach for large projects than that of After Effects.

7Masking

This is where After Effects comes to the fore. The ability to create masks that track through scenes is a fundamental component of After Effects workflow and why it is so good for effects creation and compositing. None of these effects are readily achievable within Premiere as it ships, and even add ons will never achieve the fluidity and ease of use the purpose designed interface provides.

8 Camera Tracker

The 3D camera tracker within After Effects is an incredibly useful tool designed to replicate the camera movements within a given scene to allow new layers to be added that precisely match the original scene, essential for composite work and simply not possible within Premiere.

9 Effects

The collection of specific tools within After Effects for applying motion control effects, for color control, blurring shadows transitions and titles is vast, and whilst Premiere includes some of its own, it is clear that here After Effects has the edge and it once again highlights the different approach taken by each program. Premiere is primarily an editing application, it is designed to enable the fastest, most efficient and highest quality non-linear editing of a project possible. Within that framework it includes the ability, both natively and with plugins, to incorporate a limited range transitions and effects to aid the editing process.

After Effects, however, is an application built around effects, it is designed to allow an almost unlimited variety of effects, transitions and animations to be incorporated into a project via compositing and as such has a wealth of tools to enable the efficient workflow of those tasks, including some editing tools that would likely be needed for that job.

Conclusion

I’ve seen it explained before in terms of Word and Excel. You can compose a letter in Excel and create a spreadsheet in Word with the tables functionality, but the end result will take much longer and never be quite as good doing it that way. This perhaps is the best way to explain the relationship between Premiere and After Effects.

Yes, a spec sheet makes the two programs seem somewhat comparable, but it is the focus of each application that shows why they differ so much. Ultimately, the best use of these programs is together, they complement each other perfectly.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This is perhaps the most asked question regarding video processing on the internet. And looking at the product descriptions on the Adobe site gives us a clue why. There seems to be a large overlap between the two programs, and technically there is, although as we shall see capability doesn’t always mean suitability, so the similarities are not quite as pronounced as they would appear.

With that in mind, it is worth looking at the key differences between After Effects and Premiere to get a clearer understanding of what is best for which situation and why you would pick one program over the other. So below are the 9 points that I will make a comparison.

Comparison Table

After Effects	Adobe Premiere
Price	$31.49/month	$31.49/month
Offcial Features	Create motion graphics and visual effects	Professional video and film editing
	Includes 100GB of cloud storage	Includes 100GB of cloud storage
Support	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training
Users	Advanced/Average	Advanced/Average/Naive
Device	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

After Effects VS Adobe Premiere

1Timeline

There are numerous editing differences between the two programs, but we will start with the timeline as it perhaps best illustrates the different focus of each package. Premiere has a very detailed timeline panel with a huge amount of functionality built in to move through and manipulate the contents of a project. After Effects, on the other hand, has less options for dealing with multiple clips and is designed to deal with the composite components in a more user friendly way.

The upshot of this would be the basic premise of the differences, for editing clips into a movie, whilst both can perform the task to an extent, Premiere’s timeline interface makes it a much easier process with many more options to make technical editing easier for the user.

2Editing

In addition to the timeline, Premiere has an interface and toolset built for precise editing and clip manipulation, both audio and video. This is not surprising of course, Premiere is after all first and foremost an editing package. By contrast, whilst there is editing functionality within After Effects, it is neither as user friendly, nor remotely as comprehensive a tool set, and as such would not be a suitable environment for extensive editing workflow.

This is perhaps the crux of the differences between the two packages, for editing work Premiere offers a complete toolset far beyond the requirements for many projects, but as comprehensive as one wishes, whilst After Effects is focus more on composites and motion video work and has an editing tool set that is not conducive to efficiency and ease of use.

3Audio Mixer

In today’s market the audio component on a video product can be as important as the visual aspects, the audio clip mixer within Premiere is a professional grade tool designed to offer precise control over a projects audio output and includes the ability to use VST3 industry standard plugins. Because After Effects is primarily a composite application it lacks the finesse of Premiere where audio is concerned. Again this shouldn’t be read as being an inferior program, it simply has a different focus.

4Mercury Playback Engine

In terms of perceived functionality probably not the top of the list, but Premiere uses this to employ either software (useful) or hardware (brilliant), assuming you have a compatible graphics card, accelerated real time renderless viewing of clips and sequences. This creates a much faster workflow for editing than is possible with After Effects beyond the previously mentioned tools and interface restrictions.

5 Multicam

In terms of editing this is where After Effects just isn’t comparable at all, the multi camera interface within Premiere is exceptionally featured and allows on the fly angle changes and edits and the ability to sync a single shot through numerous camera simultaneously. As said, the editing functionality on offer here is what Premiere exists for, and whilst both Premiere and After Effects are video manipulation packages, editing and composting are very different focuses, and the products reflect those differences.

6Media Management

Often overlooked but very important for project fidelity, the media management facilities within Premiere are designed around the needs of editing production and enable a much easier organizational approach for large projects than that of After Effects.

7Masking

This is where After Effects comes to the fore. The ability to create masks that track through scenes is a fundamental component of After Effects workflow and why it is so good for effects creation and compositing. None of these effects are readily achievable within Premiere as it ships, and even add ons will never achieve the fluidity and ease of use the purpose designed interface provides.

8 Camera Tracker

The 3D camera tracker within After Effects is an incredibly useful tool designed to replicate the camera movements within a given scene to allow new layers to be added that precisely match the original scene, essential for composite work and simply not possible within Premiere.

9 Effects

The collection of specific tools within After Effects for applying motion control effects, for color control, blurring shadows transitions and titles is vast, and whilst Premiere includes some of its own, it is clear that here After Effects has the edge and it once again highlights the different approach taken by each program. Premiere is primarily an editing application, it is designed to enable the fastest, most efficient and highest quality non-linear editing of a project possible. Within that framework it includes the ability, both natively and with plugins, to incorporate a limited range transitions and effects to aid the editing process.

After Effects, however, is an application built around effects, it is designed to allow an almost unlimited variety of effects, transitions and animations to be incorporated into a project via compositing and as such has a wealth of tools to enable the efficient workflow of those tasks, including some editing tools that would likely be needed for that job.

Conclusion

I’ve seen it explained before in terms of Word and Excel. You can compose a letter in Excel and create a spreadsheet in Word with the tables functionality, but the end result will take much longer and never be quite as good doing it that way. This perhaps is the best way to explain the relationship between Premiere and After Effects.

Yes, a spec sheet makes the two programs seem somewhat comparable, but it is the focus of each application that shows why they differ so much. Ultimately, the best use of these programs is together, they complement each other perfectly.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

This is perhaps the most asked question regarding video processing on the internet. And looking at the product descriptions on the Adobe site gives us a clue why. There seems to be a large overlap between the two programs, and technically there is, although as we shall see capability doesn’t always mean suitability, so the similarities are not quite as pronounced as they would appear.

With that in mind, it is worth looking at the key differences between After Effects and Premiere to get a clearer understanding of what is best for which situation and why you would pick one program over the other. So below are the 9 points that I will make a comparison.

Comparison Table

After Effects	Adobe Premiere
Price	$31.49/month	$31.49/month
Offcial Features	Create motion graphics and visual effects	Professional video and film editing
	Includes 100GB of cloud storage	Includes 100GB of cloud storage
Support	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training	Phone/Live/Ticket/Training
Users	Advanced/Average	Advanced/Average/Naive
Device	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone	Win/Mac/Android/iPhone

---

This is a basic tutorial about Adobe Premiere, professional video editing software. However, if video editing is new to you, consider Wondershare Filmora , which is a powerful but easy-to-use tool for users just starting out. Download the free trial version below.

Download Mac Version ](https://tools.techidaily.com/wondershare/filmora/download/ )

---

After Effects VS Adobe Premiere

1Timeline

There are numerous editing differences between the two programs, but we will start with the timeline as it perhaps best illustrates the different focus of each package. Premiere has a very detailed timeline panel with a huge amount of functionality built in to move through and manipulate the contents of a project. After Effects, on the other hand, has less options for dealing with multiple clips and is designed to deal with the composite components in a more user friendly way.

The upshot of this would be the basic premise of the differences, for editing clips into a movie, whilst both can perform the task to an extent, Premiere’s timeline interface makes it a much easier process with many more options to make technical editing easier for the user.

2Editing

In addition to the timeline, Premiere has an interface and toolset built for precise editing and clip manipulation, both audio and video. This is not surprising of course, Premiere is after all first and foremost an editing package. By contrast, whilst there is editing functionality within After Effects, it is neither as user friendly, nor remotely as comprehensive a tool set, and as such would not be a suitable environment for extensive editing workflow.

This is perhaps the crux of the differences between the two packages, for editing work Premiere offers a complete toolset far beyond the requirements for many projects, but as comprehensive as one wishes, whilst After Effects is focus more on composites and motion video work and has an editing tool set that is not conducive to efficiency and ease of use.

3Audio Mixer

In today’s market the audio component on a video product can be as important as the visual aspects, the audio clip mixer within Premiere is a professional grade tool designed to offer precise control over a projects audio output and includes the ability to use VST3 industry standard plugins. Because After Effects is primarily a composite application it lacks the finesse of Premiere where audio is concerned. Again this shouldn’t be read as being an inferior program, it simply has a different focus.

4Mercury Playback Engine

In terms of perceived functionality probably not the top of the list, but Premiere uses this to employ either software (useful) or hardware (brilliant), assuming you have a compatible graphics card, accelerated real time renderless viewing of clips and sequences. This creates a much faster workflow for editing than is possible with After Effects beyond the previously mentioned tools and interface restrictions.

5 Multicam

In terms of editing this is where After Effects just isn’t comparable at all, the multi camera interface within Premiere is exceptionally featured and allows on the fly angle changes and edits and the ability to sync a single shot through numerous camera simultaneously. As said, the editing functionality on offer here is what Premiere exists for, and whilst both Premiere and After Effects are video manipulation packages, editing and composting are very different focuses, and the products reflect those differences.

6Media Management

Often overlooked but very important for project fidelity, the media management facilities within Premiere are designed around the needs of editing production and enable a much easier organizational approach for large projects than that of After Effects.

7Masking

This is where After Effects comes to the fore. The ability to create masks that track through scenes is a fundamental component of After Effects workflow and why it is so good for effects creation and compositing. None of these effects are readily achievable within Premiere as it ships, and even add ons will never achieve the fluidity and ease of use the purpose designed interface provides.

8 Camera Tracker

The 3D camera tracker within After Effects is an incredibly useful tool designed to replicate the camera movements within a given scene to allow new layers to be added that precisely match the original scene, essential for composite work and simply not possible within Premiere.

9 Effects

The collection of specific tools within After Effects for applying motion control effects, for color control, blurring shadows transitions and titles is vast, and whilst Premiere includes some of its own, it is clear that here After Effects has the edge and it once again highlights the different approach taken by each program. Premiere is primarily an editing application, it is designed to enable the fastest, most efficient and highest quality non-linear editing of a project possible. Within that framework it includes the ability, both natively and with plugins, to incorporate a limited range transitions and effects to aid the editing process.

After Effects, however, is an application built around effects, it is designed to allow an almost unlimited variety of effects, transitions and animations to be incorporated into a project via compositing and as such has a wealth of tools to enable the efficient workflow of those tasks, including some editing tools that would likely be needed for that job.

Conclusion

I’ve seen it explained before in terms of Word and Excel. You can compose a letter in Excel and create a spreadsheet in Word with the tables functionality, but the end result will take much longer and never be quite as good doing it that way. This perhaps is the best way to explain the relationship between Premiere and After Effects.

Yes, a spec sheet makes the two programs seem somewhat comparable, but it is the focus of each application that shows why they differ so much. Ultimately, the best use of these programs is together, they complement each other perfectly.

Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango is a writer and a lover of all things video.

Follow @Benjamin Arango

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