Final Cut Pro Meets VHS: Easy Tutorials for a Retro Look

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A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording.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