Download for free below

 

The cinematic film look is a mysterious and multi-layered aesthetic. Lighting, set design, costumes, camera and lens choice all factor in to try and achieve the elusive final effect.

Once you’ve finished shooting your footage on the set, only imagery can be manipulated. I have always tried to find creative solutions to technical challenges and to create presets and templates for myself that will give me the final aesthetic that I see in my head.

As an editor and colorist, I can create looks that focus on improving the captured image no matter what camera it was shot with. I previously released the VashiMorphic40 template which replicates the look of the Panavision 40mm anamorphic lens. Since it works exclusively within After Effects, I decided to make a new Premiere Pro Preset package that is resolution independent and offers real-time playback inside Premiere Pro.

 

4 custom designed vintage effect looks

 

VashiVisuals Vintage Video Effects Presets includes 16 presets that emulate the vignette and blur aspects of the Panavision C and E series anamorphic lenses from the 1970’s and 1980’s. These lenses had a natural vignette and blur on the edges which were especially evident on the wider focal lengths. It created a stylized look that focused the viewer’s gaze into the core of the frame as a result of the natural limitations of the lenses.

Today’s lenses are technically more advanced and most of the aberrations and flaws of optical design have been vastly improved. Some people feel that modern lenses are too clinical or “perfect” and lack character. With the rise of high resolution (4K / 6K / 8K+) cameras, the sharp and uniform images captured with modern lenses are even more pronounced.

 

Chinatown (1974) / Three Days of the Condor (1975) / Haywire (2011)

 

I prefer a vintage look created with vintage glass but this can get very expensive…so I designed the VashiVisuals Vintage Video Effects Presets to help modern lenses approximate the Panavision anamorphic look and feel.

By studying popular films that used these lenses, I mapped out the vignette and blur data onto my presets which can also be adjusted to taste by the user. The presets are made from two standard Premiere Pro built-in effects and will playback in real-time on most laptops and workstations.

The 16 presets include 4 different overall styles that are available for both 1.78 and 2.39 aspect timelines.

The styles from lowest to highest intensity are:

  • CHINATOWN
  • HAYWIRE
  • RECTANGLE
  • PORTHOLE

Each of the 4 styles also have horizontal or vertical blur options to further customize the final look.

You can also use just the vignette or blur option to dial in a visual look that you prefer. My presets are based on actual lens looks but they only exist as a starting point.

Feel free to experiment!

 

1.78 and 2.39 aspect ratio vintage film presets

 

How to use my free vintage video effects on your project:

  1. Download the VashiVisuals Vintage Video Effects Presets
  2. Unzip the file
  3. Install into Premiere Pro by right-clicking on the Effects panel tab
  4. Choose “import presets” and navigate to the unzipped “.prfpset” file
  5. The 16 presets will be added inside the “Presets” bin of the Effects panel
  6. Apply the preset directly to a clip or to an adjustment layer above all the footage.
  7. Presets are designed for 1.78 aspect ratio (1920×1080 / 3840×2160 …etc)
    and scale automatically no matter what size your sequence
  8. Add a 2.39:1 matte to use 239 presets. All HD / 2K / 4K / 5K / 6K mattes available HERE

 

Install the presets through the Effects panel tab

 

Two fully adjustable native Premiere Pro effects

 

 

Custom built presets for both 1.78 and 2.39 aspect ratio timelines in Premiere Pro

 

 

As a bonus: you can great results if you try these presets on: photographs, text imagery or motion graphics all within Premiere Pro.

Please note that these presets will not create the oval bokeh that 2X anamorphic lenses create but the vertical blur option will stretch out points of light and highlights in a similar fashion within the blurred mask parameters.

Note: these presets do not cause the familiar barrel distortion like that of the Panavision 40mm anamorphic lens. For that you will need to use VASHIMORPHIC 40.

Enjoy the presets and I hope they help you achieve some new and interesting visual looks for your upcoming projects!

 

Until next time…

vashivisuals.com

@vashikoo