Artwork by Alex Broadstock
Director Alex Broadstock used an old television and circuit benders — analog DIY equipment for altering electronic devices — to create these six “organic” video textures. But you don’t need to know the technical details to see how they’ll enhance your video projects.
Each of the six glitch effects is 10 seconds long, and each can be adjusted with Blend Modes or even contained to a specific visual area. Want help getting started? Once you’ve added them to your library — check out the “Add library” button at the top of the page — see below for how to manipulate the glitches in your own work.
STEP 1/5
Set up your project.
Create a new project in Premiere Pro (File > New > Project), give it a name (we called ours BucketList), and click OK.
Drag the video clip(s) you want to use from your computer into the Project panel.
Now find the Video_analog_glitches in the Libraries panel (Window > Libraries) and drag your choice to the Project panel. We selected Stripe.
STEP 2/5
Get that vintage vibe.
Drag a video clip from the Project panel to the Timeline, and then drag the glitch to the empty video track just above your clip. Press the spacebar to see the glitch play.
Each glitch effect is 10 seconds long. If you want a shorter glitch in your project, hover your cursor at the beginning or end of the glitch clip until you see the Trim tool. Drag the Trim In (start) and Trim Out (end) points to limit the duration of the effect. This edit is non-destructive, so you can readjust at any time.
STEP 3/5
Customize the effect.
To see the effect the glitch has on your clip, you'll need to adjust its Blend Mode. First, make sure the glitch clip is selected in the Timeline. Next, open the Effect Controls panel (Window > Effect Controls) and view the Blend Mode options in the Opacity section. We like the way Screen works with all of Alex's glitches, but feel free to experiment.
You can also change the proportion of the glitch within the frame by adjusting Scale in the Motion section. Change Scale height and width, and then press the spacebar to play the video with your latest settings.
STEP 4/5
Set some boundaries.
To contain the glitch to a specific area, create a mask. With the glitch clip still selected in the Timeline, return to the Opacity settings and choose a shape or the Bezier tool. We used the Ellipse mask.
In the Program Monitor, adjust the boundary points of the mask. To soften the edges, increase the Mask Feather setting.
STEP 5/5
Bonus: Add a title.
Give your video a finishing touch by adding a title. Make sure nothing is selected in the Timeline. Then select the Type tool (T), click in the Program Monitor, and start typing.
Press Control+A (Windows) or Command+A (macOS) to select all of your text. In the Effect Controls panel, expand the Text controls to choose a font and adjust size, color, and more. We used Carbon from Adobe Fonts (available with your Creative Cloud membership).
Finally, in the Timeline you can drag the entire title graphic to determine when it appears and adjust its Trim In and Trim Out points to set its duration on screen.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Alex Broadstock is an editor and director of photography, and partner and director at Bluehour production company, in Brooklyn, New York. His style blends many art forms, often combining cinematography with photography, mixed media tools, and technology.
