Step 1: Prep Your Footage<\/h2>\n
Start a new project in After Effects.<\/p>\n
Import your video by dragging it into the Project panel. Then create a new composition with that clip.<\/p>\n
Tip:<\/em> VHS was 4:3 ratio and low resolution. Try setting your composition to 640×480 for that authentic feel.<\/p>\n Old VHS tapes are noisy<\/em>. Let\u2019s get some of that.<\/p>\n Now adjust the Fractal Noise settings:<\/p>\n Check the box that says Invert<\/strong>. Then, reduce the layer\u2019s opacity to around 20% and switch its blend mode to Overlay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n Now your video looks aged and gritty \u2014 score!<\/p>\n Old videos didn\u2019t get the luxury of accurate color. Let\u2019s make it weirder.<\/p>\n Apply the Color Balance (RGB)<\/strong> effect to your video.<\/p>\n Shift the channels slightly.<\/p>\n This gives that uneven analog color separation.<\/p>\n Now duplicate your video layer two times. You should have three identical layers.<\/p>\n Rename them \u201cRed\u201d, \u201cGreen\u201d, and \u201cBlue\u201d.<\/p>\n Offset them by a few pixels using the arrow keys. Boom. Fake RGB split!<\/p>\n Scan lines are a dead giveaway that you\u2019re watching ancient footage.<\/p>\n Create a new black solid again. Add the Venetian Blinds<\/strong> effect to it.<\/p>\n Settings:<\/p>\n Set the blend mode to Overlay<\/strong>. Now it’s looking crunchy.<\/p>\n VHS players weren\u2019t exactly precision machines. Your footage should be a little… wobbly.<\/p>\n Use Wiggle<\/strong> expressions to simulate the jitter.<\/p>\n Alt+click the stopwatch on the position property of your video and type:<\/p>\n This makes the video move randomly once per second by 5 pixels.<\/p>\n Feeling bolder? Add a light warp effect too. Try Wave Warp<\/strong> with subtle settings:<\/p>\n You\u2019ll get those minor distortions like tape tracking issues.<\/p>\n Sometimes you\u2019ll see color flickers or glitched lines in VHS footage.<\/p>\n To add this manually:<\/p>\n Play with the horizontal and vertical displacement values. Try random keyframes. This creates warpy, chromatic glitches.<\/p>\n Ever notice how VHS footage fades on the edges? Let\u2019s recreate that.<\/p>\n Create a vignette:<\/p>\n Now your edges look soft and old-school!<\/p>\n What\u2019s a VHS tape without a timestamp?<\/p>\n Create a text layer with a date like:<\/p>\n Use a digital display font like OCR A Std<\/em> or Digital-7<\/em>.<\/p>\n Add a little glow or blur to mimic screen bleed. Bump up the contrast.<\/p>\n You can also add fake static for when the tape \u201cskips\u201d by animating noise or blocky white shapes.<\/p>\n If you don\u2019t want to build everything yourself, there are free and paid VHS presets online.<\/p>\n Search for:<\/p>\nStep 2: Add That Grainy Texture<\/h2>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/savethevideo.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/dark-textured-abstract-background-with-vertical-lines-vhs-noise-overlay-grainy-texture-retro-film-look.jpg\")
\nStep 3: Mess with the Colors<\/h2>\n
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Step 4: Add Scan Lines<\/h2>\n
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Step 5: Shake It Up<\/h2>\n
wiggle(1,5)<\/pre>\n
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Step 6: Chromatic Glitches (Optional But Cool)<\/h2>\n
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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/savethevideo.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/a-picture-of-a-table-with-a-tablecloth-on-it-chromatic-glitch-distortion-color-flicker-vhs-error-visual.jpg\")
\nStep 7: Make the Edges Weird<\/h2>\n
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Step 8: Add Some Text and a Timestamp<\/h2>\n
DEC 03 1995 07:24 PM<\/pre>\n
Bonus: Use a VHS Preset (If You’re in a Hurry)<\/h2>\n