Retro Video Magic: Easy Ways to Add VHS Effects in FCP

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A VHS effect is a textured, warped effect that looks like an outdated analog videotape cassette recording.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

How to Create Ken Burns Effect? [Detaied Steps]

How to Make Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Ken Burns Effect is an advanced feature of Final Cut Pro that allows users to add creative animations to their videos and images within minutes. You just need to select your picture, add movements to the clip, and choose the start and the end position to produce high-resolution stills. Besides, you can do a tilt, zoom in, a pan, or a combination of these three moves on a single image. This way, you can use the Ken Burns Effect to highlight the stimulating features in your photograph and save your memories in the form of innovative and high-definition animated clips.

This article introduces the readers to Final Cut Pro and explains how to add the Ken Burns Effect in 8 simple steps.

• Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?[detaied steps]
• Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?
• Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

Part 1: How to Make a Ken Burns Effect in Final Cut Pro?

Final Cut Pro is user-friendly software and makes it easy for you to create a Ken Burns Effect without having advanced skills and expertise. So, are you interested in knowing the best part? Given below are a few simple steps to create Ken Burns Effect and make your pictures and videos look adorable.

Step 1: Add Images to the Timeline

First of all, you should specify a name for your project and add photos to the timeline in Final Cut Pro. For this purpose, select multiple photos and press E. A clip will be added to the timeline as shown in figure 1.

Step 2: Check Your Settings

As you can see, our timeline has no other video clip. Hence, Final Cut Pro will not recognize the clip until you adjust the video properties such as format, resolution, and rate, etc. For this purpose, click OK to use your preferred settings and press Shift + Z to fit the picture to your timeline window. Once you’re done it’s time to apply the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 3: Add the Ken Burns Effect

The Ken Burns Effect is used to focus on specific parts of an image and bring motionless content in to provoke emotional reactions. Follow these steps to add the Ken Burns Effect:

1. Select the clip or picture;
2. See the lower left of the viewer;
3. Go to the Viewer window using the drop-down menu;
4. Tap on the pop-up menu located in the bottom left-hand corner;
5. Choose the Crop option from the menu or press Shift + C;
6. Press the Ken Burns button in the Crop onscreen controls to add the effect; and
7. Finally, notice the start frame and the end frame controls.

Step 4: Customize Your Effect

In the Ken Burns display, you can see the controls for adjusting the panning and zooms effects by changing the size and position of two-colored rectangles overlaying on the clip. To customize the Ken Burns effect:

1. Adjust the green rectangle’s size and position to set the start position;
2. Adjust the red rectangle’s size and position to set the end position;
3. The arrow depicts the direction of camera position between start and end position;
4. In the top left-hand corner, click on the Swap button to exchange the two positions as per your requirements;
5. You can see the preview of the animation on the screen.

Step 5: Add a Freeze Frame

You’re not done yet because you need to hold your picture at the end of the animation. For this purpose, you should create a freezing frame at the end of the clip to make Ken Burns do this. Here’s the deal:

1. Press the Down arrow followed by the Left arrow to go to the last frame;
2. Press Option-F to add a freeze-frame;
3. Make sure that your added frame matches the ending frame of the Ken Burns Effect.

Step 6: Adjust the Duration of the Freeze Frame

The users can also adjust the speed of the animation and the duration of the freeze-frame by trimming your clip. For this purpose, trim the length as per your requirement and it will optimize the speed as shown in figure 6.

Step 7: Swap the Start and End Frame

Now, swap the start and ending frame as per your preference for the Ken Burns animation. Here’s how you can do this:

1. Click on the Swap button;
2. The start frame will match the still frame (previous one);
3. Grab the end frame and move it to your desired position;
4. Apply enough zoom in to make the black areas disappear;
5. Preview to see how your animation looks.

Step 8: Play/Preview Looping

After you have optimized the speed of the Ken Burns Effect by trimming the clip’s length and have widened the shot to include everyone, it’s time to preview the changes you have made. Given below are simple steps:

• Press the Play Loop button;
• Tap on the Pause icon and return to editing;
• Click Done and enjoy your animation.

Seems a little complicated? Filmora allows users to do Ken Burns effect, or pan and zoom effect, in much easier steps, click to download and have a try!

Part 2: How to add the Ken Burns Effect to Multiple Camera Movements?

Although you can apply a single Ken Burns movement to your image, you can still give the impression of multiple movements being used. This means the Ken Burns Effect can be added to multiple camera movements by duplicating the photo and building numerous movements in sequence.

1. Add the first camera movement to your image;
2. Duplicate the clip by click and drag option or copy and paste option;
3. Press the Swap button in the Ken Burns settings to reverse the start and end positions;
4. Verify if multiple camera movements have been added.

Extensive Reading: Why Ken Burns Effect is Named after Ken Burns?

What is the Ken Burns Effect?

The Ken Burns Effect is a feature in Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect by using your predefined start and end positions. Basically, it is a crop effect with one crop at the start of the clip while the other at the end. Ken Burns Effect can be further customized by adjusting the smoothness of the animation. While creating a Ken Burns Effect, the motion applied to the video clips gets automatically smoothed to accelerate and decelerate the movement slowly at the start and the end of the animation.

Why the Effect is named after Ken Burns?

Now, as you have learned the purpose of the Ken Burns Effect, you must be curious about its name. It is named after American documentarian Ken Burns, who is known for his instantly recognizable and highly influential visual aesthetic. Surprisingly, Ken Burns did not invent this Ken Burns Effect; rather, it has existed for decades. You might be wondering why the technique was then named after Ken Burns. This was due to the persistent and adroit use of this technique that it is now known as the Ken Burns Effect.

What are the Applications of Ken Burns Effect?

Primarily, the Ken Burns Effect is used due to the unavailability of a film or video. The technique gives action to still photographs to glorify the subjects of interest like couples in wedding photography. It gets better and better as you apply simulated parallax with Ken Burns Effect to make your 2D images appear as 3D plus advanced zooming visuals. You can also use the Ken Burns effect to make a video of your graduation ceremony pictures or memorable moments of reunion. Ken Burns Effect is also used in documentaries by professional filmmakers and editors.

Conclusion

Adding animated effects to your pictures and videos makes them look gorgeous. This is crazy, isn’t it, when you impress your peers with your editing skills. So, what’s the bottom line of this whole discussion? Try adding the Ken Burns Effect with Final Cut Pro to create a pan and zoom effect on your pictures and clips get the output in your desired format.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

The Best of the Best: Highlight Video Creation Tools Compared

Best Highlight Video Makers

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

Benjamin Arango

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

No one wants to see all the video clips and pictures of your vacation at an exotic destination, wedding ceremony, or birthday party. Making a quick video and snapping pictures of the important moments is a great way to preserve the memories for yourself. However, these videos and photos add up quickly, and showing them all off is cumbersome. Rest assured, everyone wants to see a highlight reel. Moreover, with the growing popularity of short-form video sharing platforms like Tik Tok and IGTV, people want to extract highlights from videos to share on their profiles.

Part 1: What is Highlight Reel Video?

A highlight reel is the collection of the best parts of a video where you can combine video clips and pictures to make it. But how do you make a highlight reel? Well, there are many highlight video makers available that one can use to create a highlight reel easily.

So, here are some of the best highlight video makers that you can use on Windows and Mac and on iOS or Android devices.

Part 2: Best Highlight Video Makers on Windows and Mac

1. Wondershare Filmora Video Editor

Wondershare’s Filmora Video Editor is a simple yet powerful video highlight reel maker available for Mac and Windows. It offers the standard trimming, transitions, overlays, and effects that are great for editing your videos to make highlight videos to share on social media and show your friends. It has an intuitive interface and has a huge range of features. The interface has a drag and drop option enabling you to quickly arrange, trim, and edit various media elements making it a breeze to create highlight videos.

Filmora supports all the modern video formats as well as HD and 4K video editing and output as well as includes several different free video effect presets. The version 10.4 and higher of this highlight video maker (for Windows) have some new features like auto highlight helping you automatically create a highlight video. Audio normalization that automatically normalizes the audio volume in your videos, and the scene detection features that allow you to separate video into clips. Try Filmora for free by downloading the latest version and experience these new features.

Pros

Simple and intuitive interface

Auto highlight feature to create highlighted video automatically

Layer multiple video clips

Scene detection for cutting large video quickly

Cons

Add-on feature pack is expensive

Slightly slow AMD processor

2. Windows 10 Photos App

The Photos App is in-built into Windows 10 which makes it fun and easy to enhance your videos and images. This free photo viewer and editor works with OneDrive that allows you to access all the photos and videos from any device.

The Photo App has competent editing and photo enhancements tools along with tools for organizing and editing videos to create highlight videos easily.

It has a story remix which makes it super easy to combine pictures and videos to create enticing highlight video with text, motion, duration, 3D effects, filters, and background music.

Story Remix works on Microsoft’s deep learning technology and AI to find relevant content and automatically create videos to edit and share. The choose a star feature allows you to create a movie focused on a person. You can also easily edit your video to highlight the best content with the trim feature. Once you are done with editing, your video is saved automatically, but you will need to export it to share on social media.

Pros

Simple interface

Integrates with OneDrive

Video highlight with soundtrack, text, and transitions

Cons

Lacks geometry correction

3. Hudl Premium Highlights

If you are a high school athlete looking to get a scholarship for higher education, the best way to pitch to application boards and professional coaches is to send them a video that highlights your skills. You can easily create highlight videos with Hudle Premium Highlights. It is one of the best paid highlight video makers for sports and is compatible with Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices.

Just log in to Hudle.com and click your highlights and choose create highlights. Give the name to your highlight video and add the video, photos, music, and title slides. You can easily filter the highlights by team and season and select the highlights adding them to your reel.

The Hudle Premium Highlight has a trim feature that allows you to easily edit the highlight reel. You can add spot shadow, text, or music and preview the reel. It also helps you flag sections of the videos by inserting notes or audio. Once you are done with creating a highlight reel, publish to save your work and post on social media or get a URL to share with the coaches.

Pros

Easy to use

Various features to make highlight videos.

Cons

Not enough customization available

4. Vibby

Vibby is a free lightweight web-based highlight video maker that allows you to easily highlight and show only parts of the video you want audiences to see. With this tool you can also add notes and comments on the selection portions, making the video more engaging.

Vibby has a simple user-friendly interface that helps you to highlight the most relevant parts of the video in just three steps. Just choose the YouTube, GoogleDrive, Dropbox, Twitch, and Vimeo videos you like, highlight the sections relevant to your topic and add notes, or questions for students to read. You can set specific timeframes for each highlight and tag people as well.

Pros

Simple and easy user interface

Create highlight videos in three steps

Free to use

Cons

No cons found

5. Magisto

Magisto is one of the best video highlight reel makers allowing marketers, business professionals, and individuals to create enticing videos. Available for Mac, Windows, iOS, and Android devices, it includes a licensed music library from independent artists. Magisto offers a free seven-day trial, but it requires you to enter the credit card details. In the trial, you get access to all the features. One of the best features is the video highlight where you can convert your memorable videos and pictures into an unforgettable video highlighting the special moments.

What makes Magisto unique is its AI-powered solution that analyzes and edits your videos. You can also control the video speed so that your highlight reel can consist of various photos or video clips. You can add graphics, effects, and background music as well to add a layer of emotion to your videos.

Pros

Automatically build video highlight with AI technology

Compatible with mobile and web devices

7 days free trial

Cons

No phone support offered

No feature to edit photos

Best Highlight Video Maker App for iPhone and Android

If you are looking for the best video highlight reel maker for iPhone and Android devices, then Quik from GoPro is the one. The previous editions of Quik were free, but the new version requires payment to unlock all the features. However, you get a free trial as well to know about the features. This highlight video maker can pull out any media stored on your phone or tablet as well as from your GoPro cloud storage and automatically highlight the video in seconds, complete with royalty-free music and filters.

If you want to take control, you can do that easily. Select a theme, add the video and pictures you want to create the highlight with, trim your videos, pick a music track, add filters, and set a target length for the highlighted video. With Quik, you can filter by media type as well, so if you just need photos or just videos, you can select them easily that are grouped by date. Once you have created your highlighted video, transfer it wirelessly to your phone for easy sharing.

Part 3: Tips for Creating Highlight Video

There are many times you want to create an epic highlight reel. Here are few tips to help you create exciting and entertaining highlight reels.

Learn the event timeline

When you want to create a highlight video for any event, whether official or personal, study the event schedule beforehand. For instance, when filming a wedding, know when the bride will arrive when the couple exchanges rings and vows. If your highlight video is about a conference, it is essential to know when speakers will deliver the speech, etc.

Make a list of shots

Next, have a list of parts that you wish to capture so that you are more organized at the event. You can’t predict each moment but being ready will help you capture memorable moments.

Use the right equipment

You need to use proper equipment for the events to ensure the footage looks great in low light. Gather all your equipment before the event and make sure it is fully charged and functional. Carry the extra batteries and other tools as well.

You may also like: Download Instagram Highlights

Benjamin Arango

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

Follow @Benjamin Arango

No Copyright Worries: 10 Best Public Domain Image Sites

10 Best Public Domain Image Websites

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

You may also like: Best Image Hosting Sites >>

How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Dont worry when you forget the syntax of an HTML element, like and iframe, a link, a table, an image or anything else. Visit HTML CheatSheet and generate the code you need.

Liza Brown

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

Follow @Liza Brown

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Finding an image you like on the Internet doesn’t take long, since almost every website you can stumble upon, contains at least one picture. This doesn’t mean that you can just download any photo and use it in your blog, online marketing campaign or for any other purpose. Moreover, stock image websites like Getty Images or iStock let you purchase the right to use a photo commercially. As a reaction to an expanding stock image industry, many photographers, museums and cultural institutions are choosing to forfeit their rights and to publish public domain images. So, in this article, we are going to take you through the ten best public domain image websites where you can download pictures for free.

What Are Public Domain Images?

By definition, public domain images are photos, vectors or clip art that are available to anyone because their copyright has either expired or they never had a copyright owner. Consequently, anyone can use these images for both commercial or private projects without having to purchase the rights to do so. An image can enter a public domain under the following circumstances:

• Scientists, educators or artists can use the Creative Commons Zero (CC0) license to dedicate their images to the public domain
• A picture’s copyright is no longer in effect
• A photo was never the subject to copyright

It is of utmost importance to check if an image is within the public domain before you use it publicly in order to avoid potential legal complications.

How and Where to Find Public Domain Images?

A simple google search will reveal hundreds of websites that let you download public domain and royalty-free images. Which source you’re going to use depends on the type of image you’re looking for, since some websites are dedicated only to photography, while others feature impressive collections of public domain images of artworks. In addition, you’ll only want to download public domain images from the websites that offer information about the author because using a public domain image without crediting its author is strictly prohibited.

Best Websites for Downloading Public Domain Images

We’ve searched the Internet and we utilized our results to compile a collection of the most reliable websites that grant its users access to vast numbers of public domain images. Let’s take a look at some of the best websites that let you download public domain images.

1. Pexels

Graphic designers and all other creatives in constant need of a fresh supply of public domain images don’t need a special introduction to Pexels. The stock image platform is dedicated to photography and video, so you can’t use it to search for vectors or clip art. Even so, you can use Pexles to search for public domain images based on a particular keyword or browse through its collection of free images and discover photos spontaneously. Clicking on the Popular Searches tab will enable you to see the images from Light, Nature or Animals and it will shorten the amount of time you have to spend looking for a photo you want to download.

Pros:

• Neatly organized website
• Free and easy sign-up
• Offers a huge selection of free public domain images and videos according to the CC0 license
• Hand-picked High quality Images

Cons:

• Some categories should contain more images
• Optimizing the search terms can be difficult

2. Pixabay

Besides offering an impressive collection of royalty-free photos, Pixabay also lets you search for public domain vectors, illustrations, and videos. The website hosts more than a million high-resolution photos and videos you can download for free. To make things even better, becoming a member of the Pixabay’s community and creating an account on this platform won’t take more than a few minutes of your time. Pixabay also offers advanced search tools that enable you to combine searches, search for the author of an image or group search terms. In addition, you can also browse through the photographers that contribute their images to the platform on a regular basis.

Pros:

• Powerful search tools and various filters
• Huge collection of public domain images

Cons

• Customer support could be better

3. Wikimedia Commons

This is probably the largest website on the Internet where you can download public domain images. There are more than 49 million images, illustrations, vector graphics and videos available that can be downloaded for free. Some media files on Wikimedia Commons have certain restrictions, but these restrictions are mostly related to image citations, which means that you can use them only if you credit the author. Such a huge selection of media files can be overwhelming for the newcomers to the Wikimedia Commons platform, but once you grow accustomed to the website’s interface discovering images becomes a straightforward process.

Pros:

• All images are available in high resolution
• Nearly all images can be used without any restrictions

Cons:

• Getting used to the website’s interface takes time
• The number of search results can be overwhelming

4. Flickr Commons

For more than a decade Flickr has been a popular online destination for photographers in need of a platform that enables them to present their work. The Flickr Commons is a project that unites more than a hundred institutions in an effort to create a library of public domain images. The project makes available a stunning amount of historical photographs and it grants you access to highly esteemed collections of photographs. Flick Commons is perfectly suited for researchers and scholars in need of public domain photos, they can use in their essays or research papers.

Pros:

• Unlimited access to historical photos
• Extends the knowledge available to the general public

Cons:

• Doesn’t offer videos or illustrations
• Search results are poorly organized

5. Unsplash

With a library that contains over 800,000 photos, Unsplash is easily one of the largest websites that offer public domain images. All pictures on this platform are organized into different categories, which makes finding a photo you want to use in a commercial or non-commercial project a relatively simple process. Alternatively, you can insert a keyword into a search bar and Unsplash will show you the results within seconds. However, the images you can find on this platform are similar to those you can purchase on stock photography websites, although some of them have an artistic touch that is hard to find on the majority of stock photos.

Pros:

• Excellent source of high-resolution photos
• Quick and easy search

Cons:

• Unsplash is dedicated solely to photography
• Limited amount of available public domain images

6. From Old Books

In case you are searching for images from old books you should look no further. This is a private collection of 2,600 images that are hard to find anywhere else on the Internet. You can browse through woodcuts, old texts or old holiday images, which makes this platform an excellent choice for anyone interested in rare images that were featured in old books. All pictures you can find on the From Old Books website are free to use on non-commercial projects, but you must pay a small fee if you want to download a high-resolution image you can use on a commercial project.

• Images are organized into categories
• Access to rare images

Cons

• Some images are not free
• Rudimentary website design

7. Morguefile

Morguefile is a website that offers stock footage to its users, but some of the images can’t be downloaded for free. That’s why you must click on the Free Photos tab before you start searching for public domain images on this website. The website hosts nearly 400.000 photos, videos, and vector graphics, but you must make sure that a file you want to download is within the public domain before you download it. The only downside is that the images aren’t organized into categories which can make finding the images you’re searching for more difficult than it needs to be.

Pros:

• Creating an account on Morguefile is free
• All free photos can be used on commercial projects

Cons:

• Images can be organized better
• Fewer free images than on other public domain image websites

8. Public Domain Archive

As the website’s name indicates, this is an archive of public domain images you can download for free and use in commercial contexts. All photos are organized into categories like abstract, free stock photos, people or wood which makes the search simpler. However, these categories don’t contain more than a few hundred photos and some of them offer as few as five pictures you can download. All photos are in high resolution and ready for professional use. The download process can be completed effortlessly in just a few quick steps. New images are added on a weekly basis.

Pros:

• Professional quality of images
• All images are free

Cons:

• A limited selection of photos
• Doesn’t offer vector graphics

9. NYPL Digital Gallery

NYPL Digital Gallery is an excellent resource for anyone who is not interested in stock photography. The New Your Public Library has made hundreds of thousands of historical images available to the public and you can use it to browse through items, collections or divisions. Before you enter a keyword you should click on the search only public domain materials tick box to ensure that the search results are going to display only images that can be used without restrictions. Additionally, the NYPL Digital Gallery lets you browse through its collection of digital books while its collections of photographs include the work of some of the highly esteemed American photographers.

Pros

• Public domain images are available in different resolutions
• Offers valuable research materials

Cons

• Some images are subject to copyright
• Only aimed at scholars and researchers

10. Viintage

Viintage is a gold mine for graphic designers as it grants them access to hundreds of vintage posters, book covers, and images. However, the amount of public domain images this website offers is limited and if you want to download the images from the collections of works created by famous artists from the late 19th and early 20th centuries you must purchase the premium version of Viintage. The website lacks some basic search options as it only allows you to type in the search term into the search bar. The images are not organized into categories which further complicates the process of finding a public domain image you’re looking for.

Pros:

• Offers a collection of rare vintage public domain images
• A great resource for graphic designers

Cons:

• Most images on Viintage can’t be downloaded for free
• Search tools are far from perfect

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How to Cite Public Domain Images Properly?

If you’re planning on using a public domain image in a blog or on your website, you must cite the source from which you acquired a particular image. The image citations should include the following information:

• The title of the image
• Author’s name
• Information about the institution at which an image is kept
• The source from which you acquired an image

In case you don’t have access to all of these information or if the information is simply not available you should include all details about a public domain image you have the access to. Furthermore, there are several styles of image citations that depend on the source from which an image was acquired.

Conclusion

Spending large sums of money on images you can use in commercial or private projects is not always necessary. The public domain images are widely available and they can be used in a broad range of contexts. Which website that lets you download public domain images do you like to use the most? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

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Liza Brown

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

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