How to Use Vignette in Premiere Pro | Get a Cinematic Look in Videos

Whether you are making a short film, a music video, or a vlog, using a vignette effect can highlight important subjects and make your edits look more professional. It gently darkens or brightens the edges while keeping the center clear, which enhances the mood.

In this article, we will show you how to create and customize a vignette in Premiere Pro, helping your video projects stand out.

An introduction to vignette in Premiere Pro for standout visuals

Adobe Premiere Pro provides various options to create the perfect vignette for your video's style and mood. The process is straightforward, and results are eye-catching. This makes it accessible for editors of all skill levels. Let's explore how to enhance your visuals with a vignette effect in Premiere Pro.

Why use Premiere Pro for vignette effects

Premiere Pro is a great tool for adding vignettes to your videos. It is easy to use and has many advanced features, making it one of the best programs for creating stunning video effects. Here are some reasons to choose Adobe Premiere Pro for vignette effects:

• Easy control
• Using Adobe Premiere Pro to create a vignette effect is a great choice because it gives you a lot of control. You can easily adjust the intensity, size, and shape of the vignette to fit your footage. Whether you want a subtle touch or a bold look, it enables you to customize the video effects with ease.
• Custom shapes
• In Premiere Pro, you can go beyond typical circular or oval vignettes. You can create custom shapes that match your video's layout. This flexibility helps you highlight a character or focus on a specific area in the frame, making the vignette effect versatile and effective.
• Seamless integration
• The vignette in Adobe Premiere Pro works well with other tools. You won't face compatibility issues, and you can combine it with color grading, motion graphics, or any other visual elements in your project. This smooth integration saves time, so you can concentrate on the creative side of your work.
• Real-time preview
• Another benefit of using Adobe Premiere for vignette is that you can preview changes in real-time. This feature lets you see how the vignette looks as you make adjustments. It helps you fine-tune quickly without the need to render each change, speeding up your editing process.
• Wide effects range

Premiere Pro has a wide variety of vignette effects and customization options. You can experiment to find the right look for your project, from light darkening at the edges to dramatic changes that alter the visual style. It gives you full flexibility to match your creative vision.

5 easiest ways to create vignette effects in Premiere Pro

When you edit videos in Premiere Pro, adding a vignette effect can help focus attention on a specific part of the frame. There are a few easy ways to apply this effect. You can use built-in tools, downloadable templates, or create your own. Here are 5 simple methods to add a vignette effect in Premiere Pro:

1. Vignette with Premiere Pro vignette feature

The vignette feature in Premiere Pro lets you quickly add a vignette to your video. You can use the lumetri color panel to adjust its settings to match your footage easily. This method is simple and best for basic edits. Here is how you can use this feature in Adobe Premiere Pro to create quality content for social media:

Step
1. Switch to the color workspace
2. Click the "Color" tab to open the lumetri color panel, where you can access the vignette settings and other color adjustments.
Step
3. Adjust vignette settings
4. Scroll to the "Vignette" section in the lumetri color panel and adjust the amount, midpoint, roundness, and feather sliders to shape the vignette.
Step
5. Fine-tune the effect
6. Set the "Feather" slider to zero for a sharp edge, then experiment with the other sliders until you get the desired vignette effect.
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2. Vignette using a circular effect

If you want more control over where your vignette appears, use the circular effect in Premiere Pro. It lets you create a circular vignette that you can easily adjust to match your vision. You can position it where you want, helping to highlight specific areas of your footage or placing it off-center for a unique focus. Here is how you can use it to make engaging visuals:

Step
1. Apply the circle effect
2. Search for "Circle" in the Effects panel, then drag and drop it onto your clip in the timeline to add a circular mask to your footage.
Step
3. Adjust the circle parameters
4. In the Effect Controls panel, set the Blending Mode to "Darken," change the color to black, and check the "Invert Circle" box to create the vignette effect.
Step
5. Refine the vignette
6. Adjust the radius to control the vignette size, reposition it using the center parameter, and increase the Feather Outer Edge to soften the vignette's transition for smoother blending.
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3. Vignette with mask and curves

You can combine masks with curve adjustments to place the vignette around subjects that are not in the center. This enables you to customize the size and position easily. You can also change the color and intensity of the vignette, providing you with more creative options. Here is how you can add a vignette in Premiere Pro with mask and curves:

Step
1. Apply curve adjustment
2. Go to the "Lumetri Color" panel and use the "RGB Curves" to darken the image, pulling down the curve at the edges to create the vignette effect.
Step
3. Add an elliptical mask
4. In the "Effect Controls" panel, click "Create Ellipse Mask" to apply the vignette to a specific area, adjusting feather, opacity, and expansion for blending.
Step
5. Adjust the mask and curves
6. Reposition or reshape the mask in the "Program Monitor," then fine-tune the curves in the "Lumetri Color" panel for further brightness and color adjustments.
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4. Download a Premiere Pro vignette template

There are many downloadable templates of Premiere Pro blur vignetter and the color ones available online. These templates have pre-set vignette effects that you can quickly apply to your project. After importing the template, you can easily change settings like the size, feathering, and intensity of the vignette. Follow the below steps to easily use templates of the black vignette in Premiere Pro:

Step
1. Find a template
2. Search for a Premiere Pro vignette template on sites like Motion Array and select one that suits your video style.
Step
3. Download and import
4. Download the template and import it into Premiere Pro. Then, drag it into your timeline to automatically apply the vignette effect.
Step
5. Customize the template
6. Adjust the vignette size, color, and intensity to fit your footage, experimenting until you achieve the desired look.
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5. Vignette with mask, contrast, and brightness

This method employs the brightness and contrast effect along with a mask to create a simple vignette. It darkens the edges of your footage, which draws attention to the center without needing complex color changes. Moreover, it is perfect for projects where you want a subtle vignette without spending a lot of time on detailed color grading.

Step
1. Apply brightness and contrast
2. Drag the brightness and contrast effect onto your clip and lower the brightness to darken the edges and create the vignette.
Step
3. Add an elliptical mask
4. Create an ellipse mask to define the area where the vignette won't apply, adjusting the mask size to focus on your subject.
Step
5. Refine the mask
6. Adjust the feather, opacity, and expansion in the "Effect Controls" panel to perfect the vignette and reposition the mask for a smooth blend.
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Where to use Adobe Premiere vignette effects

The vignette effect in Adobe Premiere is a useful tool for changing the look of your footage and highlighting key parts. It helps focus attention, set the mood, and create professional visuals. Here are some important ways to use this effect effectively:

• Focus on subjects
• A vignette in Premiere Pro helps draw attention to your main subject by darkening the edges of the frame. This directs the viewer's eye to the center, making the subject stand out. Whether it's a person, an object, or an important scene, a vignette highlights your subject without distractions.
• Create drama and mood
• It creates a specific mood or atmosphere in your footage. By darkening the edges, it adds a sense of mystery, intensity, or focus. This method is popular in cinematic shots to increase emotional tension, whether in a thriller, a dramatic scene, or a moody portrait.
• Highlight key details
• You can also use vignette effects in Adobe Premiere Pro to emphasize specific details in your footage. If you want a product, object, or important moment to stand out, adding a vignette effect can bring that element into sharper focus.
• Enhance portraits
• For portraits, the blur vignette effect in Premiere Pro softens the background and enhances the subject. It keeps the viewer's attention on the person's face or key features while creating a smoother, professional-looking background.
• Improve lighting contrast
• Using a vignette in Premiere Pro can balance lighting contrast by darkening the corners of the frame. This can be helpful in high-contrast lighting situations, as it reduces distractions from overly bright areas. By controlling the light around the edges, you create a more cohesive look.

Another way to create vignettes in videos: CapCut desktop

The CapCut desktop video editor is another alternative that can also be used to add diverse vignette effects to your video content. This free and user-friendly software lets you add different effects, AI voice filters, and auto-caption easily. With CapCut, you can quickly change the size, shape, and intensity of the vignette to match your video's style.



Key features

Here are some key features of the CapCut desktop video editor that make it an excellent choice for adding professional touches to your videos:

• Wide range of vignette effects
• CapCut provides multiple vignette video effects and filters, letting you customize the look and feel of your footage to fit the desired style.
• Eliminate shakes with AI stabilization
• The AI stabilization tool smooths out any shakiness from the footage, ensuring steady and professional-looking videos.
• Remove flicker instantly
• Instantly remove video flicker from your clips, which is ideal for correcting lighting inconsistencies and distracting visuals due to exposure.
• Boost visuals with AI color correction
• Enhance the overall look of your footage with AI-driven color correction that improves exposure, contrast, and balance.
• Add motion blur with one click
• Create cinematic motion blur effects with just a click, adding smooth transitions and dynamic movements to your videos.

How to make a vignette effect for videos in CapCut

To get started with CapCut, simply download and install the software by clicking the download button below and following the on-screen instructions. Once installed, launch CapCut and explore its easy-to-use interface for applying stunning vignette effects to your videos.

Step
1. Upload the video
2. Open CapCut and upload the video you want to edit by dragging and dropping it or clicking on "Import." Then, drag this to the timeline to begin editing.
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Step
4. Add a vignette and edit the video
5. Navigate to the "Effects" tab and type "Vignette" to find a diverse collection of dark, light, and colorful effects for your videos. You can click on add to use it in the video. Alternatively, you can also go to the "Adjustments" tab and modify the intensity of the vignette to get a bright or dark effect. For further customizations, use the AI font generator, AI voice filters, and auto-captions for an enhanced look.
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Step
7. Export and share
8. After editing, click on "Export" to save your video. You can then share it on social media or other platforms.
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Conclusion

In conclusion, using a vignette in Premiere Pro helps you highlight important parts of your video and create the right mood. With tools like the lumetri color panel, elliptical masks, and curve adjustments, you can control how the vignette affects your footage. This effect can enhance your artistic expression or improve storytelling in your videos. Alternatively, for adding vignette effects and customizing videos with AI tools, employ the CapCut desktop video editor.

FAQs

1. What is the best setting to use for a vignette in After Effects?
2. In After Effects, the best way to create a vignette is by applying a solid layer with a black or white color and using an elliptical mask to focus attention on the center of the video. Adjust the mask's opacity and feather settings for a smooth transition. Alternatively, for a simpler method with intuitive controls, consider using the CapCut desktop video editor for unique vignette effects.
3. What is the purpose of using a vignette effect in Adobe Premiere Pro?
4. The vignette effect in Premiere Pro is primarily used to emphasize the subject in the center of the frame by darkening or lightening the edges of the image. It helps draw the viewer's attention and can also enhance mood or create a cinematic look. For an alternative with easy-to-use tools for adding vignette effects, consider using the CapCut desktop video editor.
5. How to fix an overly strong vignette effect in Premiere Pro?
6. To fix an overly strong vignette in Premiere Pro, lower the opacity of the vignette or increase the feathering to soften the edges. You can also resize the vignette to make it less intense. Alternatively, for easier control over vignette effects and color adjustments in your videos, employ the CapCut desktop video editor.