Learn to Make a Cool Glitch Loop in Premiere Pro

TikTok has provided many video trends for people to try out, and most recently, the glitch loop effect has been used to create a popular stylistic video. If you’ve ever wondered how to make the unique glitch effect from scratch, then wonder no further; we’re here with a step-by-step guide to show you just how easily this effect can be achieved.

Part 1: How to Create Glitch Loops in Premiere Pro

Creating a glitch loop from scratch isn’t as difficult as it might first appear. In fact, the method for making the rewind and stuttering effects can be used in several ways to create your style glitches. As with most production efforts, it is always a good idea to plan and storyboard your project a little first.

Step 1: Create Your Clean Plate

To create the glitch loop effect, you will need to put a little time into planning your shots. When filming, it is a good idea to choose somewhere with consistent light so that your subject can move around without changing lighting setups. You will also need lots of space in your shot so that you can create precise lines between your positions.

1. Set your camera up in a locked-off position and hit record.
2. Film the location with no movement for at least 30 seconds or as long as you want your video to be.
3. Without moving the camera, record a second shot, this time with your performer moving around the location.
4. Again, without moving the camera, record a final clip of your second performer, the subject who’ll be reacting to the glitching effect.

Step 2: Edit Your Music

A key element to the TikTok trend is the music accompanying your video; it is crucial to time the glitch to your music track to emphasize the effect. Don’t worry; you don’t have to find a piece of music that fits precisely; you can edit your track to include the glitching.

1. Add your music track to the timeline.
2. Play through your track and stop when you want the glitching to begin.
3. To access the Blade tool, press C on your keyboard and slice the music track.
4. Move forward until the second glitch point and create a second cut.
5. Right-click the section of your track and choose Speed/Duration…
6. Increase the speed of the click to 105% and hit OK.
7. Move the remainder of the track up the timeline, so there is no gap in the clip.
8. Move through the track pausing at the end of the second glitch. Increase the clip’s speed to around 110%.
9. Continue making cuts in the track in increasing the speed as the track progresses.

Step 3: Edit Your Clips

When creating the glitch effect, you can use a mix of stutters and rewinds in whatever order you’d like. Once you know the techniques for creating the glitch styles, you can build your unique looks to suit your footage and music track.

1. Place your clean plate clip on the bottom video track of the timeline and trim the ends to the video duration.
2. Place your performer clip on the video track above the clean plate.
3. Place your playhead where you want the first glitch to take place. This should be easy to find as you have already created cuts in your timeline.
4. To create the rewind effect, make 2 cuts in your video to isolate one frame. 
5. Hold Alt on your keyboard, then drag the frame along the timeline, so they play sequentially.
6. Right-click on the second frame and choose Speed/Duration…
7. Select the Reverse Speed box and hit OK.
8. Cut a section of your video clip, about 1-3 frames in length.
9. Hold Alt and drag the section to duplicate it, and place after the first section.
10. Duplicate the section again, this time removing or adding another frame. You can do this by dragging the end of the clip.
11. You can also add pauses by duplicating a single frame multiple times.
12. Keep creating duplicates of the same few frames, adjusting them slightly each time until you are happy with the stutter look.

Step 4: Masking and Glitching Transition

Using the Rewind and Stutter style effects, you can create a simple but effective glitch transition by straight-cutting between clips. You can also add a Glitch Effect to heighten the transitional element. Motion Array has an amazing set of Glitch Presets you can download, or you can use Premiere Pro’s built-in VR Glitch.

1. Find the point where you want to create an out glitch effect; this will be just before you move position in the frame.
2. Create a section about 3 frames in length; make sure any incorporated movement into your scene, such as a jump, is included in this section.
3. Drag your glitch effect from the Effects panel to this section.
4. Using the Opacity Pen tool, create a mask around your subject; this doesn’t need to be perfect.
5. Increase the Mask Feather to blend the edges.
6. Your sequence can now cut directly to your next on-screen position.
7. At the start of the next on-screen position, create a section about 3 frames in length; repeat the glitch and mask steps at the beginning of the new position so that your subject Glitches in.
8. Continue through your video, adding rewind and stutter effects as needed and the glitch mask method whenever your subject changes position on the screen.

Step 5: Finalize the Look

To finalize the look, you need to add your second subject shot. By including a non-glitching subject, you can hide the methods you’ve used to create the glitch. Sound effects are also super important, as they offer an audio cue to the movement on-screen. We’re going to use a range of Motion Array glitch sound effects, which you can download here.

1. Take the clip with your second subject and position it on the top track of the timeline.
2. Using the Opacity mask, create a mask around your second subject. Make sure your second subject doesn’t leave the frame and your first doesn’t cross the line of the mask.
3. Feather the mask as much as possible to blend the edges.
4. If your second subject is reacting to your first, you can adjust the timing of the reaction by slowing or speeding up the clip in sections.
5. Finally, add in some glitching sound effects to match with the video composition.

Part 2: 5 Amazing Glitch Effects & Presets for Premiere Pro

Creating glitch effects from scratch can allow you to develop bespoke compositions with precise timings. Sometimes, however, you want a quick and easy solution for your glitching needs, so check out these 5 awesome templates from Motion Array.

1. Glitch Effects

The Glitch Effects pack from Motion Array includes 12 stunning Premiere Pro Glitch Presets. The drag and drop effects offer a range of dynamic styles, including subtle shakes, bold RGB, and trendy flickering glitches.

Download Glitch Effects Now

2. Glitch Time Transitions

Glitch Time Transitions include 8 beautiful transitional effects, ideal for trailers, music videos, and showreels. The transitions include awesome wave-style glitches that whip your viewer from shot to shot with smart rewind features.

Download Glitch Time Transitions Now

3. 30 Glitch Presets

The Glitch Presets pack contains a massive 30 effects ready to drag and drop to your video clips. The extreme glitch styles include waves, flickers, film grain, and RGB effect, a great starter pack for anyone looking to build their effects library.

Download 30 Glitch Presets Now

4. Glitch Shake Presets

The Glitch Shake Presets include 12 bold and colorful glitch effects, ideal for social media updates, events, promos, and music videos. The dynamic and speedy effects stand out as bright, colorful flashes with film grain and VHS looks.

Download Glitch Shake Presets Now

5. Glitch Opener

The Glitch Opener template project for Premiere Pro includes 11 media and text placeholders, ideal for intro sequences, promos, and slideshows. The design offers glitching texts with bright, colorful rolling transitions and flickering flourishes.

Download Glitch Opener Now

Creating a Glitch Loop in Premiere Pro can take a little time, but the simple techniques we’ve shown you can be used for far more than a Tik Tok video. Now you know how to create these unique glitch loop effects, use your creativity to include them in music videos, promos, and slideshows.