Create the 90s Instagram Edit: Sparkle & Shine Effects in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro 05/05/2022 2 min read

Adding a sparkle to your videos is a fantastic way of creating a unique look for your compositions. Sparkle effects can be used to reinforce tone and context in your shots, creating the impression of wealth, quality, and rarity. Sparkles are also magical and can help transport the viewer to a different world or time.

Create Simple 90s Sparkle Effects in Premiere Pro

The 90s was a big time for sparkle effects, and the trend has recently come back around thanks to Instagram and TikTok sparkle filters. There are 3 techniques to add sparkle effects to your videos, and which you choose will depend on the footage you have. You need your footage to have plenty of light sources for the best result.

Option 1: Use an Overlay

Overlays will work on any footage, but it doesn’t react to your footage, unlike the other options. While you can make adjustments to the opacity, tone, and blend mode of overlays, they can be pretty limited. We’re using the incredible Floating Particle Overlays pack from Motion Array.

  1. Choose an overlay layer that suits your footage – we’re using the fantastic Floating Particle Overlays.
  2. Place the overlay on the Track above the footage.
  3. Trim the ends to fit your sequence.
  4. Select the overlay and in the Control panel, and try a few different blend modes to see what works best; Screen is usually a safe bet.
  5. Adjust the strength of the overlay by adjusting the Opacity.

Option 2: Use Your Own Footage

Using your own footage is the most customizable way to create sparkles because you are basing them on the footage you have. This technique relies on there being a lot of light sources in the frame. It works exceptionally well on high contrast shots such as city skylines at night.

  1. Hold Alt and drag your clip upwards to create a duplicate in the Track above.
  2. In the Effects Control panel, search for Directional Blur and add it to the top layer.
  3. In your Effects Control panel, change the Direction to 45º and the Blur Length to 15.
  4. From the Blend Mode drop-down menu, choose Lighten or Screen – whichever suits your footage best.
  5. Hold Alt and drag the top layer up a track to create a second duplicate.
  6. Go to the Effects Control panel, then change the Direction to -45ª.

Pro Tip: This method also works on overlay layers to give your sparkle more depth and blur.

Option 3: Use an Effect Plugin

Plugins are the perfect option if you want something more customizable than overlays but a little less work than creating the effect from scratch. There are thousands of stunning plugins available to download online. We will be using the Bling Effect from Motion Array.

  1. Download your chosen plugin effects and save the folder to an easily accessible location.
  2. In Premiere, go to the Effects Control panel and right-click the Presets folder icon.
  3. Choose Import Presets and navigate to your saved plugin.
  4. Select the preset (.prfpset) and import it.
  5. Search the Effects Control panel for your new presets and drag them to your clip.
  6. In the Effects Control panel, play around with the settings for the plugin to create your desired look.

Creating a sparkle effect in Premiere Pro is really simple, no matter which of the 3 techniques you choose. While you don’t need to spend long adding these flourishes, the end results speak for themselves. If you’re looking for fantastic Sparkle video effects for Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, or DaVinci Resolve, check out this dazzling guide.