Tutorial: How to Create an Instagram Filtered Look Using Adobe After Effects CC

Now we have this gradient with the default settings sitting on top of our video. Let’s adjust some of the settings for this gradient in the Effect Controls panel. In the start of the ramp, change the first value from 960 to 0.

Next, we’ll adjust the start color. For this example, I’ll adjust the start color to a deep blue. Open the Color options by selecting in the color square next to the start color. I'll find the shade of blue I'd like to use, and then press OK. Now I'll select an end color, which I'd like to make a deep orange (Figure 5, below). Again, I'll open the color option for the end color and select the color I'm looking for.

Figure 5. Start and end colors selected. Click the image to see it at full size.

Now, before we adjust any more options in the Gradient Ramp effect, we want to see how this gradient pairs with my footage when applied. We can do this by navigating over to the Effects and Presets search bar, and this time we'll type in calculations. Now drag this effect over to the adjustment layer.

Back in the Effect Controls panel, we'll change some options for the calculations effect we just added, starting with the opacity of the second source layer. We'll change the value from 0 to 100. Then we’ll change the Blend mode from normal to one of the darker blend modes, like hard light.

Now, you can see the gradient effect we've been customizing (Figure 6, below); we're starting to get that filtered look we're going after.

Figure 6. Calculations applied; the gradient is coming into view. Click the image to see it at full size.

We can go back to the Gradient Ramp options and make adjustments as needed. To change the direction of the ramp, you can change the type of ramp from Linear to Radial. You can also swap the start and end gradient colors if you'd like by pressing the Swap Colors button (Figure 7, below).

Figure 7. Ramp Shape changed to radial and colors swapped. Click the image to see it at full size.

Scaling Back the Look

One of the best features of this technique is that we can always scale back the entire look, since we added these effects to a separate adjustment layer. Navigate down to the adjustment layer in the timeline panel and with it selected, press the T key to reveal the layer's opacity. You can decrease it by entering a lower value. This will reveal more of the original clip if you want to tone down the overall look.

As you can see, this is a quick way to add a customized filtered style that you can test and adjust as needed. Check out Figure 2 and Figure 6, respectively, for a before and after look of this effect.

Give this a try the next time you get the request to create those popular filtered Instagram looks.