There are lots of fantastic free options for lens flares, light leaks, and film grain out there. I created a few of my own that I am making available here:

– NATUMS 35MM FILM GRAINS – Four 1080p variants and a 4K

– NATUMS LENS FLARES AND LIGHT LEAKS

– NATUMS DIGITAL EFFECTS – These are digital effects shot on an LCD screen so you see defined RGB pixels. They can create interesting effects.

– NATUMS VHS EFFECTS (ADDED Aug. 1, 2012)

There is no perfect grain or flare for every project though, so I consolidated a list of the best free ones I’ve found.

I have a SAMPLE REEL that was a project using various burns/flares & digital textures[[MORE]]

FILM GRAIN:

– Free GorillaGrain 35mm Grain Sample – Nice dirty grain look!

– Henry Olonga’s Cineform Film Grain

– 7dblues 8mm subtle flicker | standard 8mm | standard 35mm

After Effects also has a built-in Film Grain effects, very powerful, easy to use, and customizable for those who have After Effects.

LIGHT LEAKS & FILM BURNS:

– CreativeDoJo Light Leaks

– Andreas Fuchs Light Leaks / Burn Out / Film Flash Streaks

– Brad Zimmerman’s Vignette Leaks

– Cineblur Film Burns (20 SD clips + Digital Cinema Foundry’s 720p clips in 1080p!)

– Digital Cinema Foundry 720p Luster Film Burns

– FlashBangFX Vintage Insta-Flares

– Jesse Rosten Light Leaks

– Varient3 Film Burns (Standard Definition)

– VFX Footage Light Leaks #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6 | #7

– SFX_film_burn (ProRes Download) (ADDED August 7, 2012)

– Film Burn (ADDED August 7, 2012) – Vertical streaks/hot spots

OTHER EFFECTS:

– VFX Footage Dust Particles #1 | #2 | #3 | #4 | #5 | #6

– VFX Footage Film Damage #1 | #2

– VFX Footage Old 8mm Film Damage

– VFX Footage Old Film Rollover Effect

All these can be used in any editing software (some may require conversion) with blend/overlay/composite modes (all the same thing, just different names in different software). I highly recommend adjust contrast and opacity after it’s composited.

Sometimes the free solutions don’t fulfill your needs. Many of those free sources also offer more comprehensive paid packages. Two of my favorite packages no longer offer free options though. CrumplePop has an array of fantastic flares, I personally love Lumineux. And 5DLeaks has more flares, hues, and leaks for those in need.

COMING SOON: I am currently working on a demo video showing how to create light leaks and add film grain in After Effects. This allows you to create a lot more organic feel and customize for each shot.

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