How to Use Free Film Grain Overlays
- Preview the grains — every tile shows the grain applied to the same reference frame
- Download the MP4 and drop it above your footage with the Overlay blend mode
- Or click Use on a video to apply it in your browser
Features
- 35mm fine, 16mm medium and 8mm heavy grain, luminance-only or with color noise
- Dust and scratches, old-film flicker and vignette, and TV static
- 1080p, 24 fps, 6 seconds, on a neutral mid-grey base — set the blend mode to Overlay and it just works
- Apply any grain to a video with one click — rendered on our servers, nothing to download
- Free to use anywhere, including commercial projects — no attribution
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I use a film grain overlay in Premiere Pro or Resolve?
- Place the grain clip on a track above your footage, set its blend mode to Overlay (Premiere: Effect Controls → Opacity → Blend Mode; Resolve: Inspector → Composite Mode), lower its opacity to taste, and loop or stretch it to cover the clip.
- Why is the clip grey instead of transparent?
- Overlay blend treats mid-grey as neutral: brighter pixels lighten the picture, darker ones darken it. A grey-based clip therefore adds only the grain texture, and every editor supports it — unlike alpha video, which many do not.
- Are these really free?
- Yes. The grain is computed, not scanned from licensed film, so there is no rights holder. Use the clips in personal or commercial work with no attribution.
- Can I add grain without downloading anything?
- Yes — click Use on a video, upload your clip in the overlay tool, and the grain is rendered on our servers (the clips are too large for the browser engine). The retro effects tool also has a built-in film grain preset with a strength slider that runs in your browser.