Old video tape effect in Premiere Pro

Question

I am creating a video promo, and the customer wants the "crap old soviet" style.

We have shot the video on a Nikon D800 and it is being edited in Premiere Pro CS6, so the workflow is top-notch digital.

I want to impart a few "old analog" effects into the video but cant figure out how to do it.

first effect: - The weird fuzz you got when you started a recording over another one on VHS, the new recording was always really fuzzy/noisy for the first second or so as the tracking changed between the old and new recording.

second effect: - the general "old videotape" look - odd colour casts, fuzz, like the tracking is off a bit.

third effect: - now the sound, needs to be a bit muffled and low-fi

Answer 1

You could try a plugin that does it all in one:
http://www.digieffects.com/product/damage

(edit: removed video example for aged film - was intended to show the powers but could mislead to think it only produced aged film look).

With the plugin you should be able to produce the old video tape look using one or more of these in combination:

Go directly to features (thanks Inan):
http://www.digieffects.com/product/damage#features

Artifact: Create displaced pixel blocks, color errors, frame dropping and video compression artifacts

Blockade: Control color inaccuracy, block size, speed, and temporal frame stuttering

Destabilize: Create convincing camera shake or earthquake simulations

Interference: Simulate the CRT look of a security camera or interlaced video

Overexpose: Overexposes images just like your eyes would

Skew: Create analog noise with reckless abandon

Answer 2

Try downloading those video files (or similar ones, search for them) (Video 1, Video 2, Video 3) with some service like keepvid.com (But you should contact the owners first, to prevent any possible future copyright issues).

They are actual recordings from VHS tapes. They have different aspects of the distortion you are after. Edit them as you wish, loop, reverse, slow down etc. Then just use different blending modes fitting your choice of clips to superimpose them on your edit.

You can combine them along with some vignette, noise, Wave Warp and other possible distortion effects. So it all depends on your clients' and your taste.

But If you have some experience, I would recommend using After Effects for this part. You will have more control over your distortion and there will be wider range of image distortion effects.