BCC+ Video Glitch

Category: BCC Stylize

Effect Name: BCC+ Video Glitch

The BCC+ Video Glitch filter, part of the BCC Stylize category, is an auto-animating filter effect for simulating some of the kinds of errors and artifacts that can be apparent during digital video playback. A special Curves preview mode allows visualizing the relative locations of the glitches over time.

Working with the Filter

FX Editor and Presets

• Use the FX Editor to load or save presets for reuse.
• To load a preset: Open the FX Editor, select a preset from the Presets panel, and click Apply to return to the host application.
• To save a custom preset: While in the FX Editor, click the Create Custom Preset icon in the parameter list, enter a preset name, and click Done. Additionally, a custom preset can be saved from the main menu bar by selecting File->Save Preset.
• To import custom presets from another drive: While in the FX Editor, select File->Import Preset from the main menu bar.

Effect Controls

Mocha Mask and Track

Continuum effects include integrated masking and matte tools that allow you to restrict the effect to specific regions of the image.

• Mocha masks: used to create custom spline masks. Mocha also includes Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, which use machine learning to generate and track masks.
• Pixel Chooser: used to generate geometric shapes, gradients, or mattes based on channel, luma, or color-based selections. Additionally, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model allow for precise control of masks and mattes.

For more information, see Mocha and Pixel Chooser.

Compare Mode

The Compare Mode is used to view the filtered result alongside the original source layer. Several split-screen and side-by-side display options are available.

For more information, see Compare Mode.

Beat Reactor

The Beat Reactor is an audio-driven animation system that links effect parameters to an audio track. This allows visual effects to react dynamically to sound without manual key-framing.

For more information, see Beat Reactor Documentation.

• Trigger Mode: Determines how and when glitches are triggered in the effect.
• Automatic: Glitches are triggered based on the values of the Glitch Interval and Interval Randomness parameters.
• Intensity Threshold: A single glitch is triggered whenever the Glitch Intensity crosses the specified trigger threshold either by animating Glitch Intensity by keyframing, or by driving Glitch Intensity through the Beat Reactor.
• Global Seed: Sets the global random seed for all video glitch groups.
• Glitch Intensity: Sets the global intensity for all video glitch groups.
• Intensity Randomness: Sets the random seed for the global glitch intensity.
• Intensity Seed: Sets the the randomized intensity of glitches.
• Intensity Trigger Threshold: With Trigger Mode set to Intensity Threshold, this sets the Glitch Intensity value at which a glitch will be triggered as Glitch Intensity increases.
• Glitch Interval: Global interval control that applies to all Video Glitch groups. Expressed in the number of frames between glitches.
• Interval Randomness: Randomizes the global Glitch Interval.
• Interval Seed: Allows for changing the randomized timing of all Glitches. Each individual glitch group also contains an additional seed parameter to allow varying the timing of the separate glitch elements.
• Start at 0: When enabled the first glitch occurs at the beginning of the effect (even when Interval is randomized).
• Glitch Duration: The length of the Glitches in time. It is expressed as a percent of the Interval so the duration in terms of frames or seconds changes if the Interval is changed.
• Duration Randomness: Randomizes the Glitch Duration.
• Duration Mode: Determines the type of duration.
  • Actual: The actual length of the glitches in time.
  • Average: The average length of the glitches in time.
• Edge Handling: The Shift and Shake features described below can create instances where the image is offset so there are areas along the edges of the frame where no image appears during Glitches.
  • Zero: Disables edge handling. No image appears along exposed edges of the frame.
  • Tile: Repeats edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
  • Reflect: Reflects pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result. This is the default setting of the filter.
  • Clamp: Locks the edge pixels to the edge of the frame, to generate stretched opaque pixels along the edge of the result

Block Damage Group

When Block Damage is enabled, a field of square blocks overlays the image during a glitch. By design, in a typical effect using Block Damage some blocks will be more apparent than others depending on how they composite with the underlying image in that area of the frame, as seen on the left hand image below. When the same Block Damage pattern is applied to a solid color so all the blocks are clearly defined at once, as in the right hand image below, the darker more saturated areas of squares are what is meant by Blocks, and the striped or weaved designs which can be seen within some Blocks are what is referred to in the parameter descriptions below as Patterns.

• Enable Block Damage: Toggles the block damage group controls.
• Block Damage Intensity: Used to adjust the overall amount of blocks on screen during a glitch.
• Peak Position: Defines at what point within the duration of the glitch shows the most blocks, with zero being the beginning of the glitch, 100 the end, and 50 the midpoint.
• Minimum Intensity: Allows for forcing a minimum amount of blocks for the glitch duration.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the animation within the glitch duration – larger values give a more flickering appearance.
• Block Run Length: Controls the number of blocks between gaps. A value of zero generates completely independent blocks. A value of 100 generates one run of blocks with gaps on either side.
• Block Size: Determines the size of the blocks.
• Block Saturation: Sets the intensity of the block damage saturation.
• Block Blend Mode: Determines how the blocks are composited against the source image.
• Pattern Amount: Increases or decreases the percentage of the Blocks displaying a Pattern.
• Pattern Complexity: Adds a variety of smaller patterns within the blocks with patterns.
• Pattern Opacity: Sets the opacity for the Patterns.
• Vary Pattern Opacity: Randomly reduces opacity for some patterns by varying amounts.
• Vary Pattern Color: Tints some percentage of the patterns with colors. A value of zero leaves them all black.
• Freeze Source: When enabled, the area of the source video within the block damage freezes and holds on the same frame for the duration of the glitch.
• Block Seed: Allows for changing the randomized arrangement of the Block Damage.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the animation within the glitch duration – larger values give a more flickering appearance.
• Block Interval Seed: Allows for changing the randomized timing of Block Damage.

Shift Group

With Shift enabled, horizontal bands of the image become horizontally displaced and skewed during a Glitch. As a primarily horizontal distortion it stands out more in areas of the image with more high contrast vertical edges. When using multiple groups the order of processing relative to parameter group layout is top to bottom so when using Block Damage the Blocks are affected by Shift.

• Enable Shift: Determines whether the Shift distortions are enabled or disabled.
• Shift Group Intensity: Used to adjust the overall strength of the shift distortions during a glitch.
• Peak Position: Defines at what point within the duration of the glitch shows the most shift, with zero being the beginning of the glitch, 100 the end, and 50 the midpoint.
• Minimum Intensity: Allows for forcing a minimum intensity of shift for the glitch duration.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the animation within the glitch duration – larger values give a more flickering appearance.
• Line Duplication: Artifacts where horizontal lines of pixels are duplicated and positioned adjacent to each other vertically. This creates the appearance of vertical stripes in areas of the image.
• Shift Amount: Increases or decreases the peak horizontal Shift and Jitter amount in the shift animation that occurs over the duration of the Glitch.
• Shift Density: Sets the density of Shift bands on screen during a Glitch.
• Shift Run Length: Controls the number of shifted lines between gaps.
• Skew: Defines the peak horizontal Skew amount in the shift animation that occurs over the duration of the Glitch.
• Jitter: Adds an additional randomized horizontal shift to each line (1 pixel horizontal band) within the Shift band.
• Line Drop: Fades the opacity of every other line (every other 1 pixel horizontal band).
• Line Drop Density: Allows for randomly skipping some line drops (when value is < zero).
• Intensity Seed: Allows for changing the randomization of Shift Intensity.
• Shift Interval Seed: Allows for changing the randomized timing of Block Damage.

Shake Group

With Shake enabled, the image position is offset and/or skewed / rotated over the duration of the Glitch. Any Block Damage or Shift elements are offset by effects in the Shake group.

• Enable Shake: Controls whether the Shake distortions are enabled or disabled.
• Shake Group: Intensity: Sets the Intensity of all the attributes of the Shake group.
• Peak Position: Defines at what point within the duration of the glitch shows the most shake, with zero being the beginning of the glitch, 100 the end, and 50 the midpoint.
• Minimum Intensity: Allows for forcing a minimum intensity of shake for the glitch duration.
• Intensity Randomness: Adds more variability to the animation within the glitch duration – larger values give a more flickering appearance.
• Shake Amount: Controls amount of overall position offset (also scales RGB Split value).
• Shake X: Sets the horizontal position offset.
• Shake Y: Sets the vertical position offset.
• RGB Split: Controls how much RGB are offset from each other in the direction of Shake movement.
• Skew: Sets the horizontal skew applied to the image.
• Rotate: Rotates the image from it's centerpoint.
• Shake Intensity Seed: Allows for changing the randomization of Shake Intensity.
• Shake Interval Seed: Allows for changing the randomized timing of Shake effects.

Flicker Group

With Flicker enabled, the brightness and/or saturation of the image can flicker during Glitches.

• Enable Flicker: Toggles the Flicker distortion controls.
• Flicker Group Intensity: Sets the Intensity of all the attributes of the Flicker group.
• Peak Position: Defines at what point within the duration of the glitch shows the most flicker, with zero being the beginning of the glitch, 100 the end, and 50 the midpoint.
• Minimum Intensity: Allows for forcing a minimum intensity of flicker for the glitch duration.
• Brightness: Sets the peak level of the brightness effect on the image.
• Brightness Randomness: Controls the randomness of the brightness distortion.
• Brightness Offset: Allows for setting it to flicker more brighter or darker than the original. A value of Zero flickers brighter and darker, a value of 100 flickers only brighter, a value of negative 100 flickers only darker.
• Flicker Saturation: Controls the extremity of the saturation effect on the image.
• Saturation Randomness: Controls the randomness of the saturation distortion.
• Saturation Offset: Allows for setting it to flicker more oversaturated or desaturated. A value of Zero flickers both ways, a value of 100 flickers only oversaturated, a value of negative 100 flickers only desaturated.
• Flicker Intensity Seed: Allows for changing the randomization of Flicker Intensity.
• Flicker Interval Seed: Allows for changing the randomized timing of Flicker effects.
• Use Background Color: When enabled a color will fill the areas created by Shake, Shift, and Line Drop.
• Background Color: Sets the color to use to fill background areas.

Curves Group

The parameters in the Curves group control a special timeline-like preview overlay that aids in visualizing the location and duration of the glitches over time, including when driving glitch behavior via audio data with the Beat Reactor.

• Horizontal Lines: Red is Block Damage, Green is Shift, Blue is Shake, and White is Flicker.
• Vertical Blue Line: indicates the current frame’s position within the graph.

• Curve View: Determines if and when the preview graph is displayed.
  • Off: The preview curve is disabled.
  • Draft Only: The preview curve is displayed only when the host is set to draft render quality.
  • Render Over Black: The preview curve displayed even in final render mode and is composited over a solid black background.
  • Render Over Effect: The preview curve displayed even in final render mode and is composited over the glitched image.
• Time View: Defines the time range of the preview graph (with a maximum of 30 seconds).
• Scroll Curve: When viewing less than the whole effect in the graph, allows for scrolling the graph further into the effect using a time unit of seconds.