How to Create a Signal Effect in Adobe Premiere Pro CC (2021)

Sometimes in a video you need to visualize something invisible. Wireless signals, radio waves, and data transmissions are everywhere around us, but they are not something the audience can see. In storytelling, showing these waves can drive home a point about connectivity, technology, or communication. Think of a phone sending a signal, a router broadcasting WiFi, or a satellite dish transmitting data.

Today I am going to show you how to create animated signal waves in Adobe Premiere Pro CC using shape layers and the Track Matte Key.

How to Create Signal Waves in Premiere Pro

Setting Up the Layers

1. Create a new sequence and import the footage you want the signal effect on top of.
2. Duplicate the footage by placing a copy on the track above it. You should have two identical clips stacked. Hold Alt and drag up, or use copy and paste.
3. Apply the Bevel Alpha effect (Effects > Video Effects > Perspective > Bevel Alpha) to the top clip. This will add depth to the signal waves later.
4. Apply the Track Matte Key effect (Effects > Video Effects > Keying > Track Matte Key) to the top clip. We will connect this to our wave graphics in a moment.

Creating the Wave Shapes

5. Select the Ellipse Tool from the toolbar. Draw a small circle centered on the point where you want the signals to originate (a phone, antenna, router, etc.).
6. In the graphic controls, remove the Fill (set it to transparent) and set the Stroke to white.
7. Adjust the Stroke width to control how thick the wave rings are. A value around 8-15 works well for most compositions.

Animating the Waves

8. Select the circle shape. In Effect Controls, find the shape’s Scale property. Click the stopwatch to start keyframing.
9. Set the starting scale to 0% (the circle starts invisible).
10. Move forward about 30-40 frames and increase the scale until the circle is large enough to expand off the edges of the frame.
11. Duplicate the shape layer (Alt+drag up) and offset it about 10-15 frames on the timeline. This creates a second wave that follows the first.
12. Repeat to create a third or fourth wave. Each one should be staggered so they pulse outward one after another, like ripples in water.

Connecting the Matte

13. Go back to the top video clip (the one with Track Matte Key applied).
14. In Effect Controls, find the Track Matte Key settings. Change the Video Source dropdown to match the graphics layer (usually Video 3 or whatever track your wave shapes are on).
15. The footage should now only be visible inside the wave shapes, creating the appearance of signal waves made from the actual video image.

Tips

• Adjust the Bevel Alpha settings on the top clip to change how much depth and dimension the waves have. Higher values create a more pronounced 3D look.
• Center the waves on the signal source. The effect is most believable when the waves clearly originate from an object like a phone, antenna, or router.
• Add a subtle glow. Apply a light color tint or increase the brightness on the top clip slightly so the wave areas are brighter than the surrounding footage. This helps them stand out.
• Fade the waves out. Keyframe the opacity of each wave shape to decrease as it expands, so the waves fade as they get further from the source, just like real signals.
• Combine with a lens flare at the signal origin point for extra visual punch.

That is how you create a signal wave effect in Premiere Pro. It is a creative way to visualize the invisible and adds a tech-forward look to your productions.