What is this effect called and how can it be created?

I'm referring to the “glow” that briefly moves across the woman.

I use Premiere Pro and/or da Vinci Resolve... I would really prefer not to use After Effects, as it would only complicate things for me...

If I knew what this effect is called, it would probably help me, as I have absolutely no idea how to Google it.

I would also like to create something like this, not necessarily exactly the same but in a similar style, to transform images into videos, simply so that they don't look so boring on YouTube.

Best regards



https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/d2if...ey=acjlv4fb6nbf19nck7stse1ty&st=0h14vgy3&dl=0

 

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

What is This Effect Called?
The effect you're describing—a brief, moving "glow" or light that sweeps across a subject (like the woman in your reference)—is commonly known as a Light Sweep (also called Sweeping Light Effect, Light Shine Sweep, or Cinematic Light Pass). It's a popular cinematic technique used in film, music videos, and social media content to add dynamic motion, reveal details, or create a sense of energy. It simulates a spotlight or beam of light passing over the scene, often with a soft glow and trail for added drama.

This isn't a built-in one-click preset in most editors, but it's straightforward to build using masks, blurs, and keyframes. Since you prefer Premiere Pro or DaVinci Resolve (and want to avoid After Effects), I'll outline methods for both. These rely on native tools—no plugins needed. I'll keep steps concise but actionable.

Creating the Light Sweep in Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro excels at this via the Effects panel and masking. Here's a basic method to apply it to your video clip (or image turned into a video clip). Aim for 1-2 seconds of sweep for subtlety.

1. Import and Duplicate Your Clip:
   • Drag your video/image clip to the timeline.
   • Duplicate it (Alt+drag or Cmd+D) so you have two layers: Bottom = original (for the base image), Top = for the effect.
2. Set Up the Glow Base on the Top Layer:
   • Select the top layer.
   • Go to Effects > Video Effects > Blur & Sharpen > Gaussian Blur. Drag it onto the clip. Set Blurriness to 20-50 (adjust for softness).
   • Then, add Effects > Video Effects > Generate > Ramp. This creates the light gradient. Set Start of Ramp to black and End to white (or a warm color like orange for a "sunlit" glow).
3. Add and Animate the Mask for the Sweep:
   • With the top layer selected, go to the Effect Controls panel.
   • Under Opacity, click the Pen tool to draw a rectangular mask (hold Shift for straight edges). This will be your "light beam"—make it narrow (e.g., 10-20% screen width) and position it off-screen to start.
   • Keyframe the Mask Path (diamond icon next to it):
     • At time 0: Position the mask off-screen left.
     • At 1 second: Animate it to sweep across the screen (drag the mask edges rightward).
     • At 1.5 seconds: Feather the mask edges (Mask Feather: 50-100) for a soft glow trail.
   • Set Mask Opacity to 50-70% for subtlety.
4. Enhance the Glow:
   • Add Effects > Video Effects > Adjust > Glow (if available in your version; otherwise, duplicate the top layer again and stack more Gaussian Blur).
   • Keyframe Glow Threshold to 50% and Glow Radius to 10-20. Animate it to peak during the sweep.
   • For color: Use Lumetri Color on the top layer—boost Highlights and add a tint (e.g., warm yellow).
5. Composite and Refine:
   • Set the top layer's Blend Mode to Screen or Add in Effect Controls for a natural light overlay.
   • Play back and tweak speed/timing. Add a subtle Directional Blur (Effects > Blur & Sharpen) keyframed along the sweep direction for motion blur.

Pro Tip: For a quicker start, search YouTube for "Light Sweep Premiere Pro" (e.g., tutorials like this one or this glowing edges variant)—they often include free presets you can import.

Creating the Light Sweep in DaVinci Resolve
Resolve is even more powerful for this, especially with Fusion (its node-based compositor), but you can do a simpler version on the Edit page. I'll cover both.

Quick Edit Page Method (No Fusion):

1. Duplicate Clip: On the timeline, duplicate your clip (Alt+drag).
2. Add Gradient and Blur: Select top layer > Effects Library > Resolve FX Blur > Gaussian Blur (Blurriness: 20-40).
   • Add Open FX > Generators > Gradient (or use a solid color generator). Set to radial or linear white-to-transparent.
3. Mask and Animate:
   • In Inspector > Composite, draw a Power Window (rectangle) mask on the top layer.
   • Keyframe the mask's Center position: Start off-screen, animate to sweep across over 1-2 seconds.
   • Add Softness (50-100) for glow edges.
4. Glow and Blend: Add Resolve FX Stylize > Glow (Threshold: 0.5, Radius: 10). Set layer Composite Mode to Add or Screen.
5. Color Grade: In Color page, use a serial node on the top layer to boost highlights and add warmth.

Fusion Page Method (More Control, Still Simple):

1. Right-click top clip > Open in Fusion Page.
2. In the node graph: MediaIn > Add RectangleMask node (for the beam shape) > Connect to Blur (Gaussian, Size: 0.1-0.2) > Glow node.
3. Animate the mask's Center X keyframe from -1 (left) to 1 (right).
4. Add a Transform node for rotation/scale if needed. Merge back to MediaOut.
5. Return to Edit—tweak in Inspector.

Resolve tutorials abound (e.g., this easy light sweep guide or Fusion template version). Free templates are often shared.

Transforming Images into Videos with This Style
To make static images less "boring" for YouTube (e.g., thumbnails or B-roll), combine the light sweep with subtle motion. Target 5-10 second clips.

1. Import Image as Video:
   • In Premiere/Resolve: File > Import > Set duration to 5-10s (right-click > Modify > Duration).
2. Add Base Motion (Ken Burns Effect):
   • Premiere: Effects > Video Transitions > Scale (or use Position/Scale keyframes in Effect Controls: Start zoomed in, end pulled back slowly).
   • Resolve: Inspector > Transform > Keyframe Position/Zoom (e.g., pan right while scaling 1.05x to 1.0x).
3. Overlay the Light Sweep:
   • Follow the steps above, but apply the sweep 2-3 times per clip (e.g., at 2s, 5s) for rhythm.
   • Add a faint vignette or color grade (warm tones) to tie it together.
   • For variety: Vary sweep direction (left-to-right, top-down) or color (cool blue for mystery, warm for energy).
4. Audio/Polish:
   • Pair with a soft whoosh SFX (free from Epidemic Sound or YouTube Audio Library).
   • Export at 1080p/60fps for smooth YouTube playback.

This keeps things simple and native—total time per clip: 10-15 minutes once you're practiced. If your reference video has unique twists (e.g., particle trails), share more details or a link, and I can refine! Best of luck with your YouTube content.