Got Annoyed by Confusing Tutorials So I Tried It Myself
Honestly, folks, I kept seeing this “Semi Japan” style pop up everywhere – you know, those videos looking kinda vintage, dreamy, like an old Japanese movie, but softer? Cool vibe. But every tutorial I found felt like solving a riddle wrapped in jargon. Way too complicated. Just wanted a simple way to do it myself. So, like always, I dove in headfirst and figured it out the hard way. Here’s exactly what I did, step by messy step.
Step 1: Hunting Down Footage (The Obvious Part)
First things first, needed something to edit. Grabbed my phone and wandered down to the local park. Filmed maybe 5 minutes of random stuff:
- A kid kicking a scuffed-up red ball (slow-mo’d that, looked cool)
- Some overgrown weeds swaying near the fence
- Traffic rushing past (weirdly satisfying blur)
- My own dumb shadow walking (don’t ask why)
Point is, just normal, everyday junk. Didn’t need fancy cherry blossoms or neon signs, just whatever was around.
Step 2: Opening CapCut & Feeling Overwhelmed
Fired up CapCut – free version, naturally. Uploaded my clips. Stared at the screen. Waaaay too many buttons. Panicked for roughly 2 minutes. Then remembered the goal: Semi Japan looks faded and warm and soft. Okay. Let’s break it down.
Step 3: Slapping on a Base Filter (My First Clue)
Clicked the “Filters” tab. Scrolled forever. Found something called “Old Film.” Tried it. Whoa, instantly too dark, too brown, looked like mud. Scratched head. Remembered “Semi Japan” usually has faded blues/greens and warm oranges/pinks. Found “YC Tea” and “Fade” filters. Tried “YC Tea” first. Better! It gave a greenish-blue tint. Applied it to all clips.
Step 4: Messing with Basic Settings (The Real Secret)
The filter wasn’t enough. Still looked too “new.” This is where the magic happened. Went to the “Adjust” tab for each clip. Played roughly with these:
- Brightness: Pumped it up! (+15 to +20). Made things hazy.
- Contrast: Slammed it down! (-10 to -15). Killed harsh shadows, flattened things.
- Saturation: Dialled it back just a smidge (-5). Don’t wanna lose all colour.
- Temperature: Pushed it warmer! (+10). Got that golden-hour feel, even though it was noon.
- Sharpen: Reduced it! (-5). Soft focus look.
Fiddled with these numbers clip by clip. Didn’t need precision, just eyeballed it until the colors looked “washed-out warm dream.”
Step 5: Adding Film Garbage (The Cheesy Fun Part)
Wanted that film “damage” vibe. Back to the effects tab. Searched for:
- “Dust” – found one with little floating specks. Added it, lowered the intensity so it was subtle.
- “Scratch” – added a faint white line effect that occasionally flickered across.
- “Vignette” – slapped a subtle darkening around the edges. Like the old camera lenses.
Pro tip: Less is more here. Don’t go nuts, or it looks like a bad B-movie.
Step 6: Slapping on Music & Nearly Burning Dinner
Scrolled CapCut’s music library. Needed something slow, sad, maybe a little piano? Found something with a simple, wistful piano melody. Looped it. By this point, my nephew burst in asking when lunch was. Realized I’d spent over an hour messing with weeds and shadows. Rendered it out FAST.
The End Result? Surprisingly Okay!
Exported the video. Watched it. Honestly? Shocked it actually looked kinda like the “Semi Japan” style! Was it perfect? Heck no. Was it way simpler than those confusing tutorials made it seem? Absolutely. Took maybe 90 minutes, most of which was me poking buttons randomly. Biggest takeaway? Just pump up the brightness & warmth, kill the contrast & sharpness. Fiddle with the rest for flavour. Seriously, anyone can try this. Go get weird with your phone footage!
