Retro Lens Flares
October 26th, 2009

Showing the true power of our Optical Flares Plug-in, we were able to push it to the limits and recreate AE's built-in lens flare from scratch! AAA-MMMAZING! Think of the possibilities...

We're still polishing the plug-in features but expect a big release sometime in November. Aside from working on this plug-in, I'm also planning a Halloween tutorial and blog show that might be frighteningly fun. Stay Tuned! or should I say "stay ghouled!!!". -No that doesn't work, scratch that.

Andrew Kramer
POSTED:
16 years ago
123 Comments
George
15 years ago
Your sponsor is Coca Cola and you are drinking Pepsi!
codeAndreas
16 years ago
Optical Flares?
It??´s the 10th of december and all of us are waiting!

Better to wait another one or two weeks than buy a buged plugin.

Make it better good than fast!
chenan
16 years ago
(^_^) well... i think it will be in 'christmas week' or 'new year 2010'...am i right andrew? hehe
Ruslan
16 years ago
This is an AMAZING Plug-in.... Pleas let us know when this will come out. Thank you very very much
Ivan
16 years ago
Andrew please give us a hint when will Optical Flares come out..... Pretty please...
Peter Somers (TC-Productions)
16 years ago
Got my Mastercard burning hot in my hand here, ready to buy!
Any ETA on the release?

Currently working on a project for a major client (full 3D animated spot) where these flares would add not only the icing but also a very sweet humongeous cherry on top!
saad ali
16 years ago
EAST AND THE WEST
MY TEACHER ANDREW KRAMER
IS THE BEST
i m crazy about u man.
16 years ago
WHEN YOUR NOVEMBER IS COMING?
ache
16 years ago
hi there

is very interesting , that you say one of your sponsors is coca cola and drink a pepsi lol
erpang
16 years ago
Wow too cool Hehe thanks very Niua
Wilmar Luna
16 years ago
I want to buy this plugin now! Can't wait, will be great for my horror movie project!
SeB
16 years ago
Hi, I'm a huge fan of VC and I'm addicted to your blog show, keep them coming!

I saw your Optical Flares project searching for a Lens Flare Plug-in. For two weeks now I've been trying do to a LASER SIGHT lens flare effect with no realistic success.

If you tell me I can do it with your Optical Flare, you got my money!!!!

(Sorry for my english)
Tim
16 years ago
Any news when this awesome plug-in will be released,
im waiting for a decade )*

Keep up the awesome work Andrew!
Sean
16 years ago
"...would like to thank our sponsors...Coco Cola..." and then Andy cracks a Pepsi Cola!!!!

Gotta LOVE IT.
ZAK
16 years ago
I have been waiting for somebody to make this plug in ,I knew it ,the only one in this universe who could make is Andrew Kramer
john
16 years ago
that intro splitting of the ground stuff was off the hook, that's a tutorial i would pay for.

by the way $139.99 is worth it!
Wilmar Luna
16 years ago
Holy sh** that plug-in looks awesome. Love how Coca-Cola got punked, Pepsi tastes way better anyway.

Thank you for all these excellent products, can't wait to receive the items I ordered, very excited!
Alex
16 years ago
When will the plug-in be released?
Navarro Parker
16 years ago
It would be cool if there was an online warehouse (store?) to upload/download user-created presets through the app.
Matthew Park
16 years ago
I want it now... Release it... NOW!!! DOO EEETTT!!! I CAN'T WAIITTTT!!!! Whenever a new product is coming out it's like waiting for something exciting? What? I don't know, but something exciting. It's like waiting to open up a Christmas Present... Can't wait for this plug-in Andrew, You did good.
jim
16 years ago
I will buy Lens Flares the day it is released ... love all of your work Andrew ... keep it up.

Jim
Vicky
16 years ago
Lens Flare look so good!
You are more handsome and younger than I thought. Andrew!
Thanks you!
16 years ago
Don't know if anybody else has noticed this but the awesome new show 'Flash Forward' that has recently started airing features some sweet optical flares in the opening titles.

Anyone know if Mr. Kramer had a hand in this? I know he made the Fringe opening titles, but I just wondered about this one.
Caine
16 years ago
Another must have product from VideoCopilot - made by artists for artists - what more can we say!

Keep on keeping on AK and team
Pavan
16 years ago
Say Good BYE--------Knoll Light Factory Pro---------
This Plug in is -----AWSOME---------n guess what Sir Andrew
i have put optical flares poster as my desktop wallpaper.............woooooooo----optical flares rock next to action essentials 2 n check out our batman fan film which we did for the first time in india this is the link:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ckEKfpHdgU n check out the making n trailer also..i have used ae2 in that i think u will be proud of me.......
saul
16 years ago
knoll light factory is 399 bucks, so i think this plug in is reasonably priced. the app looks slick and reminds me of looks in terms of previewing.

how it stands up against dedicated 3d plugins will be interesting. goodluck with it.
Blast
16 years ago
hey andrew i must say after my dad ur next! jst did my first project with action essentials for a TV station on One of the sport segment and they are like WOW!!! Thanks andrew..... ur the man for the JOB...ALSO CAN ONE COLLAB WITH U TO DO A JOB probably might be having difficulties...
mitchell werth
16 years ago
wow lloks great i cant wait!
how much will it be??
aidan-paul
16 years ago
cool, just gotta ask tho, whats the difference with this and knoll light factory?
Flares
16 years ago
Flares break the 4th wall. They should'nt even be there in the first place, in early films it was considered poor taste and bad craftsmen ship to expose the faults of your equipment (sun flooding the shutter and creating a "flare"). Lens flares are EVIl.
nehem
16 years ago
still wait for it....
EgViAgN
16 years ago
*Raises Hand*
Ill beta test!!!!
HAHA!!
Can't wait, but I guess I will have to..
Trickmaster
16 years ago
Nice plugin for creating lens flares... If you want to do a lot of that.
16 years ago
Awesome!!!! Can't wait for the release!

RE Helge Kallevik

then play around with lens flares now in AE!!!
16 years ago
Andrew,

I hope there's a tutorial on how to use the lens flares in real live footage, and not just in photos, like in the promo. I know I'm not the only one who has never played around with lens flares before
Rogier Colijn (RoggelFX)
16 years ago
Yay, and THAT recreation, what's so stunning about it? The built-in lens flare of AE isn't THAT nice, but everybody gots its taste. Ofcourse it does stand for a LOT of possibilities!

And i can't wait for that tutorial and a new blog show
AndrewYY
16 years ago
hahahaha. such an advanced lens flare!
Jörg
16 years ago
gogo
Love it
16 years ago
AAAAAMMMMAAAAAZZZZIINGGGG
Thomas
16 years ago
Since Andrew (Video Copilot) has skyrocketed in his researches (yeah, i remember recreating his first tutorial
i always wondered myself why Adobe never collaborate with Andrew Kramer, putting some fresh ideas into Ae. At least endorsing him with Adobe Products, together with many big names in the Ae-Tutor world, they're all the main reason people are buying After Effects.

Pretty lame, Adobe, pretty lame.
Khalai3K1
16 years ago
Halloween tutorial! Can't wait to see what Andrew does to Sam this time around... at least I hope something will be done with Sam! Nothing better than watching bugs in his skin or a soccer ball disintegrate him ("Is it on fire? I don't know"). hahahaha
Justin Fernandez
16 years ago
Can't wait Ak, you have no idea how excited i am for all that stuff. Keep up the great work!
Hoyin
16 years ago
It looks really amazing, can't wait to have it.

Just curious, do they work in 3D?
Jhon
16 years ago
Cool, Andrew! I'm waintin'....

U ROCK.
jorberg
16 years ago
AK, this product looks absolutely amazing. This plugin is going to be heavily used by us! Can't wait to purchase it!

Any news for when we will see the heavily anticipated trailer? I love to see what you guys think up!
16 years ago
Nice! I'm buying it!!!
abi
16 years ago
OMG!!
This is much better than knoll's!!!!
andi
16 years ago
i'm buying this just so i can re-create the default AE flare!
Alex
16 years ago
Please Andrew, you got to make a tutorial about ground craking or fragmentation, demolition and phyisic! Please!!!
It looks soo coooool. Hope you read this...
You rock man, keep up the good work.
Steven Noni
16 years ago
COOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
16 years ago
Excellent! I can't wait to get this bad puppy. I can foresee tons of uses for it in my arsenal.
Jason
16 years ago
Thats a have to buy count me in or should i say "count me off". -No that doesnâ??????t work, scratch that.
barry barrera
16 years ago
another advanced xmas gift ever in this planet....kudos master andrew!
zin_onos
16 years ago
Please make something with blood and gore and mismembering people for the haloween! I am working on a movie, but I just don't know how to do this FX!
Scooter
16 years ago
Hey Andrew!
Can I use Brain Storm with your Optical Flares Plug-in???
Greg
16 years ago
Any chance of a pre-order option during your 25% off sale Can't wait for this new plug-in!
noliebox
16 years ago
You really hit the world....andrew nice job man....
Migu3l
16 years ago
excelente plug-in, excelente trabajo el que haces maquina saludos desde ARGENTINA, aprendi muchas cosas de tus tutoriales aunque esten en ingles.gracias
Tarrizz
16 years ago
what would the estimated price be?
serge
16 years ago
i like your subliminal message... i already by twich
16 years ago
I'm really excited about this plug-in as well, and can't wait to buy it when it's released! I would love to see some OFX development too though, so we could use this tool in other compositing packages like Nuke! That would be really killer.

Keep up the great work Andrew!
16 years ago
this is Creazy,
Andrew iwant to know your biogeraphy Please,
GDH6200
16 years ago
I think the Halloween tutorial will be usefull. The lens flares looks nice aswell.
jordan
16 years ago
someones been hittin the fermented pumpkin juice a little early me thinks, dig all ur stuff andrew, cant wait mate
Shirin
16 years ago
Now that i think about it, i could make ST like photon/quantum/etc torpedo effects in like 2 sec.
16 years ago
Adobe should pay you to just include this lens flare with CS5. They could call it, Kramer-Flare.
Dag Norum
16 years ago
I'm curious to see how the VCP lensflare plugin compares to Knoll Light Factory Pro.
Hope it will be a trial available...
whiteto
16 years ago
Wow!
This plug-in so impressive to me.


But I want to know about Halloween Tutorial ^O^
Kai
16 years ago
"Just when they thought they had killed the stock Adobe lens flare...IT CAME BACK FROM THE DEAD!"

Noooooooo! Kill it before it covers all of my flying logos!!!!!
Reno
16 years ago
If you can see it there's a wad of cash in my hand and I'm waving it around with a hungry look on my face.
Jason
16 years ago
Sweet, Halloween tutorial!
Rindra
16 years ago
Awesome! this will help us to animation/FX works like in the transformers movies! we'll do something more with this one! okay
16 years ago
SWEET!
i can't wait for this, i'm gonna buy it as soon as it comes out! I have knoll light factory, but no idea how to use it. This will help alot. Thanks so much Andrew, i'm 100$ serious.
16 years ago
look GR8 CAn't W8
16 years ago
You know I've never bought anything from this website, not because I don't want too . I'm just too cheap, but I think I might get this!
cedric
16 years ago
with only 33 posts by far I hope you will end up reading this one - "you are by far the most funny and taleted artist I have come across. its fun to listen you. keep p the good work... lotza luv [brotherly love ]"
andin
16 years ago
cant wait release it soon............
Simon
16 years ago
Incredible...now i can understand the price
LA
16 years ago
I'm so need this plug-in right now! ((
ali
16 years ago
ahh man. wish you put a preorder option for optical flares in your 10day sale!
Pledok
16 years ago
Not very good.
olivier
16 years ago
This is awsome!!!!! sooooooooooooo awsome man!!!
Andrew u r the r the best ( u r the only one i know actually, hehe) This product man is awsome!!! coool!!!
Tiago
16 years ago
nice one andrew.. once again you supplied us with a great plug in. I already have a couple ideas for where to use this plug in a really powerful plug in.
atifqureshi
16 years ago
i cant wait plz works fast
Rutger
16 years ago
Looks greatttttttttttttt
Can't wait for it woohoo yeah lol
16 years ago
I'll stay home for halloween this year then, and watch your awesome tutorial!
Qw3rtium
16 years ago
Oh god, a halloween tutorial I can't wait!
Enforced
16 years ago
Looks so truly AWSIMMMM!!!!
Mudi
16 years ago
MAN WHEN ITS COMING! ANY DATE? m still waiting for it
samitha
16 years ago
I can't wait. Hurry up sir
Marco
16 years ago
Cool! Looking forward to the release !
dineo
16 years ago
Halloween tutorial.. i'm sure it fun..
Clayton Light
16 years ago
Hey AK,
I've always purchased your products on release day.
I want this one, but forgive me if I must wait a week or two.
I saw riot gear on a national spot today. lol.
Thanks bratha,
cl
shadrach mensah
16 years ago
A K can you let us know the exact date in November.
shadrach mensah
16 years ago
i love your passion
m4n!aC
16 years ago
you should re-create all of your products like this.... so i think, i easier to use them, if they have a user interface like thatone ..... very nice work... stay tuned!
Dextrmania
16 years ago
Hey that looks like a stand-alone application...what an interface!!!!
Tell us how its "plugged" into aftreffects,atleast a hint...
Heads up to you and videocopilot,keep it up!!!
16 years ago
Awesome Kramer, you are the Best!
Olympia Logger
16 years ago
Andy, your gear is becoming TRUELY professional...which means, the situation is getting serious!

I need to start collecting as much of VCP's goodies as possible before........the........uh.......end.

When Serious Magic became polished enough to threaten Adoughbe (Adobe) they were bought up with BIG promises that the Serious Magic products would stay intact.

When in FACT what happened is exactly what I use to tell Mark Randall would happen.

Adoughbe has KILLED everything except OnLocation.
You can't get Ultra anymore.

I just worked with a good sized cutter in Ohio a month ago who has 90k into his Avid gear and HE STILL uses the old Ultra for chromakey.

It's STILL a great product and Adoughby killed it for no good reason.

The upshot IS... VideoCoPilot is getting good enough that one morning we'll wake up, come to this site and find that Adoughbe owns it... (not a joke)

...so, grab as much VCP stuff as you can while the getting is good people !!!!!
16 years ago
Cool men, cool...
sohail
16 years ago
nice. Canâ??????t wait.
16 years ago
this kicks Knoll Light Factory's ASS!

I expect alot of money to role in for Mr. Kramer. I remember hearing that the Transformers VFX crew used Knoll Light Factory, when they see this, they'll have to switch to Optical Flares FOR SURE!
carlo
16 years ago
Halloween tutorial muhahahaha
Luka
16 years ago
it would be great if this plugin will also be compatible with adobe premiere pro. any possibilities?
Luke Neumann
16 years ago
I like the "Cool Flare" a lot. It reminds me of Flares from late 80's/early 90's Cinema. Did you go and do research from older movies? Or just use your own equipment. If you used movies it'd be cool (in a tutorial or something) to know which ones you referenced (Blade Runner? Lethal Weapon 2?)
Razzy
16 years ago
I think this plugin is amazine i know im a start seeing more lens flare projects on the net. Love the way the interface looks you guys really stepped up from previous plugins. Now you guys are in the Red Giant level, but they dont make any cool tuts. Oh and you finally got me to laugh at one of you corney jokes....love the pepsy can in the end....All the best Andrew.
Sam Wells
16 years ago
Yes now I can finally make my own after effects built-in lens flare! The original just doesn't have that spunk.
Taylor Patterson
16 years ago
Why does this plug-in remind me so much of the new Star Trek movie?
Muhammad
16 years ago
Looks awesome! can't wait to see what you and the VCP crew will do with this plug in


btw andrew, I remember you saying you wanted to take some time off and make a film, are you still planning on doing that? anything you can share about the film? I'd love to see what you'll come up with if you do decide to make a film
Keninchina
16 years ago
A halloween tutorial?! I can't WAIT!
16 years ago
Nice! I think that this is a new cutting edge design for breath taking lens flares. The effect, and the fine tuned touches really make it stand out! Once again, blew us away. Way to go Andrew!
Popov
16 years ago
Not very bad. .
pedro
16 years ago
i need this plug in
BILAL
16 years ago
andrew you doing such a nice effort for animator's and you give the nice solution of animation.
Hey Sir Andrew. .

all of us here in the philippines. .

can't wait to release the New Plug in. .

and got excited about your halloween tutorials. .

thanks to your blogs . .and tutorial. .

videocopilot is to genius. .

owh by the way. .

can somebody answer this?

does the optical lens flare can affect the Normality of the image?

please. .
16 years ago
I got to say those presets look awesome Andrew. The poster shows a price, is that the real price for the plug in? I don't think its worth that much just for a lens flare with a bunch of pre-sets. Seems to pricey.

Its definitely an awesome plug in, but its not an "essential" plug in for motion graphics or for visual effects. Anyways just my opinion anyways. I love the site very much and wish you made us some shirts already so we can spread the word.
Darkrai
16 years ago
Sweet can't wait till it comes out
John
16 years ago
Wow! Can't wait for everything. I love Video Copilot! Its my homepage!!
highdefw
16 years ago
nice. Can't wait.
Clint Rea
16 years ago
Very nice Andrew, this really does show the possibilities within Optical Flares.

Is this basically completely operated inside of After Effects?
Sean B
16 years ago
Can't wait!! Awesome work putting this together!
Dan
16 years ago
Awesome! I cannot wait to get this!
Min Kwon
16 years ago
That is so awesome! I'm planning on buying Optical Flares the day it come out! and I'm excited for that tutorial