I spent part of this week playing around with some different ideas and concepts for future tutorials or breakdowns. The first example uses some interesting camera animation techniques as well as Particle world for the fog. It was all created with standard AE tools.

If you download the second video and make sure QuickTime is set to loop it should play seamlessly. Kind of an interesting idea for making fluid videos that play through forever. The camera move is a bit wild but I don’t even know what that stuff is…

First Video

Second Video

Part three of the Meteor will be out soon along with a NEW After Effects tutorial. I should also have some news about one of our upcoming products. Without giving away too much it has to do with Music…

Here is a short excerpt from one of the upcoming tutorials on The Meteor.
(The first set will be out this weekend!)

The message is:
Even non-3D folks will benefit from understanding the work flow between AE and a 3D program even if you are primarily a compositor or dictionary salesman! It’s WIN-WIN.

Watch Video

Here’s another free project file that uses the electric energy along with some other cool fx.  The layers aren’t terrible organized but you can probably find your way around.

Download CS3 Project

View Sample Video

PS, I’m sorry but I can only provide project in CS3.

I wanted to try and created some cool energy in After Effects without special plug-ins that looked 3D… Here is a pretty cool AE project file that I came up with for electric energy using fractal noise and turbulent displacement. It’s simple enough but has some complex layering. Have fun with it!

Download CS3 Project

Here are some screens of the stuff I’m working on. Some of it is abstract futuristic and the other is part of an action sequence. Wish I could show more…

High Resolution

UPDATE 2: For no reason here is a snow version. The actual scene takes place on a busy freeway…

Watch Snow Version

UPDATE: I can’t publish anything from the actual project but here is a quick animated version. The turn is a little hard but the comp is at 30fps instead of 24.

Watch Video.

I’ve been pretty consumed lately with a fun project for a client and thought I would share a still frame. Basically it is an action sequence with this attack helicopter, millions of particles and debris.

I actually remember my first helicopter sequence that I made for a personal project at least 7 years ago… Basically there was a missile fired at a car and to avoid impact the driver (myself) rolled down the 2 back windows and the missile passed right through as destruction was averted. I should look for that video and see how it compares today It’s Probably way better.

Goes to show you that experiments and testing can be a great way to grow your understanding and skills.  So, when that big project comes along you will have SOME actual experience. You never know what things you may learn along the way.

Here is a great site where you can watch intro title sequences for feature films. Get ready to be inspired!

http://artofthetitle.com/

Be sure to check out our forum for other inspirational links or post some of our own.
http://www.videocopilot.net/forum/viewforum.php?f=12

In our newest tutorial you learned how to create a dynamic particle system based on the speed of a layer. Now, take that result and reverse it! You will see the particles come together for a stunning reveal.

Watch Sample Video

Just another idea for the stuff you already know.

To reverse the layer, precompose the final composition and then use the “Time Reverse” function on it and set to -100.

Here is a fun method for creating translucent glass frames in After Effects that I”m working on.

When I record this tutorial I’ll probably add a little more detail to make it look even better. Although the simplicity makes it very interesting and who knows maybe for the tutorial I’ll go out of my way to make it look worse just for fun. You never know : ) Enjoy.

Here is the CS3 project file

Watch Sample Video