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VIDEO COPILOT BLOG News, Updates, Projects Files & Tips |
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One of the many uses for a particle system plug-in like Particular is the ability ‘visualize’ music through the formation of particles. I’ve seen some amazing examples over the last few months and this is one of my experiments called Red Smoke.
Download Project (CS4 & Particular 2 required)
About this Project:
After I extracted the keyframes from the audio amplitude, with this technique, I linked the particle birth and the velocity to the sound intensity with expressions. This made the bursts of particles shoot out farther for the louder notes and tighter for quiet parts.
The original comp was actually black with colorful particles (See sample) but I wanted to create something a bit more unique so I inverted the luminance and colorized part of it so it would be more dramatic Red on Black.
To get away from the sandy look of small particles I used a vector blur set to “Perpendicular” to blend it more naturally.
There are about a 2 million particles per frame so the render took about 4 hours but I lowered the rate while working to speed things up. I also offset the final audio a few frames to match the visual since the birth causes a slight delay.
Side Note: Harry Frank did a pretty in-depth tutorial at RGTV.
If you have any questions, post them!
Using the Audio Waveform plug-in I’ve built several comps with interesting looks, including many with 3D space. I linked some of the waveform settings to a control layer to offset multiple copies. You can swap out your own audio and make changes to the control layer.
If you want to make some more serious changes, delete all of the copies except for one. Then make changes to the settings and then duplicate it a dozen times or so.
Most of the concepts used to offset multiple copies can be found in this tutorial. You can also extract keyframes from audio with this animation tutorial. And, if you are new to audio in After Effects check this blog post too.
It’s been a while since I’ve posted a free project file so here is one I’ve been messing with lately… It uses the CC Hair plug-in to create random moving fibers and then I used the Mirror plug-in to add a classic… well, mirror effect.
Download Project File CS4, just change the font to something you have.
So I’m still getting over a little cold but I wanted to make something shiny so here is a project file that uses 3D looking text with a billion layers to create depth and shadows. Everything was created with After Effect and there are no Lights in the scene.
Download CS4 Project File (I don’t have CS3 on my laptop)
What’s up! Anyone notice how sad particles look when they are played against slow piano music? Well here is a test I did using CC Particle World linked to a 3D NULL! I used several copies featuring different settings to serve as the smoke particles and the light debris. I think CC Particle World has great potential to create amazing particles but it may take a little more work when compared to Particular.
Another cool tip: Once I completed the particle animation, I put the comp in a new comp and slowed it down 200% so the particle movement is slower and also more depressing in a happy good way!
Now close your eyes… and imagine what it would like with some Optical Flares!
I was playing around with Particular 2 and came up with this particle swirl using a couple of smoke images as particles. I love that Particular 2 reacts to the lighting as well as fake shading to make the particle seem more volumetric.
Here is what I did, in Particular 2 custom particles are called Sprites, so once you select this as your particle type, the texture slot becomes available to use my smoke video that is included with the project download. I stretched the particle area and rotated the world transform to make it look like a twister. I added a couple of lights to give it coloring and a BG gradient.
Check out the screen shot for particle settings and my timeline. You may want to see this tutorial using Particular 1.5 to get started with the smoke element.
Download Project CS4
(Sorry but I sometimes forget to use CS3 so more people can open it but the smoke element is inside the Footage folder for you to experiment. )
Here are a few grunge projects based on the Ancient Titles tutorials for your using-pleasure. I’ve also included 3 high-resolution textures and discovered a great free font called: Humanst521!
NOTE: To view blog posts that contain project files or free downloads, just click on the “Project Files” tab at the top.
You might also check out this free project from an earlier post.
When opportunity knocks, it helps to have a camera. OK, so this replica Oval Office may not be the real thing but it is a cool backdrop for something…
To fair, I have no idea what anyone is going to do with this but it just seemed cool to have a 180-degree view inside the home of the greatest US president.
Sample Video HD
Download AE Project and Images (CS3 .aep & jpgs)
I combined several pictures into a panoramic using the panoramic script from AeScripts.com, which is an After Effects script marketplace, where you might finds things you didn’t even know you needed.
Feel free to use for your projects but please refer to our License for usage.
BTW:
I don’t post often but some people have wondered about our twitter page.
After Effects lights can be moved around in 3DÂ space but a lens flare effect can only move in 2D space on the X and Y axis. So how can you add a 2d lens flare to a 3D moving light?
The secret is using a simple expression on the “Flare Center” of the lens effect.
1. Alt Click on Flare Center stop watch to add expression
2. Type this in the expression box:
thisComp.layer(”Light 1“).toComp([0,0,0]);
NOTE: Just change “Light 1” to the name of your light.
This tip can be found in the bump map tutorial around 6:15 for those who would like to see it in action. View Tutorial
Dan Ebberts has an ever useful “3D Lens Flare” case study on his website that includes distance falloff. Check that out.
Here is an anamorphic lens flare project too.
Did you know that CC Particle World allows you to use an image (or texture) as a custom particle type? Just select the “Textured QuadPolygon” and a texture roll-out becomes available that allows you to choose a layer along with some other options.
Here is a fun project file that uses a custom particle type to create the image-based glowing lights.
Since creating the Earth Zoom tutorial back July 2007, I have always wanted the clouds to look more realistic. Although the fractal noise was a decent solution, nothing compares to the real thing. Recently on my travels, I was able to capture some images that might just be the solution to a better earth zoom. I actually shot them with the intention of sharing them here.
Obviously I travel by cape.
Use them professionally too! License
Sometimes it takes an idea to push the limits of After Effects. The title above is created entirely inside of After Effects using the same technique from the recent Ancient Titles tutorial.
I used multiple copies of the radial blur at different lengths to get a realistic shadow falloff. And although the title is not actually true 3D, it really holds up visually.
I wanted to create a free project file for the blog so I thought an underwater scene might be cool. I did a quick google search for some reference images of underwater scenery and then started to recreate one. It’s a bit slow to render but was an interesting experiment of using various effects for a specific reason. Have fun and remember everything is better under the sea!
By the way the only reason I’m linking to the Little Mermaid is because I have a daughter and NOT because it is my favorite movie : )
Sample Video
High Quality Still Image
Download Project File AE CS3+
One of the things I did in New York was walked around the city shooting pictures of various textures and surfaces. Every block is different and I was able to capture some very cool stuff. I haven’t gone through them all but here are a few choice selections for everyone. You can use them commercially but our standard license applies.
New tutorials will be coming next week; right now, there is a lot to catch up on after being gone for a week. Please be patient as cool things are in the works.
For anyone using CC Particle World instead of Particular, you may know that Particular’s Turbulent Field is not available. This feature allows random 3D displacement of a particles position. A similar effect can be achieved with Particle World by adding a TURBULENT DISPLACE effect. It works best with smaller particle and it has some limitations because it is only 2D but it is a nice way to get away from “perfect” particle movement.
Related Topics:
Fire Title Project — Uses Turbulent displacement
Dark Energy & Electric Energy — Uses Turbulent displacement
Fire Burning Project — Complex Fire Project
Related Tutorials:
A long time ago, I made a tutorial on simulating reflections over a watery surface which I had to revisit recently. I cleaned the project up a bit and now you can use it as a template with your own video. Play around with the displacement map and you can get some interesting results.
We don’t get much rain in Southern California but today it poured. Luckily I had my audio gear handy and I recorded a few high quality clips for your stormy productions.
Our standard License applies.
Here’s a another free project that utilizes various masking techniques to create a friendly heart design.
Today is of course Valentine’s Day and I want to remind everyone to do something nice for someone special in your life. Could be your wife or girlfriend, mom or grandma, even your sister.
Now, if you don’t celebrate Valentine’s day… DO something nice anyways. Just don’t do something nice for your friend’s wife… that gets a little tricky.
See you Monday!
Here’s a fun project file that adds an anamorphic stripe and star around the standard AE lens flare. The layers are linked to the position of the Flare, so everything moves together. You can change the color from the “FLARE” solid effects control to create a golden sun or even a red sun. Have fun, just don’t look directly at it.
Download Project File (AE CS3)
In other news, I feel much better and I won’t need the computer speech program after all.
Now that I have your attention, there is no pizza. I’m sorry. What I do have is an artistic text treatment created in After Effects. Just download the project and change the text in the “Edit TITLE” pre-comp to your favorite slogan and the “OUTPUT” comp will update with a stylized fire look.
It’s not photo realistic but it’s a fun, procedural treatment for making even boring stuff seem fun!
PS, sorry no earlier AE versions, the time machine is in the shop.