What isn’t a compositor might be a better question to ask but let’s keep this article on point.  In short a compositor is responsible for fusing together elements such as live action footage, 3d animation, stock footage and other sources into a single picture.  Sometimes the goal is photo-realism for a motion picture and other times the goal is to exaggerate the world for a TV spot.

A good comparison might be the job of a weldor. Wikipedia has a curious description that I found particularly useful:

“Welders typically have to have good dexterity and attention to detail, as well as some technical knowledge about the materials being joined and best practices in the field.”

In order to complete some shots, a compositor might take on other responsibilities such as modeling and rendering a 3D object or element.   Similarly, a weldor might need to fabricate a special tool or object needed for a custom vehicle manipulation.

When a weldor is combining various parts of a bicycle frame,  it is important that the parts are fused together properly or the bicycle might just fall apart.  Much like a visual effects shot that is not sound, you may see it fall apart on screen.

Knowing the tools and understanding the related jobs of this industry might just answer questions you didn’t know you had.  Never stop learning and developing new techniques.

Wikipedia also has a note regarding weldors:

“Welders are also often exposed to dangerous gases and particulate matter.”

But I won’t get into that.

Here is a fun example that uses Normality on a pre-composed particle system emitting a custom texture.  I used Trapcode Particular because the Depth of Field option blends the Normals unique coloring together, for a more liquid concoction.

Watch Sample Video (720p HD)
High Quality Pic (see the real colors…)

You can download the blob-element as part of the project files for the latest Normality Tutorial.

One of the interesting benefits of using a normal pass element as a particle (instead a pre-rendered one with shading and reflections), is the viscous coupling generated by the depth of field.  The other benefit is happening is the random movement of the highlights in the glob.  Even the reflections have variable coverage, which adds to the feel of the scene.

Normality is  a 3D re-lighting tool for After Effects which introduces some interesting opportunities when used with other techniques like particle systems.  I’ve also had some fun tests using CC Mr. Mercury but they were a little bit flat looking so I used multiple copies with variable settings. Of course, experimentation is the key to discovery!

Stay curious my friends…

For more information on this free plug-in Normality:
Watch latest tutorial & read our Normals Guide

Using Custom Particles in AE:
Watch Medical Zoom Tutorial or the recent Particle Explosion Tutorial!

We recently published a new tutorial on Scene Relighting using a cool plug-in called Normality (FREE) and so I wanted to gather helpful information on the subject for people who are excited like me.

Like many of you, when I first saw Normality about 3 years ago , the gears in my head started turning with amazing possibilities. However back then, it was not a free plug-in until about 6 months ago when he decided to offer this great tool to the world!  This got me excited and this was actually the subject of my presentation in LA as a way to help spread the word.

Normality uses special Normal maps to relate the 3D surface info to After Effects for adding lights and even reflections. Here are a few resources on exporting and generating Normal Maps but be sure to watch our tutorial first, to get acquainted.

Stefan, the developer also posted feature-rich tutorial a couple months ago.
Part 1 & Part 2 (High-Def Youtube)

Exporting Normal Map from 3D Software:
Cinema 4D & Modo plus a quick AE demo with normality. Good stuff!
Cinema 4D Material (works with anti-aliasing)
Maya Normal Maps
3D Max Normal Maps with Script
(Our tutorial also includes export info for 3d Max)
New Blender Process ( TwentyFourBecks)

Normal Map Generating Software:
One of the cool things about Normality is you don’t need a 3D program to do some impressive relighting, you can actually use photographic textures!

Smart Normal Map (Free AE Plug-in CS4+)
CrazyBump ($99.00 PC, very intelligent processing!)
Normal Generator OS X (Free)
Nvidia Normal App Win (Free)
Nvidia App Photoshop (Free)
Shadermap ($20 PC)
Enhancing Normal Maps Tutorial @ CGtextures.com

More exciting concepts:

I noticed a few people confusing the idea of UV texture re-mapping and Normal Map re-lighting so I wanted to make sure people understand both concepts and possibly how they can be used together. In a 3D nut shell, UV Mapping allows texture replacing and Normal Maps allow 3D re-lighting.

Mylenium published a very detailed outline of UV map integration with a plug-in called RE:Map that allows After Effects to adjust texture positions.

Maltaannon demystified this concept and also created a very clever preset called “Youveelizer” ($29 CS4 Only) that also uses UV passes to adjust the bitmap textures of a 3D render in AE.

The Re:VisionFX plug-in Re:Map costs a bit more at $149.95 although it does work with earlier versions of After Effects.

Conclusion:
I would hope people appreciate how much work Stefan has put into Normality over the years and especially now as a free tool for the community…  Also, if you know of some applications or tutorials for working with Normals or related stuff, please share them, I’ll update the list if I think it’s good!

After Effects lights can be moved around in 3D  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.

As we get closer to launching Action Essentials 2, I have been developing a simple guideline for better compositing that is broken down to 7 key points.  This is by no means a ‘complete’ guide for every scenario but it should be a good place to start. I plan on detailing many of these techniques in the future but here is a basic overview. If you have some tips that have helped you out in the field, please share them in the comments below.

I call it: P.E.R.F.E.C.T.

Perspective:
When compositing a scene, you want to consider the perspective of your plate (raw footage) and carefully mix elements that align with your shot. A major perspective conflict can be a give-away that your shot was poorly composited.

Esthetics (aesthetics):
Make it look cool. Keep an eye on your composition and balance the elements in your scene evenly. Look at the composite as a whole and not just the area you are working on.

Randomize:
The world is unpredictable so you want to use variations in your compositing work. One example is when creating an army of soldiers from a small group of extras.  It is important to offset the individuals by time and space so they do not look mechanically duplicated. This is also important when adding muzzle flashes and ricochets. Don’t just reuse the same muzzle fire or ricochet, use multiple clips and alter the size and rotation so that your mind doesn’t pick up on the pattern of similarity.

Feathering:
The way elements are blended in a scene is a top priority. Feathering is a great way to blend multiple elements together in a scene as well as performing a subtle light wrap. But don’t overuse the light wrap!

Environment:
When you composite an element in your scene, ask yourself how would this affect the surrounding environment? When an explosion goes off, does it leave a hole or burn marks? Does the bright light cast on the walls around it? Be creative and think of clever ways to make your fx elements blend with the real world.  You should also consider on-set action for planned visual effects.  Having real interaction in your scene goes a long way to sell a shot like pillows on a couch being shot-up by a machine gun. A simple string works well to ‘toss’ the pillows around as they are blown away.

Color:
Matching color and light are essential to photo realistic compositing. Obviously you want the fx elements to match the color of the scene but you also want to match the contrast level too.  Be mindful of the light direction in your scene and be sure to use elements that cooperate.

Timing:
There is a rhythm to cinema and visual effects. There is action and reaction.  Let your shot flow and unfold. If you force things to happen in a short amount of time, the shot may turn out mechanical and choppy.

Feel free to expand on these ideas and continue to create impressive visual effects. In the mind of an artist nothing is ever “perfect”, but I like to think of the word as an verb for a work in progress as we attempt to ‘perfect’ the art.

Here’s another use for the Disintegration Tutorial techniques in a motion graphics example.  I used a little bit of shine or a Radial Blur to create a lighting effect as it burns or blows away.  You can even play around with the colors to create a magical burn away as well.  This tutorial has a cool method for creating light beams if you’re interested.

Keep experimenting and have fun!

Watch Video Sample

High Quality Image

The font is called Avalon Quest!

UPDATE: Green screen footage uploaded for Disintegration Tutorial project.

• The frame rate for digital film work is 23.976 so you should use this if you are making a cinematic commerical or movie about robots.
• Some video editing applications abbreviate 23.976 as 23.98 but AE requires the more specific frame rate.
• Film or not, you should work at the frame rate of your source material.
• Non-standard frame rates such as 12 and 15 are great for creating animations for the web or even flash.
• If you have multiple fps sources try to conform things to your output format.

The reason I sometimes use 24 fps instead of 23.976 is probably because I’m lazy and web video can be non-standard without many problems. Of course, it is probably good practice to use standard frame rates so that you can easily author to DVD or Blu-ray. Hope this helps but be sure to investigate your specific workflow, so that you don’t run into problems in the middle of a project. Remember PAL & NTSC standards may vary.

More info on Frame Rates here

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.

Download Project Comparison

Related Topics:

Fire Title Project — Uses Turbulent displacement
Dark Energy & Electric Energy — Uses Turbulent displacement
Fire Burning Project — Complex Fire Project

Related Tutorials:

Soul Removal Tutorial
Energy Tutorial