New Tutorial: Energy
June 30th, 2008

In this new tutorial we will be creating some powerful energy using the AE built-in particle system. With a little work and some patience you might be able to create something this cool.

The project file contains the tutorial files as well as my original comp at HD resolution for anyone that wants to see exactly what I did.

Watch Tutorial

Waste more time

Little more time killing

Andrew Kramer
POSTED:
17 years ago
103 Comments
Vincent
12 years ago
Hey Andrew, I loved this tutorial and I was thinking of using this concept in a video. what is a way I could put a person inside of the energy?
lol Mortal Kombat...I miss that game.
17 years ago
Here is my version... The Burgernator!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKLZi-pdmt4&fmt=18

Made from scratch (Don't have CS3) with a few other F/X learned from Andrew thrown in as well.
I have to say a body double was used and I don't know who he was even.
17 years ago
Cool Comment Number 100!
17 years ago
AWESOME tut, andrew. One of my favs! Here is my attempt




http://www.bequinta.net/videos/?p=13
wersa
17 years ago
So. My Wild Zone Energy video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lgNAVExeLr0

Andrew, thank you!
17 years ago
@WATAPAX

Dope, had me laughing a lot! nice job combining the cameras zoom and AE to dolly around. Makes for a very smooth piece!
Ben
17 years ago
How bad am I that I went to the YouTube videos first to waste time before actually watching the tutorial!

I'm so lame!
sandra
17 years ago
THANKSSS for that it's GREAT ..

here's mine .. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcutzWWoZ8I
nick hardy
17 years ago
great tutorial Andrew, here's what i did with it

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=m0qiNBnw2t0
17 years ago
Ok.... this is crippy... stop to read my thinking. I was traing to find a way to do Aang's avatar state transformation and this gonna fit pretty well I think.
(Again, sorry for my English)
jeroen
17 years ago
great tut, thanx !!
youtube make it a bit dark ..... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xO55AA5QxYI
Daryl Booth
17 years ago
I notice Sam was not in this tute....

Is that coz he was on this clip instead?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSLtDHhyX-Y

Nice tute BTW
WATAPAX
17 years ago
Saludos desde CHILE !!

Hi, here are my test with this tutorial. Goku transforming in Super Saiyan 3, jeje only for fans.. http://www.ota.cl/test/video.html

Thanks for the tutorial.

PD: Sorry for the bad english, i am learning..
17 years ago
That was awesome...I am so gonna use the twister thingy

By the way...those 'time wasting' videos werent a waste of time at all....you should do some of the effects from Mortal Kombat
Bobb
17 years ago
Another great things from Andy!!!
Thanks alot.
You are so inspiring!!!!!!!
Maxim Ouellet
17 years ago
Hey,
Time wasting was nice but the tutorial... not so good... LOL

It was jokes! I LOVED the Tutorial

(canadian french quy = bad english... lol)
Some Guy
17 years ago
@ Werthy: Before buying a HDV cam think about the future and buy a Canon HF100. You can see some footage of it on hv20.com as well. If you don't bother to film on tape, then Canon HV30 is the best camera you get for 800 euro.
Blake
17 years ago
Werthy, I'm not sure the euro-dollar conversion but in America you can get the HV30 for around $800. It's a small HDV 24p camera. Very cool stuff, to see it in action, go to hv20.com and look at the footage forum.
Marco
17 years ago
ROTFL
Mortal Kombat vids are too sweet...
I'm laughing like a child...
abe
17 years ago
Watch out Andrew once you let the trolls into your workspace there is no way to ward them off. Unless of course you have a professional troll slapper on hand .
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=YFIEutqVue4
17 years ago
Nice Man , You are my AE Hero^^"

Thank You Very Much.
Jorrit Schulte
17 years ago
oke, but can get it in the future?
Xexxas
17 years ago
My God...You are my Idol!!!!

xDDD

Thanks!!!!
17 years ago
It is not a future product. That's all I can say.
Werthy
17 years ago
Hi! this is cool, btw i need to buy a new camera, someone here that knows a great camera that costs about 700-800 euro?
17 years ago
@ Alan, Maybe a custom plug-in they created to help them in their own projects, tailored to suit whatever process they have. Don't think they'd sell a Matte Plug-In seeing as there are many options available.

Tutorial is good. Always helps to play around with Particle World. Liked the Sucking gag too!
Alan
17 years ago
I saw this when AK selected the Twitch effect.

Effects -> Video Copilot -> Quick Matte

When do we get to hear about that? Or have I been asleep and missed it?
`CharLeS x
17 years ago
just I finish buying the mortal kombat version for ps3, and this is a good one, by the way, andrew what is your nick of ps3, i remember you say that have the COD4?
Jorrit Schulte
17 years ago
Wel... Now wait For A comment From Andrew...
In the main time... i go watch Some fighting sc??©nes
Jhong higwa
17 years ago
I don't think he is serios about it...
Rob
17 years ago
I was just jokin around! But you took it as a man! I'm proud of my fellow Dutchman!

AK, there are days I would like to write some stupid jokes and b... sh.. in here but I know we have to stick to the blog rules etc. We should realy start some kind of forum where we are allowed to do so and also ask each other questions etc. Creative Cow is quite hard to use because of their structure with the quistion/answer folding.

I think to have a simple forum/site or even a official one with moderators asigned by you among the current fan's would have a great tribute to the community.
And not just a tribute but it would be so much easier to ask simple questions to users who also visit your site daily (hourly, minutly haha)!

If you say and I quote, Guys, I don't mind, just go ahead and make an independent site?! I hope somebody has the knowledge to make something like such a forum.. I would volunteer as a moderator!

Grtz
Rob
Moca MX
17 years ago
Rod can you send me that plug in please
at moca_mx@hotmail.com
Jorrit Schulte
17 years ago
Ja grapjas, Een matte
dat is voor Luma keying enz.

Jorrit
Nederland

PS. Yea i hate it to When people Type in their own languages
Rob
17 years ago
Dear Joris,

You don't have Quick matte??? Andrew sended it to all of us some time ago! It's one of the best plugins there is in the GFX world! And he shared it with all his friends here at VCP, I think it was mailed last week or so.

I use it for all of my movies now!.. I couldn't miss it for the world.

Rob
the Netherlands
Jorrit Schulte
17 years ago
Bad Andrew! Hiding Plug-ins, Don't do that
but What is Quick Matte? (Want it Want it Want it!)
Haha, well...
i Ectualy have some Funny things to say By Sucking particles,eh
like... **** ******
I think Stars are funny

no realy What is Quick matte?
tommie12P(Thorsten Miess)
17 years ago
the tutorial is great! and i wasted my time, yea, i have enough, somebody wants some time? can sell very cheap! anyway great tut
17 years ago
Thank you very much for this very greate tutorial!
Doug
17 years ago
The Particle Twirl is Awesome!
wersa
17 years ago
AAA! Fantastic tutorial. Thank you for share such professional looking stuff!
17 years ago
Good idea for a movie, I would called it "Twister". Yeah, Helen Hunt is pretty good for it, I'll call her. Thanks for the idea, man!
Nikolaus
17 years ago
Hey Andrew,

you are my "private" God

Thank you very much for this very greate tutorial!

Nikolaus
BBB
17 years ago
this is for a hollywood big budget movie. of course there we would need some more detail and more complex rendering.we would also need to animate the camera better to get it more life. but the idea is for a blockbuster IMO.
Frank
17 years ago
I can't believe that in 50+ comments no has typed:

"FINISH HIM!"

You guys just aren't geek enough...
Daniele
17 years ago
Thank you Andrew!!
Once again!
Loay
17 years ago
seems to be good tut
thanks
by the way... didn't like mortal combat thing i felt stupid
Scorpionad
17 years ago
Wow! Thank you ANDREW KRAMER!
eddie
17 years ago
These tuts are getting closer to what u would see in a cinema movie from Hollywood COOL
eddie
17 years ago
This tutorial really opens your mind on what u could do with all the different particle layers good work Ak..........
jeroen
17 years ago
sweet!
17 years ago
THAAAAAAAAAANK YOUUUUUU ANDREW KRAMERRRRRRRRRR!!!!
I can use this for my movie yipieeeeeeeeee
17 years ago
Possibly one of the coolest tutorials so far.
Ethan
17 years ago
Thank you, Sir for this great tutorial..
17 years ago
Hey dudes, this is my attempt at the energy . waited for so long to do somthing like that for my zone.
http://www.youtube.com/clancy30
mena lamee
17 years ago
Hi Andrew,this .great tutorial .
Brian Williams
17 years ago
Excellent job Andrew! You always seem to find ways to make visually solid good looking effects.
17 years ago
Hi Andrew,

This is a very useful Video Tutorial.

Cheers,

Thorsten
www.StrongMocha.com
Infaas
17 years ago
COOL dud, Thanks...
highdefw
17 years ago
Awesome. Finally we get to see this tutorial
Vinayak
17 years ago
gr8!!! u must really love mortal kombat...
Kenneth Powers
17 years ago
Yo, Andrew, I've been searching a long time for an After Effects cheat sheet that would have things such as keyboard shortcuts and common scripting commands. Do you know where I could find one? Or maybe VCP could make one?
17 years ago
This tutorial was awesome! Great job!

Here's my go at it:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkU_roZXcC8
Sandy
17 years ago
wow very nice tut after a while, thnx Andrew
VFX-Anomaly
17 years ago
Great tutorial Andrew,
Thanks again for giving of your time to inspire us once again

Here are some very young students doing old saber effects but there are doing it very well, check them out they may give you that extra kick of inspiration as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7aJvR0hX1k
Fisherking
17 years ago
Great tutorial. Could we see more tutorials on applications of particle systems in the future?
17 years ago
Hey andrew , i get to the part where i luma invert the smoke and when i go back to increase the birth size it does not effect the particle ,so why is that?
Mr. Spy
17 years ago
MK Rulez!!!!!!!!!
Down, Forward, Back, Back, High kick!!!!
Great tut! Thx.
jorberg
17 years ago
AK You've done it again - Much appreciated. Your tutorials are second to none and your products are perfect! Please release more so we can get to purchasing!!!
17 years ago
Once again awesome awesome stuff. Hey guess what Andrew, using your techniques and my own innovative design
I was able to win 2 Promax and 10 Telly awards. For those not sure those are big time awards in the commercial editing business.
We spoke at the AENY meeting a few months back, so it was really glad to meet you in person. Since then I have made incorporating more 3D and AE is my main mission. Its the only logical step to take my work to the next level.
It seems the way the industry is heading and with your help I am making the transition in a much smoother fashion.
Thanks for all your hard work. Keep turning the industry upside down.
17 years ago
btw, The Reptile kicks ass.
17 years ago
Damn I wasted so much time watching all those cool fx from way back, that I have no time to see the tutorial now... bugger.
17 years ago
great tutorial! i always forget about those hidden options in the particles.
Gus
17 years ago
Haha, those Mortal Kombat videos sure brought some memories back.. Can't wait to watch the tutorial, thanks again.
17 years ago
excellent
17 years ago
Excellent tutorial. Thanks a lot for this Andrew!
17 years ago
The Reptile VS Lui Kang fight was always my favorite from the film...
DrF
17 years ago
Thanks as always. I was just looking at a tutorial from the Creative Cow podcast on iTunes and it just reminded me of how much I appreciate what you do Andrew.
17 years ago
My fav.. my favorite part is when, is when Reptile kicks Liu Kang into stuff.
Awesome, amazing, happy-time tutorial, Andrew. From what wondrous place in your mind do these ideas spurt?
I both hate and love you. >=|

*Bows in respect*

jd
Peter Valcanas
17 years ago
Holy crap Batman! This blew my mind! You would never know that it was a still background! I might haven to skip ahead and try this one.

Thanks again for the great stuff Andrew!

Pete
Jason
17 years ago
Just got home. Cant wait to try this!!!
17 years ago
What plugin you guys talking about?
and where is it?
ömer tatlisoz
17 years ago
andrew Kramer:big master ...
PatrikTG
17 years ago
Lots of useful things here. Just the twister in itself is going to come in handy. You could use it to simulate a platic bag that dances with the wind. You could make the bag do that for fifteen minutes. It would be like a little kid begging you to play with it.
Ben
17 years ago
Now you need to make a tutorial on how to create those killer beats.
Reptile Slaughter
17 years ago
Not bad... You still got alotta learning to do kiddo. Compared to us pros you're like a little kid playing wit AE at home. COURSE, I'm only joking and absolutely loving these tutorials man. I'm good with max and maya... then I came along this page you posted on CG society and thought hey, let me check it out. Now I'm hooked into learning this piece. Thanks buddy.
17 years ago
Very nice, very nice. I got like 3 things I can use this in to, sooo excited!
17 years ago
Very nice job, as always! This tutorial will definately come in handy sometime in the future!
Morten Enoksen
17 years ago
Hey, I say two plugins under the VCP tab in your effect list!

Quick Matte. Are you hiding something for us, Andrew?
illd
17 years ago
Teacher! Mother! Secret Lover!
17 years ago
Most excellent! Thanks for the cool new tutorial Andrew!
17 years ago
scrooge: I had exactly the same thing, good to know I wasn't the only one
Morten Enoksen
17 years ago
NICE ONE!
17 years ago
nice one.
17 years ago
good stuff ,very intresting and very usefull.
thnks for the hard work you doing.
scroooge
17 years ago
great, great tutorial, particle system tutorials are always nice, and its nice when u demonstrate it in cc particle world as well, turns out to be a pretty powerful plugin

but i just got to say that its interesting how the rss feed from the blog updated with this post about 9 hours or something before the tutorial and actual blog post went online XD
Johanan
17 years ago
Wow, the uses are endless. Thanks Man. Great stuff
chido
17 years ago
"waste more time"

"little more time killing"
Andrew, your awesome! man
Some Guy
17 years ago
Wow! A new tutorial! Thank you!
17 years ago
You released this exciting tutorial on my BIRTHDAY!! YAY
17 years ago
AMAZING! THANKS FOR THE GREAT TUTORIALS!!!

FROM CA, VARGAS FILMS!!!
nieghel
17 years ago
Very nce! THX from Hungary!
17 years ago
Mortal Combat....Epic. Nice tutorial man!
Felix Lanyi
17 years ago
EXCITING!