More Lights!

July 31st, 2009

One of the primary techniques in the recent Light Casting tutorial is the ability to add multiple lights in your scene. These additional lights will automatically interact with the surface based on intensity, distance and color so you can worry about more important things like building robots.

Watch the 2009 Light Race! HD 720p

Andrew Kramer

POSTED:

16 years ago

139 Comments

reza355

16 years ago

i love you .thanks.u r the best

Dave

16 years ago

Thanks Andrew!

Coolninjatv

16 years ago

Great light show

Jean Paul

16 years ago

What's the name of the music you are using?

Sandy

16 years ago

What a brilliant video to show the importance of this FX, great great work! We love you Andrew & we support you as always!!!!!

Warm Regards
Sandy

Powertase

16 years ago

Dear guys, don't just say: Thank you Andrew, wow Andrew, you're pro Andrew. Go and buy the good stuff!

D3FO3

16 years ago

Hmm. Amazing shot (impressive fx!) Methinks the work of the "RED ONE" mysterium perhaps? What ever it is, i'm drooling. Definitely up-rezzing or pixel shifting goin on here

Can u share w/ us how you managed to upload that multiple_web.mov in full screen mode. Is this a CSS trick or something? Is that you John Wayne is this me?

Marcello

16 years ago

Legendary Andrew, Legendary... I'm at a loss for words, me and both my sock puppets!!!! p.s I'm sure you can turn this into a "tutorial part 2" under 5minutes you Andrew Kramer for pete's sake!!!!

Luke

16 years ago

I am curious to know where that piece of music is from?

Stanley

16 years ago

I will watch it when I come back home from Denmark, it seems awesome already

Stephen

16 years ago

Hey Andrew, thanks for all the hard work you put into these projects and for taking to the to share it.
~S

Lenny

16 years ago

*things

Lenny

16 years ago

I figured it out. I think I'm going to bed cause I'm over looking and forgetting simple think.

Lenny

16 years ago

Now I'm unabled to orbit.

Lenny

16 years ago

It works. I figured it out. Thanks

Lenny

16 years ago

Hey Andrew, I'm having a problem using this expression.
lookAt(thiscomp.activeCamera.position,postion)[0]
I get a warning saying
After Effects warning: class 'Layer'has no property or method named 'thiscomp'Expression disabled. My email is
Your assistance will be very much appreciated.
Thank you.

However

16 years ago

hey andrew i know you have seen a lot of ae 2 tests on youtube. but i felt that none actually show the real potential in ae 2. I made a really cool 4 sec vid for you using your street footage. check this out:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WG0tr-EtrIU

Andrew Kramer's girlfriend (not really)

16 years ago

Nice tutorial. It looks like a harry potter spell or something.

(your biggest fan)

Some Guy

16 years ago

Magical vampire lights... I just LOL'ed!

Andrew, I can't wait to see your video blog. You are such a great entertainer.

Abe

16 years ago

Would have been awesome if you screamed and pointed to the street as the orbs came in to get a reaction from the crowd. Of course you probably didn't plan on doing the tut as you were filming this. Don't get me wrong its awesome but you know, would have been funny to see the reaction of the people and how they would have looked at you weird afterward

andrew lee

16 years ago

I for one am not about to criticize Andrew's work, his technique or his time spent helping everyone..FOR FREE. While I agree that a lot more could have been done to add to this one, as Andrew points out, it's just a idea but together to give the rest of us something to think about.

The point I made about people in the scene not reacting was just that an idea. Obviously he could have paid everyone in the shot to look round in amazement at a certain point, though I doubt the budget would have stretched to that.

Yes Andrew I realize this is just an idea, to show that the technique is reusable and I've never failed to be amazed at some of the techniques you have demonstrated in the many, tutorials you have freely given to the community.

Keep it up, your time and effort is very much appreciated.

Chad ONeal

16 years ago

lol@vampire lights.. I knew it!

Tanel

16 years ago

we all love and wait your blogposts, so keep it up

I totally respect that you read the comments

Andrew Kramer

16 years ago

Dan, Qw3rtium & others,
Yah, I think some people get excited to see the possibilities and ways to enhance a shot but perhaps don't realize that it was just Friday and I was just trying to throw something together for a blog post!

I know that most people see the light casting technique as something reusable and that is what is important.

clancy30

16 years ago

fun to make but i had a problem when i play the clip video looked like it has heat on it dont know why.

Paulo Serrat from BRASIL!!!

16 years ago

Hi andrew!

Look, I was just wondering if you could help me.. I'm learnig a lot of stuff with your tutorials, and I thank you for publishing that so we can can improve our techniches.. I'm buying a new camera, but I want to know wich camera you've used to make th NY scenes.. Is that a Canon? What do you think about the Canon HV40? Is it worth it?

Hope hearing from you, man!

Cya!!!

ps: You've got an awesome gift, praise the Lord for that.
And sorry about my english,

Nashman

16 years ago

Wow, absolute great. Thanks Andrew

mbiendi

16 years ago

Today i have a respect in my country people are saying i have a big knowledge but what i have in done,i for you i give the glory Andrew thank for u are sharing spirit.pls just a special thank or critical from u this is my blog
http://www.3dvf.com/modules/galeriev2/artiste.php?idartist=9362&page=1&py=35&type=&cat=&tr=1&s=&start=&a=0&l=&ta=
god bless u

Dan

16 years ago

Andrew, you have alot more patience than I do. Here you try to teach and inspire people with knowledge and techniques for FREE and still some people are going to criticize you for the most trivial things. I'm glad you are a good sport about it too, I personally would have been a little upset. Thanks for all that you do.

Qw3rtium

16 years ago

When did people start to critisize Andrews work this much? Well atleast you've got logic answers to everyone

I literally fell on the floor

Jodo Kast

16 years ago

I still say, Andrew Kramer smoking something fierce. Good stuff. As in the video and tutorials...not what he smoking. Although it seems to work nicely.

mars

16 years ago

You are the man.....from atlantis!!!

However

16 years ago

hey buddy, i know these guys are bugging you with the posts so i got a better one

can you pleease post the project file of THIS scene? thanks

Matthew

16 years ago

Excellent work! Although some say the orb should have passed behind the truck, it is controversial as to whether it did or not. As for the reflections, it would have been a nice addition, however, these are meant to demonstrate a specific method/effect and not an entire cinema-quality effect.

Jordo

16 years ago

Nice tut and these are awesome vampire lights

I can see great potential for the use of the glowing balls of coolness. Keep it up

The Rover

16 years ago

omg.. that makes so much more sense Andrew. LOL

Of course vampire lights would not cast reflections.... i'm so retarded. Clearly the cars should not reflect this type of light. I'm so sorry..

(even though vampires hate sunlight and it is clearly a sunny day... lol they should have turned into something like this guy http://i27.tinypic.com/vcyxb6.jpg )

lol btw nice tutorial. I just made the most amazing kamahamaha blast ever...

Maxi Gomez

16 years ago

Friends, is just a tutorial. At some point has to stop. He can mask each object to make it look realistic, but...is just a tutorial ...

Congratulations Andrew.

Tony

16 years ago

Wow amazing work again. Just wondering how to make the light ball from flying behind the advertisement board on the upper right corner like you did on the video?

andrew lee

16 years ago

Yes a bit of refection on the van and maybe even the cars would have added a lot to this shot. However it's the people NOT reacting that spoils it. So perhaps if you rendered out the first and last frames as .psd files. Open them in photoshop, place on separate layers and just paint out the people. Then place the resultant image above the footage and using the pen tool, just draw over the areas containing people. Oh and then precompose this and then add the effects, using this as your starting footage.

ubay_oops@yahoo.co.id

16 years ago

awesome....its so more real light

mahesh garnara

16 years ago

Nice Effect.

Diego G.

16 years ago

Vampire, that's true.
How didn't I think about that before?

You have the answer for everything, AK!

Cyle

16 years ago

I knew they were vampire lights all along.
Very cool stuff here!

kamal98

16 years ago

Andrew Kramer yu a di man "believe it"

as quoted by Naruto

iacere

16 years ago

haha^^

but ok thats right haha ^^ vampire...^^

Andrew Kramer

16 years ago

Alright look. I didn't want to have to get into this with you guys but here is the truth. These are magical vampire lights and they do not show up in reflections. They only cast light. Adding reflections would be unrealistic.

Cody

16 years ago

Awesome work, but no reflection of lights on the first truck ..

Jerry

16 years ago

Great clip Andrew. I love the fun colors and different directions.

Now that you mention robots, I am going to have to go into my 3D program and set up a robot to use it as the source for all of these flying orbs....kind of Transformer-ish....sounds like fun.....maybe I will even put Sam's head on my robot.

Olmer

16 years ago

nice sound effects! do you use anything besides your products? (epic music etc..)

B3T0N

16 years ago

nice job AK ....thats just nice work ....i know now : I MUST LEARNING to do 1 animation like you did...

DH12

16 years ago

Andrew..

The sample video you posted for this was bid, and nice to see in high-def, but the big problem for me was that it was so big for my monitor that I couldn't see the playback option. This causes me to wait for the video to load then exit, and open the tab up again to watch it without it stuttering. Something to tweek out?

Love your tutorials btw
Thanks

Stewart Wood

16 years ago

@ Rover
This was another example of this technique "example"

For Andrew to include the reflections on the cars would have made the tutorial even longer and at the same time the beginners at this sort of visual fx would have gotten confused very quickly.
Remember that they are tutorials not final compositing and the aim is to teach a technique in after effects of witch Andrew does very well.
Thank you Andrew for all the hard work.

linkin

16 years ago

Hey andrew,

Nice tutorial. I am more interested in your color grade of your street scene. Any tips on that grade, its really nice. Maybe a before/after pic? THanks!

lucas

16 years ago

How do I do ? my particles are boucing and not sliding like yours !

iacere

16 years ago

Ok- reflection on the car - its not tehre but he just wanted to give us something to think about, so for me it does??´nt have to be perfect...and think abou that: Nothing s perfect

... but ok it??´s just my oppinion

bohdan

16 years ago

Hi Andrew. My name is Bohdan and I live in Ukraine. I and many of my friends like your classes and packages of options, say you can talk via ICQ (my 216283423) or Skype (nanovskys). Write if you have time, perhaps I can help than that.
Well, yes sorry for the bad English, this is not my native language.

Smashkins

16 years ago

I vostri tutorials sono fantastici e di grande ispirazione!
Grazie per il vostro lavoro!!

Your Tutorials are fantastic and great inspiration !!
Thankyou for your job!

From Italy!

Adis

16 years ago

Stunning! It would be nice if you push it to another level with some reflections to the surrunding and by so creating a reflection tut. When the black car passes the white truck, you can se the reflection of it. When the flying thig passes the truck, you se non reflection. Something to put to another level?

Zabi

16 years ago

Thats nice ,,, thanks again adrew for another nice tutorial

Jaz

16 years ago

Rover

"first he doesnâ??????t make the reflections on the cars..

second the orange orb didnt fly in from behind the truckâ???¦

what kind of stuff is this andrew?"

First, I agree that the reflections on the vehicles is not there.

Second, it looks to me that the Orange Orb flew in front of the truck, not behind. Look at the Green and Purple Orbs. They fly in from above and pass behind a sign. If AK intended the Orange Orb to come in from behind the truck he would have done it.

Maybe you could come up with a better movie clip?
;op

(Everyone is a critic these days!)

nayab

16 years ago

hi friens good vfx works

Loay

16 years ago

I liked the AUX particles which has been emitted by the fire balls
Nice work Andrew

Ahmos

16 years ago

ofCourse Andrew you are the Boss
forever

Sleem

16 years ago

Yeah Andrew you are... thats true

Andrew Kramer

16 years ago

Rover, I've already been fired 3 times and I'm the boss!

knat

16 years ago

this is kool

The Rover

16 years ago

first he doesn't make the reflections on the cars..

second the orange orb didnt fly in from behind the truck...

what kind of stuff is this andrew?

you dont wanna end up like the people at ILM who got fired because of one clip a mess up in compositing transformers 2..

here's the vid that messed up transformers 2 from being the greatest vfx movie ever

http://tinypic.com/r/28c0k8p/3

i mean just wrong compositing....

Jason

16 years ago

Nice work....I need to try this. Looks awesome

Just got my new Sony HD camera this week. If anyone wants to see a test vid I did with it here is the link.

http://www.videocopilot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=20342

bÃƒÂ©dji

16 years ago

i love find news on VCP.MAYBE GIRLS AND LOVE CHANGED MANY LIFES OF PEOPLE BUT ME, my life has really changed with Videocopilot. AND IM FAITHFULL.

Vizion

16 years ago

So epic. Love it

! I have tons of ideas just from this single clip XD!

DarkEntity

16 years ago

Wow...really amazing!!!!way advance!!!you're the best!!!I hope you can do something like the MARVEL opening title.I thank you so much and your team for doing all these tutorials!!Super Great!!!!

Evan

16 years ago

Thank You, right when I was looking for a good technique for having wizarding harry potter battles, can't wait to use this for it, especially on connecting of the wands!

SXVBAKA

16 years ago

Qw3rtium:u are a gay

Pejman Tahernian

16 years ago

Spectacular!nice idea and execution.you are like a leader.
but more about 3dsmax, special: different motor engine like vray and mental ray please.

Chad ONeal

16 years ago

offended

Randall

16 years ago

Maybe i'm the first guy to bring it up, but I'd love to see the reflection on the van's window... any ideas?

Tony

16 years ago

Andrew,

You are the F#@@#$% man! Amazing. Andrew, can you please please please (not begging just emphasizing) the setting that you render this out. I am in awe at the quality yet small file size.

TeaMan
(Like HeMan) but with Tea.

Joe F

16 years ago

lol.. Pretty tight. Always impressive!

Steve

16 years ago

We really appreciate your expertise.
We are glad you are able to share.
Your un-selfish ways have made you a success.

Thank you.

Sebastiaan Meliefste

16 years ago

Hey Andrew,

Nice work man (as always

)
but I kinda miss the reflection on the windows of the cars?
Got any tips on that?

Greetings from Holland!

Saxon

16 years ago

This is great! also, great tutorial

, as per usual!

Ps: any news on the video blog thing you was talking about? looking forward to that

ben

16 years ago

nice! this effect could be used to the harry potter wand light effect!

Will Townsend

16 years ago

Looks frikin NiCe!

And I second the video compresion info

Mark

16 years ago

Wow Awesome!

Juan's-Ter

16 years ago

simplemente los mejores!!! muy buenos tutoriales y una exelente calidad en su trabajo... suerte compadres!!!

Yngwie

16 years ago

Andrew,can you tell me,what is your video compression choice?

nikhil

16 years ago

hey whats up andrew.......man you are just awesome
love ur tutorials
i was just wondering bout the energy wipe u used in the reelated tutorial ........ how do we make that ....

nyways you rock

Dave

16 years ago

Reminds me of the Red Bull Air race for some reason!

Amazing as ever!

Thanks andrew!

Boogyman

16 years ago

Diego... i though Andrew made the Star Trek Titles...
i thing the knowledge ain't enough to make a good movie.

this is the first misstake of my country. everybody thinks he's a Director or a producer. and no one is specializing at a single thing /like video compositing, motion graphics etc... and we don't have a singe worthy sound designer!/

Boogyman

16 years ago

i liked the indian woman in the right smiling at the lights...
are they for real :O

(gigle)

Diego G.

16 years ago

Andrew, With all the knowledge you have,
Haven't you ever thought about making a movie?
But I mean a real movie so everybody can see it in cinemas?

You're a genius with After Effects, you should make a school in U.S.A. and be the headmaster

Sorry for my english, I'm from Argentina...

Andres F

16 years ago

You a official bad ass

in AE

iacere

16 years ago

N1 work!
Really nice with this race..
When I watched this I thought about the Effect in harry potter when the deatheaters are flying in this smoke around the place.. this has maybe nothing to do with the light ^^, but I thought about that when I saw it... so would be great to know how this smoke can be created

Greetz from germany

Tiffer

16 years ago

the pepole on the side walk arent even botherd with all them lights flying past !!!!!!!!must be an every day thing in NY...........

Filmaker92

16 years ago

Andrew and Video Copilote fans. During the sample video did anyone notice that a woman in blue behind the first guy notice that she looked at the lights racing! When the orange came by she look on the side and looked up! HAHAHA I just want to point that out. Cause that shows realism!

Mike Patterson

16 years ago

I don't mean to put a restriction on other Video Copilot fans.. but could you make your sample videos a little smaller. I don't have a big enough screen to hit the play button haha :-/

Kael

16 years ago

@Kenn

Ha, I like the way you think! I had the same thought, just that the Sinestro Corps guy was being chased down by the other lanterns. Especially since the Blue Lantern seemed to really be on his tail!

Brad

16 years ago

Love the particles which fall to the ground.

Good job!

Matt in MO.

16 years ago

Reminds me of Ghostbusters... just better.

Tanel

16 years ago

Qw3rtium: I so want to be Andrew Kramer then

pat

16 years ago

That looks soooo cool though I thought it looked like the orange light should have come from behind the truck...it still is great!!!
Also if you were doing this effect inside would you put solids on side walls as well as the ground?

Leighton

16 years ago

Its clear that the blue orb won the race by a mile.

foebea

16 years ago

Wow, that's incredible! 7.60 per half hour plus tax is insane. Also the light show is very cool, will have to play with that perhaps with flaming arrows.

RicharD17

16 years ago

AK you are the best that is crazy

Scott Jason

16 years ago

Nikel

Kenn

16 years ago

Looks like the green, blue, yellow and sapphire lanterns are looking for new recruits!

Green Lantern, anyone?

unreal

16 years ago

Andrew, did you loosely base this on the "Lexus Orbs" advertisment?

16 years ago

Andrew is there any way that you can cover particles in 3ds Max flying in a path refected off a raytraced surface. I know how to map a refective material and animate along a path. Its the Particles and Light Whip thats getting me.

Javier Miranda

16 years ago

Awesome...!!!! Thanks!!!!

Nicklas

16 years ago

Awsome!

M.h

16 years ago

Arvin,s right !

Arvin

16 years ago

Aww, just like the tutorial, this video clip didn't show how he did the distortion/displacement effect that was seen in the original preview clip.

Qw3rtium

16 years ago

Tanel: If you are Andrew Kramer, then no

Brunito

16 years ago

Are they the powerfull girls?? or a Harry Potter Spell?? lol Ty all of u do for us... from Argentina, Brih!

Moca MX

16 years ago

@Daglas: hahahahahah you want tutorial on this?
Check out tutorials

Douglas

16 years ago

Nice Effect!!

Tutorial plz!!!

Tanel

16 years ago

is there any limits to AE

Siupej666

16 years ago

You are a rocker and your guitar is After effects

Stephen

16 years ago

Ooops! Guess had I actually checked the "Light Casting tutorial" link I would have know that you didn't make another tute. Sure looked like another project was coming but hey, we don't want to wear out this little jem too fast.

Rafael

16 years ago

haha...i just noticed the people at the right corner of the clip. lol, they are seeing the crazy light streaks and acting normally...man!

Russ Fairley

16 years ago

Nice work man!

jamie

16 years ago

sam loya light string brain

now that would be cool

muckyman

16 years ago

yeah leef, but whataya-gonna doâ???¦

call ghostbusters...?

Michael

16 years ago

That reminds me of the scene from Ghostbusters 1 when the storage unit explodes

Andrew Kramer

16 years ago

yeah leef, but whataya-gonna do...

leef

16 years ago

NICE your work is pro and keeps improving! The orange-orb-of-infinite-energy should fly in from behind that truck on the right.

some-1

16 years ago

I was thinking about that.. The technic used to add realistic light to the road, well you could do the same thing to everything else that you think should be affected by the light.. Like on the side of the truck and every other thing you need to add light to..

Andrew Kramer

16 years ago

uh... I'm not making another tutorial on this

Its just something to think about...

Stephen

16 years ago

I had a feeling another tutorial was coming after watching your enthusiasm working with the two colored lights in the first tutorial.

David W.

16 years ago

I was thinking of the same thing! Two lights flying down the street racing each other.

JackPeirson

16 years ago

AWESOME!!!!

sasha strelnikoff

16 years ago

cool!!!

Andreas

16 years ago

Nice vid btw.
You could mask the truck so the first sphere flew behind it though.

Qw3rtium

16 years ago

Like the super robots from the future?

Paul

16 years ago

this looks so sweeet!! cant wait to try it out!
haha kind of looks like power rangers....not that i've ever watched that....

Ryan

16 years ago

almost first, look at the truck! a mistake!!! OMG! haha nah nice job. keep the good stuff comming

Ross

16 years ago

Very awesome! Can't wait to implement it in something!

Ricky

16 years ago

wow this is really amazing

Ashley M

16 years ago

Wow now this is kool

Tutorials

158.5. Element 3D V2.2 Features

Group Symmetry Creation Mode

158. City Destruction

Add Realistic City Destruction in 3D Space

Blog Show

The Video Copilot Show is Online!

Check out the new show! Tutorials and projects up next! In this show we go behind the scenes to show you how we created an insane SuperHero Landing! Episode Highlights: Greenscreen Filming 3D Compositing Matte Painting & Set Extensions Forced Perspective Shooting Visual Effects Breakdowns

View All Blog Shows

Plugins

Stock Footage