NEW TUTORIAL: Lightning Strike Part-01
November 2nd, 2009

In Part 1 of this exciting tutorial series, we will build a lightning strike with rain effects using built-in After Effects plug-ins and then composite stock footage from Action Essentials 2.

Watch Tutorial

BLOG SHOW: Go behind the scenes to see some on location preparation in our newest Blog Show episode.
Watch Show

Andrew Kramer
POSTED:
16 years ago
97 Comments
anup
16 years ago
hey andrew..............
thanks for the great tutorials ...........
hope to see other tutorials related to boujou and AE.........
nige
16 years ago
absolutely brilliant ! We guys from the U.K are learning LOADS..thank you !
personman
16 years ago
"Backround." With no "g." Classic.
whiteto
16 years ago
It a very Exciting Tutorial !!!! Mr. Andrew


That Amazing
Mathijs Roks
16 years ago
I really enjoy your work! Greetings from Holland and keep up te good work!

Thanks.
16 years ago
Hey Andrew, Great tut, just wondering if you could share with my the name of the camera you are using? Best of luck with everything, keep it up.
16 years ago
Tutorial left me (and Sam) speechless!. Can't wait for Part two!




Thanks! And keep up the great work
16 years ago
I'll always re-watch your tutorials because there are thousands of tips to always get refreshed on. Thank you, the collapse transformation tip was always something I wanted to know but always worked around it in a more complicated way... VC, just making things easier!
Luc D
16 years ago
Sweet!

What about a lighting reflection in the puddle below Sam? So much attention to detail, but no reflection? Sorry for being so picky, this is still better than anything I've ever seen before. Thanks for the tut as always, you're the best!
16 years ago
another usfefull use of AE2 while waiting for part 2.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0WhDl-wbgk0
Jhon
16 years ago
Andrew! That was amazing, man! I wanna see the second part!! I can't wait!!

Cheers from Argentina.
Luther Hadley
16 years ago
Hey Andrew

You know i would keep and eye on Sam one of these days he just might snap and blow everybody up .. you know your almost at 100 tutorials and Sam get's the short end of the stick . I think you should at least make Sam save the day .... or have a contest and see what we can come up with I'm sure the community can come up with good ideas


Just give us green screen footage of Sam running and footage of you too .. lol You should make a Army of Sam chasing you .. or even better let Sam do a tutorial ... with you tie up in the background ... lol playing a guitar

what do you think .. just shout me out .. ok ..
AndrewYY
16 years ago
lightning never strikes the same place twice? I guess Sam is the exception to the rule XD
16 years ago
Too cool... I can't wait to play with the blood splatters...mwahahahaha....I am already thinking of cool ways to use this technique in another type of footage.
Vicky
16 years ago
There are severel test u had done in this tutorial. I like the most is when the lightning strikes immediately Sam explodes.Thats creates a great impact.What do you say.
bahaa
16 years ago
waiting for the next part ...
leith
16 years ago
Cool tutorial, very impressive.
MY
16 years ago
Awesome as allways!!
issamlestar
16 years ago
Awesome tutorial
issamlestar
16 years ago
waaaaaaoooo coooooooolll tutorial i'm waiting for the next part thznx andrew
Frederik
16 years ago
Awsome! i've just love your tutorials :p this one was the best i've ever seen! Love this website!
Pedrock
16 years ago
When are you going to post part 2?
16 years ago
Awesome tutorial! Some great tips in there. When can we expect part 2 ?
Qw3rtium
16 years ago
Hmm, I'm getting some errors too, but I have no problem watching the tutorial
Daniel
16 years ago
Hey, when will part 2 be online?
Cant wait
Don Carlos
16 years ago
Heh
Andrew have seen District 9...
Great
Naturo
16 years ago
Very good Tuto , THANKS ! Andrew Kramer !!!!
16 years ago
aaaw blast..
Was waiting until I had time to watch this and now I got some sort of database error which makes it impossible to watch the tutorial :S... anyone knows how to get rid of this?
gierki
16 years ago
Great!!! Tutorial
Daniel
16 years ago
Great tutorial! Really learned alot of it!
SAAD
16 years ago
FINALLY!! THERE IS A TUTORILAS USING AACTION ESSEN. 2 FOOTAGE...
THANKS MAN!!!


I WISH IF YOU COULD OF TEACH ME/ TUTOR ME 1-ON-1..THAT WOULD BE AWSOME...START--->>END
Nikolaus
16 years ago
Thanks! Love this tutorial!
XMan
16 years ago
you always give the best thing for us.
XMan
16 years ago
hello andrew. I think that you forgot the add smoke efx in composting this shotâ???¦ m i right? plz tell meâ???¦love u andrew bro.
XMan
16 years ago
hello andrew. I think that you forgot the add smoke efx in composting this shot... m i right? plz tell me...love u andrew
Aleksander
16 years ago
Andrew, this is great.
When next part?
16 years ago
Hey Andrew, I think you need to add something to your blog. When your new and you make a demo reel, DON'T take these tutorials as they are and fill your demo reel with them. Use the skills from them to make something original like it's part of a commercial or indi flick.
XMan
16 years ago
you are always too goodddddddddddd mannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
16 years ago
its nice tut
this video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?vIGuarw8bD8

for this tutrial
16 years ago
Yeah Awesome!!! When the next part Andrew?
16 years ago
Yeah Awesome!!! When the next part?
Menego17
16 years ago
Yeah Awesome!!!! When the next part?
Mazinga
16 years ago
Simply Amazing!!!

Saludos desde Espa??±a
16 years ago
Awesome...just woke up. There??´s nothing better to do than watching a tut now.
Ilvin Trinidad
16 years ago
OMG, Andrew you blew my mind with this one. Simply Awesome, im speechless.

May God Bless you and keep up the great work.

Your friend, from Dominican Republic.
Yathern
16 years ago
Looks like a great tutorial. Poor sam...
oras
16 years ago
lol sam allways taking damge
Goldenvale
16 years ago
Very nice effect. Hoping to see some more Hollywood effects.
Ljubomir Sinozic
16 years ago
excelent tutorial
refreshing this page --- priceless

thnx for tutorial
16 years ago
This looks great! Glad I took the 25percent offer, AE2 just arrived the other day
gatinhot
16 years ago
once again you done it andrew. Thanks for tut
Jaxxx
16 years ago
This is an awesome tutorial
Mr.Boing
16 years ago
Hey Andrew nice 'background'
16 years ago
Hey Andrew,
when will Part 2 be online?
Paul
16 years ago
Great stuff Andrew - How is the funeral arrangments going?!
Thomas
16 years ago
No offense but the still image just looks terrible. Anyway, gonna watch it this afternoon
aaa
16 years ago
THANKS ANDREW , GOOD TUTORIAL .
Rick
16 years ago
Great tut, can't wait for part 2!
16 years ago
Finally!
Thanks! I was waiting the whole day^^
olivier
16 years ago
merci , pour ce tutoriel et vivement la suite !!!!!
16 years ago
Thanks Andrew!
this is totally awesome !
just love your tutorials...
Vicky Shah
16 years ago
Amazing sir...it is great...really
Sleepyman
16 years ago
Great, I was just about to go to bed now I have to watch this.
Creative Media
16 years ago
Andrew thankz for another fresh tutorial..
Dextrmania
16 years ago
It's really nice,I'm expecting the second part to be more like a "camera shooting" tutorial than the usual VFX.
Thanx man!!!
Ayb from the philippines
16 years ago
hey, andrew

nice effect!!!

hahaha. .

you really inspire us. .

thank you so much. .
CRISTIAN O.
16 years ago
genial, me escanta este tipo de videotutoriales y los tuyos son los mejores. gracias Andrew, Saludos desde Chile.
16 years ago
VERY cool... Thanks Andrew!
BillyW
16 years ago
Nice tutorial man! This is great!!
16 years ago
Cant wait for the second part!
LEON
16 years ago
thx! it was awesome, i can't wait 4 part 2.
16 years ago
On Part 2 will you also go over how you did such a good hand held camera look?
16 years ago
Yesss thanks andrew..we r waiting second part!
Mateus enke
16 years ago
TKS. andrew! for this wonderful status, we look in the second half.
matthew enke of Brazil
Rafael
16 years ago
Thank you so much Andrew! I wait for the part two!!

By Rafael from Brazil
Brandon
16 years ago
I CANT WAIT FOR PART 2! LOL
Chris
16 years ago
When will the VC hats be available? How about some shirts? I could get my gf to model some VC bikinis
wick
16 years ago
Once again.. lovely!
Also looking out to the new flares! (and why not a shirt 2......)
Jason
16 years ago
AHHHH...two parts. When is part two coming?
Anthony
16 years ago
Not bad, looking forward to part-2.
16 years ago
Got action essentials a few days ago this should be interesting
Erick
16 years ago
That was totally awesome!
16 years ago
Finally! I'm so excited!
Suvir
16 years ago
I tried tht too.. but am late
ryan
16 years ago
Great tutorail ive been refreashing for the whole day!
Doguz
16 years ago
Cool. Now I can strike down my loved ones. In jest of course.
BMW
16 years ago
Refresing the page every 5 minutes does work..
Jason
16 years ago
Andrew,

Are you going to track AE 2 sales to see if they increase at all after incorporating it in your tutorials? I hope you start using more of your products in your tuts
Frigen Outstanding Andrew!
16 years ago
Finally, i'm waiting the whole day for this, thanks mr. AK, love Video Copilot.
16 years ago
Finally, looks like a really awesome tutorial, maybe i'll use it in my 48 hour film fest contest
Jason
16 years ago
Finally...cant wait to watch
16 years ago
Thank you so much Andrew!
I've been refreshing this page all day, and I can already tell it was worth it!


Can't wait for my AE2 to come in the mail!
16 years ago
Very nice Andrew!

Will have to purchase your products for Christmas for myself
Johann Torres
16 years ago
Thanks andrew, i was waiting for this!
16 years ago
Awesome! This looks cool!