Machine Gun Test

June 28th, 2010

Here is a test video that uses pre-keyed elements from our stock footage collection: Action Essentials 2 for machine gun hits. I used 3 random clips with Trapcode Particular's custom sprite option. Using a particle system allows you do build complex effects without duplicating the clip hundreds of times, while maintaining precise control.

You could potentially duplicate the particle system and make dirt marks or holes underneath the main particles. I'm sure you guys and gals will think of really creative ways of using real footage elements as particles.

Watch Sample Video

Andrew Kramer

POSTED:

15 years ago

99 Comments

Zamir A.

13 years ago

and more than a year later, here it is!:http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/dynamic_machine_gun/
hehehe, XD Thanks!

Amer

14 years ago

Can we please have a tutorial of this Andrew?

haili

15 years ago

i love it very very much!thanks,but we need a tutorial

Thomas a

15 years ago

Great fx, please make a tutorial! it could really help me out with my own movie!

JaanBoy

15 years ago

Andrew, not wanting to sound really pushy, but is there a possibility of a tutorial on this please?

Hassan A. Al-Tarooti

15 years ago

Dear. Andrew

When you will do this project tutorial for us ,,, because we are need that one

Thanks

Hassan Al-Tarooti

shahrooz

15 years ago

plz make a tutorial for this magic... we need that
plz my master

Videozen

15 years ago

WOOOOwwww! Nice shooting! Good thing I wasnt the target! hehehehe
It really makes me think... I DO can redecorate my backyard! It looks prety much the same as the footage... SO: a little of work in AE and MISSION ACOMPLISHED! (I´m a genius I know)

Rob

15 years ago

Tutorial plz. xD i know this probably is easy but i'm a little bit noob in after effects xD

Jason

15 years ago

Yeah, a tutorial would be awesome!

Manuel

15 years ago

Hey andrew can u made a tutorial on this because I can't make the sprite working with a clip

.. hope u will made a tutorial on this greets from me u'r the best

donass

15 years ago

amazing !!!
i was wondering if i could do as good as u
here is my test
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v

L3U82A3GXk

Demon

15 years ago

Really good visual effects. The only downer was the sound fx of the gun shots.

Max max

15 years ago

I'll make you a tutorial:
1. Take a house destroyed picture
2. Add a null object and put some traking data on it (it can be from a wiggle (it seems it's what Andrew used, the camera movement is very mathematical) or a tracking data from a real footage that you tracked).
3. Open footage 3 clips from Action Essentials 2. Color correct them.
4. Layer» new layer» solid » effect» trapcode particular.
5. Than play with the settings and instead using a sphere, use a sprite and the clips as texture.
Voila

Vasco

15 years ago

Please post a Tutorial, Sir!

Dil

15 years ago

PLEASE! A TUTORIAL!

luke

15 years ago

hello Andy,

I'm a noob with after effect, never used before, I spent the last 4 weeks watching your tutorials, and.. man, you are a God, I'm here just to thank you for everything, I'm learning so fast!

Jimmy James

15 years ago

A tutorial would be amazing if you can spare the time

Chris Slowik

15 years ago

Quote from Lynton: "Only problem I see is that non of the bullets have any impact on the debris on the ground(no indentations from the bullets or breakup of the debris at ground level) other then that it looks nice. Lol"

You can easily achieve that effect. Just use the Aux System generator in Particular. Set the main particles to the bullet hole graphic, and use the aux system to show the dirt hit video as the sprite. Just set the aux generator to only show one particle, with no movement.. maybe some random rotation to make it more realistic.

Kirk

15 years ago

Perfect. Please create a tut for this one -- it has universal applications.

Alan

15 years ago

Great job, looks very authentic!

For all those so-called, "experts" with the, "Not realistic enough" or, "We don't need a tutorial." How about you show us all how great you are and post one?

Let's give Andrew some props, guys. He works very hard at what he does and still shares his knowledge, free!

James Price

15 years ago

Reminds me of the end shootout sequence in District 9

merosathi

15 years ago

wow this is great. never knew such things can be done with Particular. is it possible with CC Particle World???

15 years ago

Looks pretty damm good to me. Nice work.

jerry

15 years ago

WOW...awesome....I have to go try this now....

mani

15 years ago

Great mr.andrew, very coooooooooool wrksss

Real Illusions

15 years ago

how Steve Jobs would say, Amazing Andrew. Please Tutorial!!!!!

Damian

15 years ago

Thanks again! Hope to see a new tutorial soon.

Damian

15 years ago

Hey Andrew I have a action essential 2 and I noticed that the way you use it is pure genius. I love the way you combine tons of videos to make it perfects. Like there I noticed dirt charges, sparks, and smoke. Thanks for sharing this

Saleem

15 years ago

hey check out my version of thathttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IMpxkXYway8

David M

15 years ago

This is pretty amazing. I think all it needs is some film grain. If Twitch or something like it was added, it could be really incredible.

Scott

15 years ago

This is soooo good...
But i also believe the shadows need more blue darks!

But this is incredible! When will you become a VFX artist/Compositor in holywood movies?

nuklearwanze

15 years ago

just a a little detail i noticed: you could make the composite even more realistic looking, by varying the rotation in which smoke and debris is flying off.

a bullet impact only throws debris UP if it hits a horizontally aligned surface. in case of the rubble field in the shot, debris would fly differently. (always align the impact 90 degree to the surface it hits in the shot)

also: you are hitting some very prominent and easily visible (bright) pieces of rubble in the shot - you should definitely keep some scorch marks in place after the smoke clears.

Amer

15 years ago

perfect....just perfect

GreedOra

15 years ago

Are you going to teach us how to do this in AE ?

Ray

15 years ago

I did something similar as a test here;

http://vimeo.com/11707831

c-r-u-x

15 years ago

Actually I feel like the AE2-elements don't sit perfectly well in the scene. The shadowy parts of the debris should probably be more blueish like the shadows in the plate and I'd try and match the color of the debris better with the color of the concrete since that's the dominant color and most debris would have to come from those concrete parts.

Jenovation

15 years ago

Looks fantastic! Wow.
Did you do any tracking for this shot or just animate the emitter across the perspective plane?

Stefan

15 years ago

Great! Looking fantastic!

It will be great to create something like a quick tip tutorial to show us how to made something like that. I think that will really help you to sell your product even more!

Best regards Stefan

Dominik

15 years ago

Is the background a still picture? Is it the same technique (camera rig) as in the last tutorial?

caives

15 years ago

A tutorial would be nice! Nice work, Andrew.

Hassan A. Al-Tarooti

15 years ago

woooooooooooooow ,,, mr. Andrew Kramer This is like the truth

nsnaveen

15 years ago

realistic wow awesome effect with a still image. i dont care if the derbis on ground dint change...

bobthenob

15 years ago

Andrew your the man
wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

daro

15 years ago

andy you totally rock.smart composition.

elhora

15 years ago

I need a rope.... and a tree. Or a tut ! ^^ Really realistic fx. Impressive.

Tim XIANG

15 years ago

Awesome... Looking foreword to the tutorial..hahha

hey I used some Action Essential 2 stuff and made a Dragon Ball style fighting, I posted it on the form...do you think maybe you could take a look at it...

http://www.videocopilot.net/forum/viewtopic.php?f=11&t=39525

Hiphopjoe

15 years ago

i used this in one of my vids a few projects back, very nice bro!!

bob 268

15 years ago

well done andrew!!!

Gee

15 years ago

Incredible! Nice one Andrew!

lucchi

15 years ago

andrew what if you make this video your new tutorial?
its awesome

Matthew Sabia

15 years ago

Nice stuff Andrew! keep it up man!

Ryan

15 years ago

haha damn you Lashan i was hoping no one would notice. I couldn't delete my typo haha

Geyck

15 years ago

Particular is a great plugin. The only time I used it was doing the 'medical zoom' tut. (And that was the demo version) Linking video to particles is quite awesome. But alas, I would rather buy a few bargain VC plugins than Particular at the moment.

Luke

15 years ago

Hey Andrew, I just was wondering if a tutorial was coming for this or not. I'd LOVE one...because the ground hits it my movie didn't turn out the best. Here it is: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5aXqsd8r6U

Udit

15 years ago

That was Hell Cool !!!!!!!

Versianni

15 years ago

I bet that this background is a still image as Andrew usually do to trick our minds!!

Kert Gartner

15 years ago

Not bad! Too bad the particles never hit the ground though

This would work great in a quick cut.

lucio

15 years ago

Ese efecto se ve realmente muy bien! te felicito desde argentina! Continua con tus maravillosos tutoriales, son lo mejor!!!

you rock!

William Wilkinson

15 years ago

This looks awesome! Definitely worth a tutorial.

VFX-Anomaly

15 years ago

I like pie and 3/4 is how much of one i can eat

Nice Action Essentials 2 pre-keyed element Andrew

Lashan

15 years ago

I completely agree with this Ryan guy, this can be easily achieved if you've watched the other Video Copilot tutorials.

It's just a still picture with the Particular over it and has some added camera shake with some nice sound effects..

Only thing is, PIE is 3.14 backwards. ;D

Ryan

15 years ago

I don't understand people who are asking for a tutorial...what do you guys even come on this site for.

This is easyer then realising PIE is 3.16 backwards.

It looks cool but there is no need for a tutorial, just look at his old ones. Jeez

Thomas

15 years ago

That looks awesome!!

Now, you just need some guys (And of course, by that I mean Sam. :p ) who will let you shoot around thier feet and maybe down by the side of thier car? :p

jason smith

15 years ago

looks mechacool! hope you do a tutorial! ...and i'd love to see lots more action essential 2 tutorials. recently purchased and always interested in potential uses of that product. you are THEE MAN.

Keninchina

15 years ago

Woah, how did you make the debris? This effect should get its own tutorial~

Jared R.

15 years ago

Oh, that is sick.

Adrian

15 years ago

Sorry, it happens only to me or are there more people who can not see the video?

Daniel

15 years ago

Why does everything you do come out so great? seriously though, you're awesome, thanks for all the great stuff you share with us

syaf

15 years ago

is that an anamorphic size for a video?

Arilla

15 years ago

We need a tutorial for this :O! Awesome!

Cristian Diaz Basualto

15 years ago

it looks very realistic..

Jason

15 years ago

I think Andrew was tired when he posted this blog.....a couple grammar errors in there.

Navigas

15 years ago

That looked really great, but with a little adjusting on the ground and objects laying around(simulating movement) it could look even more realistic.
The idea is brilliant though!

Darren Case

15 years ago

Hey! Thats great! I love the aspect ratio!
Whats up with the building? Action essentials 4 maybe?!

Daniel Harrison

15 years ago

Oh man... Mr. Kramer, you impress me every time again and again.

How's the "Dragon" Plugin doing?

dannykneip

15 years ago

awesome video - made me laugh!

i continue to be amazed at the possibilities...

Brock

15 years ago

Great stuff! I know how to use AE2 and motion track, but I'm having trouble with my particular. Looks efficient, but I would love to see a tutorial!

kakashi02said

15 years ago

Amazing effects as always Andrew , I hope I can do something like that.

RicharD83

15 years ago

Awesome, that's great, but that gonna be a tuts? anyway, thank Mr. Kramer

Mr. Pink

15 years ago

Good. You are learning well Andrew...

Matthew Park

15 years ago

Wooow so cool. many thanks mr. kramer

Bones

15 years ago

so cool, as always my friend...

Ben de Leijster

15 years ago

Any chance there will be a short tutorial or Video-Blog about this?

Rikchard

15 years ago

Great Job Andrew!

You are the best, definitely!

XHD

15 years ago

Great technique, you always making great stuff...
At the end the dust looks kind of fake.
THANKS FOR THEM GREAT TUTORIALS!

15 years ago

This definitely needs a tutorial! It'll be really useful. Fantastic realism.

wick

15 years ago

i would almost run!

Zen

15 years ago

Great job man !

Kasa

15 years ago

NICE ONE!!!

How much time did you spend on a test like these??

gabriel

15 years ago

due make a tut!!!

Lynton

15 years ago

Only problem I see is that non of the bullets have any impact on the debris on the ground(no indentations from the bullets or breakup of the debris at ground level) other then that it looks nice. Lol

Jon

15 years ago

Really realistic!

Tyle Renake

15 years ago

I always forget about particular....this could have saved me hours of work. Me likee time savers.

oras

15 years ago

nice coming down in z line

Steely

15 years ago

Wow! that looks ace. I tried something like it with particular using a pic for a sprite but looked nothing like as good as that. Never thought to use video as a sprite! Thankx

NEWGUY

15 years ago

U GOOD ANDREW AND DA VC CREW???

Lunga

15 years ago

That looked quite realstic...what was the footage shoot with? Thanks Andrew

theguttz

15 years ago

God! really great FX! :O