Getting a few things together for the meeting tonight at DMA LA. The plan is to talk about working with 3D renders in AE. Hope you guys can come out!

Meeting Info

UPDATE: Had a blast at the meeting, I'll be posting some info about the presentation soon!

In the old days, artists would paint on a life-sized canvas or even a sheet of glass to incorporate new elements in a shot. Many special effects were not done in post production, but rather in-camera. Today digital matte painting and compositing allow a more detailed and controlled environment for developing unique worlds. Wiki-Pedia on Matte Painting.

Matte Paintings are an essential part of film-making and allow the audience to travel to a mysterious planet, or go back in time to an early period of human life. You often see matte paintings in disaster movies where clever artists have brought destruction to a popular city or other famous landmark.

Once a digital painting has been completed, compositors can add life to these still paintings such as chimney smoke, moving water, atmospheres and even birds flying in the sky. More advanced mixtures of matte paintings utilize 3d animation such as cars driving or even space ships from the future!

Check out this incredible reel by Hatch! Must Watch. This one too!

Camera movement is also possible with a process called 3d camera mapping. By projecting your scene on to custom-built 3D geometry, you can later add a realistic camera move.View Example.

The world of matte painting is vast and I encourage you to do some research on your own into this amazing side of Hollywood. You may not personally be a matte painting artist but if you understand the process, it just might help you become a better compositor. Maybe.

Resources:
MattePainting.org
Google Search

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.

Did you know that CC Particle World allows you to use an image (or texture) as a custom particle type? Just select the "Textured QuadPolygon" and a texture roll-out becomes available that allows you to choose a layer along with some other options.

Here is a fun project file that uses a custom particle type to create the image-based glowing lights.

Download Project CS3

It's official! On Tuesday August 18, I'll be presenting at Digital Media Artists Los Angeles with some fun After Effects tips and I want you to be there! The meeting is FREE but please register on the event website to be eligible for special door prizes.

I think this is the first time doing a presentation in LA so I hope you guys can come out. The seating seems to be first-come first-serve so bring your own seat... er.. umm... just come early I guess.

DMALA Registration

DMALA Website

DMALA Twitter