Hot After Effects How-Tos
How To: Stroke keylights in Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5
This quick After Effects video tip will show you how to stroke a bitmap using Keylight and Solid Composite. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.
How To: Change UI colors in After Effects
Learn how to change the interface colors in After Effects.
How To: Make someone fly in After effects
CathyDirector teaches you how to make someone fly using After Effects. You will need two clips: one with the background and one with the background and the person walking or running. To have the same type of footage, use a tripod for stabilization. Duplicate the second layer and go to frames and cut the frame in which the person is in the air jumping. Use the mask tool to create a contour of that person. Add radial blur at the time he is still close to the ground and some sound effects. Next,...
How To: Use 3D Stroke in Adobe After Effects
After Effects is one of the best digital motion graphics software programs out there. Learn it. Now.
How To: Use Magic Bullet Looks for color correction in After Effects
This is your video guide to the Magic Bullet Looks plugin in for Adobe After Effects. If you are looking for a color correction tool, check out this video to see what Magic Bullet Looks has to offer. Learn how to use this color correction tool.
How To: Create an animated Christmas greeting in Adobe After Effects
Whether you are using Adobe CS3, CS4 or CS5, this tutorial will still work. This is a very basic holiday greeting, where the phrase 'Merry Christmas' (or whatever else you want to say) is animated to appear slowly over a blue, snow filled background.
How To: Control emitter position in Trapcode Particular for Adobe After Effects
In this video tutorial, you'll learn how to control the emitter position in Trapcode Particular within Adobe After Effects (as well as how to draw paths with your mouse). For all of the particulars, and to get started using this effect in your own projects, take a look! Control emitter position in Trapcode Particular for Adobe After Effects.
How To: Make abstract waves in After Effects with the Trapcode Form plug-in
Creating an abstract wave effect in After Effects will allow you to make graphics like those in the thumbnail, basically clouds of particles with that smokey / silky effect like they used in James Bond titles. This video will show you how to make this effect yourself in After Effects in two parts. Apply this technique to your titles and they should be much, much sexier.
How To: Create a simple scrolling LED display in After Effects
This simple After Effects tutorial from Laurence Grayson will show you how to use CC Ball Action effect in AE to create a realistic scrolling LED signboard effect, like the ones you see at conference centers and football stadiums. Then end result can be altered to suit your project, and corner-pinned into a scene. There are no plug-ins required, and this method uses the standard toolset in CS3, CS4, and CS5.
How To: Use the Puppet tool in Adobe After Effects CS5
Bring still graphics to life with the After Effects CS5 Puppet tool. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with CS5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started using the Puppet Tool in your own AE projects, watch this free video guide.
How To: Use Trapcode Echospace After Effects plugin
This software tutorial shows you how to use Trapcode Echospace, an After Effects plug-in. Trapcode Echospace speeds and automates the creation of sophisticated 3D layer effects in Adobe After Effects. Layer iterations can be controlled as a group or individually for sophisticated 'house-of-cards' or 'Cover Flow'-style animations. If you are unfamiliar with Echospace, this After Effects tutorial will get you started. Use Trapcode Echospace After Effects plugin.
How To: Use Trapcode Starglow After Effects plugin
This software tutorial shows you how to use the Trapcode Starglow plugin for After Effects. Add Hollywood glamour to text or shapes with the fast-rendering Starglow plug-in. With multiple colors and point and shimmer controls, the star power is all at your fingertips. If you have never used Starglow in After Effects, this tutorial will get you started. Use Trapcode Starglow After Effects plugin.
How To: Import images with transparency into After Effects
In this software tutorial you will learn how to manipulate images in Photoshop to remove the background and then bring that transparent background image into After Effects without loosing the transparency. The Photoshop section covers the use of the Magnetic Lasso tool and Quick Mask to remove a background. With the image adjusted, you will learn how to import your new image into After Effects with preserved transparency.
How To: Use the XML project file format in After Effects CS4
After Effects CS4 allows you to save any After Effects project in an editable text format known as XML. This tutorial will show you how to use the XML file format to modify and dynamically update an After Effects project without having to run the After Effects CS4 application. Using XML format After Effects files is a great way to save time and maintain flexibility by using a simple text editor to make changes. Use the XML project file format in After Effects CS4.
How To: Create snow, rain and weather effects in After Effects
It doesn't matter what type of weather it is outside when you shoot your film footage. Why not? Because you have After Effects! In this After Effects tutorial you will learn how to add precipitation and raindrop effects to your footage. Make it snow, rain and more with this After Effects CS3 tutorial.
How To: Make shimmering glitter in Particular in After Effects
In this After Effects tutorial, Creative Cow leader, Michael Park, demonstrates how to simulate shimmering glitter particles using fractal noise, colorama effect and Trapcodes Particular plugin. Make shimmering glitter in Particular in After Effects.
How To: Deal with the keyframe boomerang effect in AE
Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to handle the annoying (and sometimes crippling) boomerang effect, in which a layer moves randomly between two spatial keyframes that are exactly the same. This is a two part tutorial on fixing moving keyframes (the trick is to manipulate the animation curves!) in After Effects. Deal with the keyframe boomerang effect in AE - Part 1 of 2.
How To: Convert video to cartoon in After Effects
In this three part tutorial Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz explains the process of converting video to cartoon by using only After Effects and Adobe Illustrator CS2. Even if you don't want to create this exact effect, this tutorial covers a TON of basics and is a worthwile learning experience. Topics discussed: Dealing with interlaced footage, Basic Color and Image Correction, Creative Outlines, rendering an image sequence, using layer blending/transfer modes, Motion Tracking, Hold Key...
How To: Recover corrupt After Effects files & import projects
In this tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz shares tips on the many uses of importing After Effects Projects, and how you can recover corrupt AE files. Recover corrupt After Effects files & import projects.
How To: Make a first-person binocular effect in After Effects
In this quirky tutorial you'll learn how to make it appear that a person is looking through a pair of binoculars or through a rifle scope using After Effects 7.0. Make a first-person binocular effect in After Effects.
How To: Create a swarm of flies in After Effects
See how to create a swarm of flies using CC ParticleWorld in After Effects. Our teacher recommends using fly swarms over spoiled food or dead bodies. We're sure you'll find your own creative uses for flies. Create a swarm of flies in After Effects.
How To: Turn A Flat 2D Image into 3D
In this short tutorial i will show you how you can turn a flat 2D image of a room or hallway into a 3D Room using Vanishing points in Photoshop and After Effects.
How To: Smash Someone into a Million Pieces in After Effects and 3ds Max
Ever wanted to freeze someone, then smash them into a million pieces? Here is your chance! If you've got Adobe After Effects and Autodesk 3ds Max, it's pretty easy. Check out the tutorial video below to see how it's done.
How To: Create Your Own Portals (Like in the Game) Using Adobe After Effects
We've already seen how to levitate a Companion Cube using a Portal gun—now we're going to show you how to shoot your own portals! The guys at MobiusLOL give you an overview of how they created their Portal-inspired short film, "Experimental Portal Device".
How To: Create a Walking Dead Like Post-Apocalyptic World Using Time-Lapse Footage
Zombies. That's the first thing that comes to mind when I see footage of a once heavily populated area turned completely desolate. Either that or you stumbled across a Ke$ha concert...BURN.
How To: Use After Effects to stabilize a shaky video recording
We don't always have a tripod handy when we need to grab some footage for our latest video project, but shaky footage can ruin an otherwise great video. Thankfully, After Effects has a 'stabilize motion' tool that you can apply to your recording to prevent headaches brought on by a shaky camera.
How To: Create a lightning bolt effect using After Effects and the Trapcode Suite
The Trapcode suite is a set of plug-ins for After Effects that allow video artists to create a variety of effects for inclusion in video and film productions. This particular guide demonstrates the power of Trapcode Particular and Trapcode 3D Stroke. Specifically, Wes Ball from OddBall Animation reveals how Trapcode was used in the creation of 'Eye of the Storm' - a music video by Lovett which can be seen here.
How To: Use green screen in After Effects
Into special FX? Check out this video for a lesson in green screen. Watch and learn how to use green screen in After Effects. You can use green screen to make incredible visual effects for your videos and short films.
How To: Create your own Presets in Adobe After Effects
Make your job a little easier by setting presets in After Effects. This will allow you to save time while you add visual effects to your film. Having custom presets makes it much simpler to achieve consistency is your VFX.
How To: Change the language to English in After Effects
Have you got a copy of After Effects installed with the language set to another language? Check out this helpful video to learn how to set the language English, whatever the current language is. Maybe your film is in French, but that doesn't mean your visual effects software has to be.
How To: Disintegrate Objects at Super Speed (You Will Need: Sandpaper & After Effects)
Largely self-taught, Ryan John Kothe is an animator working out of Auckland, New Zealand. After picking up some rudimentary After Effects skills, he went on to create an impressive portfolio of beautifully rendered stop-motion animations with a distinctly tactile feel. Curious about the process behind Worn Out—Ryan's depiction of objects disintegrating in fast-forward (shown below)—we contacted him for a brief Q&A on the techniques behind his work.
How To: Create the Death Eater effect from the Harry Potter movies
You can create the magical world of Harry Potter yourself, using After Effects software. Watch these videos and learn how to make the "Death Eater" effect from the Harry Potter movies. Using After Effects, you can have the same incredible SFX as these Hollywood blockbusters.
How To: Use the Twixtor Pro plug-in to create slow motion in After Effects
This tutorial demonstrates how Twixtor Pro can be used to create slow motion special effects when editing video in After Effects. Learn beginner to intermediate VFX, specifically slowing down footage shot at a very high shutter speed. Twixtor allows the user to manage blur and warping when creating a slow motion effect.
How To: Create cartoon animation with After Effects
A lot of people use Flash for 2D cartoon animation, but Adobe After Effects is another great tool to create some very cool cartoon animation. This how to gives you a clear idea of the steps to take to use AE as a cartoon creation device. This short video tutorial will demonstrate how to properly export character animation from Flash and import it into After Effects to combine with background and foreground elements. It also gives a handy trick of how to duplicate a character animation clip to...
How To: Make a 3D holographic iPhone in After Effects
Learn how to create a video of holographic images appearing from an iPhone, using video footage and After Effects software. The basic elements used here are the built-in motion tracker (although you can also use the Mocha tracker bundled with CS4) and creating icons within After Effects with simple partially-transparent solids.
How To: Loop still images to fake a 3-dimensional movement over a surface
In this tutorial, After Effects is used in actual realtime to create a video comp that simulates a forward three-dimensional movement. Several images are arranged into a layered, three-dimensional composition, and a single image is tiled into a surface pattern that is offset tilted and scrolled forward indefinitely. Several additional elements are also mentioned to add realism and depth to the forward scrolling movement, including foreground elements, background images, camera shake, camera p...
How To: Add Kato-Vision to Your Movies with After Effects (As Seen in "The Green Hornet")
Pulp heroism rules! And everyone's favorite masked vigilante hits the big screen tomorrow night, thanks to fantastical filmmaker Michel Gondry and his new superhero movie, The Green Hornet.
How To: Recreate the Kick Ass title in Adobe After Effects
This tutorial uses a title screen from the Kick Ass trailer as its inspiration. Learn how many of the tools, functions and processes work within Adobe After Effects by completing this tutorial. You'll be an AE master by the time you're done.
How To: Use displacement mapping to create a stereoscopic animation in After Effects
This tutorial covers one of the basic attributes of Adobe After Effects - displacement mapping. You can use a displacement map to create a stereoscopic effect for your next animation. It's quite easy, and only requires a basic familiarity with the program.
How To: Create a 3-D stereoscopic rig entirely in Adobe After Effects
This tutorial shows you a great rigging tutorial you can use with Adobe After Effects. Create an animation or clip that looks like you've got stereoscoping rigging. This is an easy tutorial anyone familiar with the basics of Adobe After Effects will be able to do.
Next Page
Prev Page