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The Happenin’ Hotspot for After Effects Artists
Particular/Motion Sketch tutorial from Nick Campbell
Nice to see Nick Campbell taking a break from Cinema 4D and getting back to After Effects. This tutorial will show you how use AE’s built-in effect Motion Sketch to write your name using Trapcode Particular. Nick also made a Particular Preset which he uses in the tut; and you can get that for free at RedGiantPeople.com.
After Effects: Automatic Animation – Part 1
John Dickinson of Motionworks has a new tutorial revealing the many different ways you can generate automatic keyframes in After Effects. It’s basic, non-project-based approach in an uncluttered introduction to automation in AE for beginners. It’s probably even a good refresher course for intermediate users as well. (Myself, I saw quite a few things I didn’t know about.) Topics include: Keyframe Keyboard Shortcuts, Motion Sketch, The Wiggler, The Smoother, The Wiggle Expression, separating Position coordinates, converting Audio to Keyframes and more. And this is just part one. Be on the lookout for more at Motionworks. Watch it here.
54 Free Skulls, anyone?
I thought this one was a bit odd but what the hell, Halloween is on its way. Media Militia is giving away a package of 54 Free Human Skull images. Feel free to use them in any project, even commercial ones. What’s particularly handy about this collection is that they come at all angles so you can find just the right look to integrate into your comp. They’re pretty high res so you can zoom in pretty close. Or how ’bout setting them up as sprites to use with Particular?
Reduce banding in After Effects
Rich Young from the After Effects Portal has some tips on reducing banding in After Effects. He’s also collected a couple tutorials from around the web for even more help. Maybe I’ll have another look at Digieffects Atmosphere now. Have a look.
Latest Video Copilot tutorial is a blast
Andrew Kramer‘s latest After Effects tutorial Blast Wave will show you how to blow things up and make ‘em look good. This tutorial relies heavily on explosive stock elements from the Action Essentials 2 stock library offered by Video Copilot. Don’t worry, you can use whatever you’ve got from Artbeats, Digital Juice or even Detonation Films (where you can pick up some stuff for free). Even if you’re not into explosions (eh?) you’ll still be able to peer into the world of visual effects compositing and see what it takes to sell a shot. Andrew’s explosion in this tutorial isn’t just one or two or even three elements slapped together—there’s a bunch, and a lot of care went into blending them together and with the shot. He built shockwaves from scratch. There’s also many tips on everything from masking and time stretch to color adjustment. What truly brings it all together is a long look at Mocha and how the explosion was made to fit with the shaky camera. You can download the project footage for free but you’ll have to get your own booms. Watch it here.
Tutorial: Adobe TV Basic Training Video for After Effects
If your brand new to After Effects, check out this new video from Adobe TV.
