VFX History: the origin of After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2026-09-22 | VFX History: the origin of After Effects
Cinematic Space Shots in After Effects | Bloom, Shake & Lens Tricks ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-09-29 | In this video, I dive into how to create cinematic, documentary-style spacecraft shots in After Effects, inspired by Apollo 13, Europa Report, and For All Mankind. We’ll explore camera movement, light bloom, starfield backgrounds, and lens defects. My goal is to combing lots of small tricks into make the 3D render feel real. Along the way, I’ll also share tips, failed experiments, and resources like Jarle’s handheld presets.*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**⬇️ Download the project file (including model) here*(Pay What You Want, including free): - Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/s/69e09c0777*🎁 Bonus: Free step-by-step PDF:* - Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/s/b764eb94b8 - Fourthwall: shiveringcactus-shop.fourthwall.com/products/new-digital-product-4*📌 Links:* - NeonFlames: https://29a.ch/sandbox/2011/neonflames/ - Jarle's Handheld presets: premierepro.net/deadpool-handheld-camera-presets*▶️ Other videos mentioned:* - youtu.be/6rXMElJKb_s - youtu.be/xG0GQLHRvHw - youtu.be/YaYjpa7tMuI - youtu.be/x87pSAExIF4If you try these effects, share your results in the comments—I’d love to see them!------------------------------------------------------------*🔖Chapters*00:00 In Space, no one can hear you composite01:24 Camera Movement08:07 Light Bloom10:54 Background16:20 Lens Defects #aftereffects #space#tutorial @AdobeVideo I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Realistic Fireworks in After Effects – No Plugins Needed! (CC Particle World Tutorial) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-09-15 | Learn how to create realistic fireworks in Adobe After Effects using only CC Particle World just using the included effects.I decided to see how close to realistic it was possible to get using just the included effects (and I think I got pretty close). The underlying trick is based on layering effects and their order in the stack. In this step-by-step tutorial, I’ll walk you through building fireworks from scratch with expressions, duplicates, and smart use of CC Particle World. We’ll cover sparks, smoke trails, explosions, flashes, and even add a 3D camera fly-through. Perfect for VFX artists, hobbyists, and anyone who wants to avoid costly plugins like Trapcode Particular.*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**⬇️ Download the project file here*(Pay What You Want, including free): - Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/s/3bac105534 - Fourthwall: shiveringcactus-shop.fourthwall.com/products/realistic-fireworks-in-after-effects-aep-project*🎁 Bonus: Free step-by-step PDF:* - Ko-Fi: ko-fi.com/s/1997ac9ec8 - Fourthwall: shiveringcactus-shop.fourthwall.com/products/realistic-fireworks-in-after-effects-print-version*▶️ Other videos mentioned:* - youtu.be/dYYmeBOWXpw - youtu.be/6rXMElJKb_s - youtu.be/Cu7l9-yTMisIf you try this effect, share your results in the comments—I’d love to see them!------------------------------------------------------------*🔖Chapters*00:00 Disney (sort of)01:22 Layer and Color Expression Controls02:43 Linking CC Particle World to a 3D Null08:35 Duplicating the effect11:06 Animating the BANG!17:07 Finishing touches #aftereffects #particles #tutorial @AdobeVideo I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
How to Install After Effects Plugins & Presets | Mac & Windows ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-09-01 | A quick guide showing how to add extras to the software.In this updated 2025 tutorial, I walk you through step-by-step installation for AEX ( plugin ) and FFX ( preset ) files. While most plugins these days provide their own install, there's still plenty that require the manual touch. Whether you’re using free downloads or pro tools, this guide will get you up and running fast!*🎁 Bonus tip:*I've also included a brief guide to finding where missing effects are in your projects.* ▶️ Other videos mentioned: * - Alexandre's channel: youtube.com/@alexandrebecquet - Images as Particles Transition: youtu.be/6rXMElJKb_s - Don't Let Your Vertical Videos Get CUT OFF! Safe Zones for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok: youtu.be/I6tGaxotm1s#tutorial #plugins #afterffects @AdobeVideo --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*🔖Chapters*0:00 Intro0:37 Presets1:48 Plugins3:06 Bonus tip: Missing effects--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shopOr buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Get Render Notifications Without Creative Cloud app (After Effects, Premiere, AME) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-08-18 | Here's how to get emailed when your videos are ready.Adobe officially shut down the Creative Cloud desktop app notifications in January 2025, but you can still get render completion alerts!In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to set up automatic render notifications for After Effects, Premiere Pro, and Adobe Media Encoder using Zapier and Google Drive (or Dropbox). Plus, a bonus script that uploads just a tiny text file when your render is done.🔧 Works with: - After Effects Render Queue - Adobe Media Encoder - Premiere Pro - Da Vinci Resolve - Actually any video software🚀 Requirements : - Zapier (Free Tier) - Google Drive / Dropbox📩 Render and Notify script: - Kofi: ko-fi.com/s/19a9d54312 - Fourthwall: shiveringcactus-shop.fourthwall.com/products/render-and-notify-script-for-after-effects#AfterEffects #CreativeCloud #RenderNotification #Zapier #AdobePremiere #MediaEncoder #AEWorkflow #VideoEditingTips #adobescript I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts@AdobeVideo @Zapier
Dont Let Your Vertical Videos Get CUT OFF! Safe Zones for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-08-04 | Updated for 2025If your text keeps getting cut off on Instagram Reels, TikTok, YouTube Shorts or Facebook, you're not alone.In this video, I share my FFX preset and MoGrt which highlights safe zones for vertical videos. You can use this to make sure your graphics, captions, and overlays actually show up and not be trimmed or hidden by like and share buttons.I show how it works in your comps (and PP sequences) and how to install for both After Effects (Mac OS and Windows) and Premiere Pro. Then you'll be free to use it to help create videos for TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, YouTube Shorts and X.🎁 Download the preset: ko-fi.com/s/b5fbe0e47f📌 Perfect for content creators, editors, and social video pros*Alignment Grid Preset: youtu.be/c-d8tcIEyMQ*#Tutorial #AfterEffects #VerticalvideoI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
How to Use Alignment Grids for Projection Mapping (Free After Effects Preset) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-08-04 | Stage Mapping & Phone Safe Zones as a free AE Preset.Projection mapping looks amazing, but figuring out the first step can be confusing. In this video, I share a free alignment grid preset for After Effects that makes it easy to map visuals onto real-world stages and screens.I’ve used this in theatre productions where we'd rig up a projector, then throw this grid over the stage. I would then be able to map out where VFX need to be. For my latest Safe Zones preset update, I used the vertical video version so that I could see which parts of the video would be obscured. The grid works for both horizontal and vertical layouts, and is built entirely with shape layers — easy to install, easy to customize.🎁 Download the preset: ko-fi.com/s/8de90ce11f*Safe Zones preset and MoGrt: youtu.be/I6tGaxotm1s*🛠️ Works on Mac and Windows🎯 Great for projection designers, stage shows, and motion graphics artists#ProjectionMapping #AfterEffects #StageDesign #motiongraphicstools I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Realistic Planetary Rings in After Effects – Sky Replacement Tutorial ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-07-21 | What to add a ring to your sci-fi scene? Or something else in orbit? This video covers the basics of sky replacement, but instead of adding a different sky, I chose to add planetary rings in one video, the look of the Halo's Ring from the surface in another video. And then for good measure, I added Helios from Borderlands 2 (my wife and I still play it regulary - couch co-op rules). The process is pretty straight-forward: - Track your footage either through motion tracking or I found easier results with camera tracking - Create your space object (I run through making a Ring again) - Use Keylight to remove the blue from a duplicate of your sky and then use that as a luma matte for your ring / space station / curved Forerunner world.------------------------------*🔗 Links*Normalize Track: workbench.tv/freebies/2020-05-28_NormalizeTrackPexels (stock footage): pexels.com------------------------------------------------------------*🔖Chapters*0:00 Rings, spacestations and ring worlds1:25 Camera Tracker3:06 Procedural Planetary Ring06:18 Compositing#aftereffects #space #tutorial I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Blender vs After Effects: Realistic planet in Blender ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-07-07 | How to create a planet in Blender and how that compares to ones you can make in After Effects. This tutorial shows how to create a realistic 3D planet using Blender, starting from a simple sphere and adding textures and rings.This Review / Tutorial is slightly different to my usual videos. After publishing many tutorials on how to create planets in After Effects, whether directly or using @VideoCopilot Orb or @MaxonVFX Cinema4D Lite, I thought it was time to tackle Blender.In the main part of this video, I show how to create and texture a sphere, including how to use the Shading Node editor and how to change a Height or Bump map into a Normal map to add displacement. Then I go on to show how to create clouds, atmosphere. Once they are complete, I then add a rocky ring and then a "regular" thin ring band, like you might see on Saturn.Once the tutorial is done, I bring up similar planets made in each of the different ways. These are also shared below with some of my thoughts on the process.------------------------------*🔗 Links*Texture Node Map for Saturn rings: ko-fi.com/s/9f2ffe06b1Create ANY PLANET in After Effects tutorial: youtu.be/wWtaAxRsPWQQuick cheats to make your videos look amazing: youtu.be/x87pSAExIF4Blendin' FX playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58-kYtQUHvM9P-pLJSTG7gDayw6mZ-Vp*VOTE*You can see videos of each software's planet and vote from this page: - Videos: shiveringcactus.net/3d-planets - Vote: youtube.com/post/UgkxtK7i9Wf6u8wn52UV92EgKnewM8Aay16c*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*Video Copilot Orb: videocopilot.net/orbPlanet Pixel Emporium: planetpixelemporium.com------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*00:00 Battle of the Planets01:30 Blender tutorial05:42 Atmosphere shader07:21 Creating a starfield background09:17 Adding planetary rings (rocks and bands)13:51 Comparing results"Asteroids Pack (rocky version)" (skfb.ly/o6LEo) by SebastianSosnowski is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).#aftereffects #space #tutorial I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts @AdobeVideo
Create Realistic Planetary Rings in After Effects | No Plugins Needed! ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-06-23 | Tutorial showing how to take advantage of the Advanced 3D Renderer to add a ring to world.You’ll learn how to:• Build a procedural ring using Fractal Noise and Polar Coordinates• Add fake shadows and lighting that respond to your scene (older versions of AE, not needed for the latest release)• Use CC Particle World to simulate rock-filled space rings• Create realistic shadow interactions between your ring and planet (older versions of AE, not needed for the latest release)🎁 Bonus: Free step-by-step PDF guide in the description!This video builds on my earlier tutorial, where I showed how to create your own planets directly in After Effects, building up the textures and exporting them to use with a 3D wavefront OBJ file. Following on from that project, we now get to take advantage of the planet being in 3D space by adding a 2.5D comp of a ring system and have it loop around our sphere. But if you want to go further and depict the rocks that make up the rings, then I also demonstrate how to use the included CC Particle World to create hundreds of particles of rock images and have them surround the planet. But because that doesn't loop correctly, I have also made and shared a hemisphere you can use to create a 3D Luma Matte for the particles so that they appear to go behind the planet.------------------------------*⬇️ Downloads*Planet Project Download: ko-fi.com/s/3bac105534Full Project Download: ko-fi.com/s/0376a07c143D Hemisphere model: ko-fi.com/s/3114dcdc50Text version (PDF): ko-fi.com/s/0f4909b9fdCreate ANY PLANET in After Effects tutorial: youtu.be/wWtaAxRsPWQQuick cheats to make your videos look amazing: youtu.be/x87pSAExIF4*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* @ActionVFXofficial actionvfx.com------------------------------*💻 Expressions*CC Particle World Code:Position X:--- CODE START ---x=thisComp.layer("Emitter").transform.position[0]-thisComp.width/2;x/thisComp.width;--- CODE END ---Position Y:--- CODE START ---y=thisComp.layer("Emitter").transform.position[1]-thisComp.height/2;y/thisComp.width;--- CODE END ---Position Z:--- CODE START ---z=thisComp.layer("Emitter").transform.position[2];z/thisComp.width;--- CODE END ---Angle the ring shadow away from the Sun (add to Z rotation):--- CODE START ---var light = thisComp.layer("Sun").toWorld([0, 0, 0]) // name of your light layervar planet = thisComp.layer("Planet NULL").toWorld(thisComp.layer("Planet NULL").anchorPoint);var dir = light - planet; radiansToDegrees(Math.atan2(dir[0], dir[2])) + 180;--- CODE END ---Random frame expression:--- CODE START ---random(0,4)/30--- CODE END ---Emitter expression:--- CODE START ---var L = thisComp.layer("Emitter position");L.toWorld([0,0,0])--- CODE END ---------------------------------------------------------------*🔖Chapters*00:00 If you like it, then you shoulda put a ring on it.02:10 Ring texture05:46 Faking shadows10:50 CC Particle Rocks18:06 Finishing touches"Asteroids Pack (rocky version)" (skfb.ly/o6LEo) by SebastianSosnowski is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Toutatis asteroid - potential Earth`s impactor" (skfb.ly/otuGt) by SebastianSosnowski is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).@AdobeVideo #aftereffects #space #tutorial I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Creating ringed planets in After Effects - promo for my tutorial ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-06-23 | Here's a few examples of planetary rings I've created for planets - all made entirely in @AdobeVideo #aftereffects You can find the full tutorial here: youtu.be/QhDTtNQLBm4#Shorts #adobecommunityexperts
Trailer: Adding city lights to a planet ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-06-17 | A promotional trailer for my tutorial: youtu.be/ExoPpcyZyToI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Trailer: Create ANY planet in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-06-17 | A promotional trailer for my tutorial: youtu.be/wWtaAxRsPWQ I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Realistic Planet with Day and Night - After Effects Tutorial ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-06-09 | Making use of the Advanced 3D Renderer to import a 3D model of a planet and add city lights to the nightside. In this video I expand on my previous tutorial where I used After Effects to create a texture map for a simple sphere OBJ exported from Blender ( @BlenderOfficial ). I pick up right where I left off, with a realistic planet, with clouds and atmosphere. In this video I use the little used Paint tool to draw directly on the texture map. I have a bit of fun choosing the places and then use a few of included effects to help make the cities look more realistic from space. Of course, you can skip this step if you are using an existing lights texture map.Once I've exported my city lights image, I demonstrate just how easy it is to duplicate and adapt the sphere's OBJ and MTL files without needing to use a 3D program. And then import this duplicated model into After Effects. And use a combination of Set Matte, Levels and Calculations effects to create a sphere that only shows up in the shadows of the planet. The Levels effect can be used to adjust how far across the terminator you have the lights appear.Finally, and just for the fun of it, I create a lava texture and show how you can have this visible on both the light and dark side.#AfterEffects #3d #planet #space @AdobeVideo ------------------------------------------------------------*Links*Create ANY PLANET in After Effects tutorial: youtu.be/wWtaAxRsPWQVideo Copilot FX Console: videocopilot.net/blog/2018/05/fx-console-updated-to-v1-0-3*Text version: ko-fi.com/s/aba2848782*Project Download: ko-fi.com/s/3bac105534*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Chapters*0:00 #Nightside2:02 PAINTing light6:06 Shadow side only8:13 Lava planetI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Create ANY PLANET in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-26 | The Advanced 3D renderer in After Effects makes it really easy to import 3D objects ... but unless you know 3D software, you're stuck using what others have built. For a planet (real or imagined) it is kinda nice to have that control for yourself. In this video, I'm going to show you just how easy it is to make a basic sphere using @BlenderOfficial and then export that as a Wavefront OBJ model which means you can do all the texturing and animation directly in AE. We can do this because OBJ models use a separate MTL file to link to textures - which means it is incredibly easy to update the textures without needing to learn Blender or other 3D software.Once we have a textured planet, I then show how to create a clouds layer and then an atmosphere layer - all without ever going back into the 3D software. In fact, if you don't want to use Blender, then you can download all the files you need to get started right here:*3D Sphere, textures and AEP download: ko-fi.com/s/3bac105534**Text version (PDF): ko-fi.com/s/5696151e32*#AfterEffects #3d #planet @AdobeVideo @AdobeCreativeCloud *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Chapters*0:00 Makin' Planets01:17 Create a sphere in Blender04:21 Texture Maps in AE10:48 Clouds and AtmosphereI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Next generation Pokémon card (not really) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-18 | Just a bit of fun adding 3D depth to a 2D card. I think it might be called a shadowbox. There's no tutorial from me for this, but check out @SternFX tutorial if you'd like an idea on how to do this yourself ( youtube.com/watch?v=MoO8hJKRvqU )@AdobeVideo #aftereffects #adobecommunityexperts "Pikachu" (skfb.ly/orFM9) by Raghav Gupta is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*
11GB of FREE Adobe Sound Effects?! Heres Where to Get Them 🎧 ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-16 | Did you know Adobe has a huge library of free sound effects—over 11GB of high-quality WAV files—just sitting there, ready to download?Originally part of the old Creative Suite collection, these production-ready SFX are now available for free to anyone with an Adobe account (yep, even if you’re not on a full Creative Cloud plan!).In this video, I’ll show you: - Where to find it and how to download it - What you can and can’t do with it (hint: don’t resell it!)Perfect for video editors, podcasters, animators, and content creators who need clean, pro-level sound design without spending a cent. 🎬🎙️* adobe.com/products/audition/offers/adobeauditiondlcsfx.html **Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Do Math Inside After Effects? YES! Quick Tip to Save Time ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-15 | Need to place a layer exactly one-third across the screen? Or rotate something precisely without pulling out a calculator?💡 Here's a powerful but underrated After Effects trick: you can do math directly inside the property fields!In this short tutorial, you'll learn: - How to divide or subtract directly in the position and rotation inputs - How to mirror a layer’s position with simple math - Why this tip saves you time and boosts precision Perfect for motion designers, animators, and editors who want to speed up their workflow!🧠 No calculator needed — just let AE do the thinking.*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*
3D Model Not Showing in After Effects? Fix It Fast with These Tips! ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-14 | Imported a 3D model into After Effects, but all you see are gimbals and no model? 😩 Don't panic—this is a common issue, and here’s how to fix it step-by-step.In this quick troubleshooting guide, you’ll learn: - Why your 3D model might be invisible - How to switch to the Advanced 3D Renderer - The best Renderer Options for previewing vs exporting - How to use Adaptive Resolution and tweak preferences for smoother performance - A final trick using Safe Mode if nothing else worksThese tips will help you get your 3D assets visible and working, fast!Model featured:"Spaceship" (skfb.ly/o8UNv) by motaman is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Remove Black Backgrounds in After Effects WITHOUT Blend Modes (Unmult Trick) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-13 | Need to remove a black background from lens flares or other elements, but blend modes aren't an option—maybe because you're using the 3D renderer or exporting with transparency?Here’s the workaround: Unmult (a.k.a. Alpha From Lightness)! 💡In this quick After Effects tutorial, you'll learn: - Why transfer modes might not be working - How to apply the Unmult effect using a built-in preset - What’s happening under the hood with Shift Channels + Remove Color Matting* Learn more about exporting videos with transparencies: youtu.be/PS5nPDpVM0E **Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*Perfect for VFX artists, motion designers, or anyone exporting transparent video!Model featured:"Spaceship" (skfb.ly/o8UNv) by motaman is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
Lock Layer Position with Expressions (Stop Accidental Moves!) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-05-12 | Tired of accidentally dragging your layers in After Effects when all you wanted to do was adjust an effect? Here's a quick and easy way to lock your layer's position using expressions—perfect for preventing mistakes and speeding up your workflow!In this tutorial, you'll learn:How to use the ALT + click stopwatch shortcutHow to write a simple expression to lock X or Y positionA bonus tip to constrain manual movement with SHIFTWhether you're a beginner or a seasoned motion designer, this tip will save you time and frustration. 🎯*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Animate 3D paths around the world in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-04-28 | For this video, I show off a technique that involves no 3rd-party software, plugins or subscriptions.This has been something I've seen asked for a lot on forums and reddit but all the solutions offered boil down to a template from somewhere like Envato or pay for the extra flexibility you get with Maxon's Red Giant Trapcode Particular. This method uses After Effect's native Advanced 3D renderer, Expressions and Shape layers to let you create and animate arcs from one point to another.The expressions used look complicated, but really just boil down to school trigonometry. Using Cosine and Sine equations, I was able to create Latitude and Longitude that allow me to move a null object anywhere on the imported 3D model of the Earth. Then using parenting, 3D layers and the Length and LookAt functions, I can add a shape layer that has its anchor on one null and has its other end on the other. With that, it's a simple matter to add Trim Paths and extrude the geometry. And if that sounds complicated, don't worry because I cover how to do it all in just 10 minutes.Once done, you will be able to create flight paths or travel lines for a world map (or should that be a world travel map ?), rocket launches or a novel way to depict connections between countries.#AfterEffects #3d #earth @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Model featured:*"Earth" (skfb.ly/6Uy6v) by AirStudios is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Links:*sketchfab.comProject Download (Zipped AEP file): ko-fi.com/s/6b52440584*Chapters*0:00 Animated Arcs1:05 Setting up the 3D model2:47 Placing a null on the surface (expression)6:07 Adding the Arc / Path shape layer I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Easily Format Big Numbers and Currency in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-04-14 | A quick expression to automatically add separators, decimals and currency symbols when using a text layer.I have seen this problem raised a lot on forums, namely how do you get the Expressions code or rather ExtendScript / JavaScript to automatically add thousands separators to numbers. And how can you have the same number displayed with different currencies?In the past I might have suggested replace(), split(), join() functions, but they are always a bit awkward to convert, but they are no good when splitting to begin with. But there is a simple function, built into JavaScript that After Effects can also use and it makes the whole thing simple:Intl.NumberFormat().format()With just a few options, you can easily format numbers according to any locale, making your project cleaner, smarter, and more professional.#AfterEffects #tutorial #expression @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links*W3C Schools: w3schools.com/jsref/jsref_tolocalestring_number.aspCode Download (Zipped TXT file): dropbox.com/scl/fi/6kjh96kda2ixtn64wssga/intl-numberformat.zip?rlkey=0wjmw4fi3tq2qk5mw8cf0gcjc&st=mdlcshk1&dl=1 I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
3 Expressions to fade layers for you in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-04-14 | Breaking down three different ways to control the visibility of layers by adding an expression to the opacity property. All three methods provide you with easy to apply transitions.*Fade based on position keyframe*The first example is controlling when a layer shows up so that you can quickly highlight part of the screen just by setting the position.*Fade based on in-point and out-point*When you add a layer to your timeline, have it fade in and fade out without setting keyframes, just let the in- and out-points be the trigger.*Fade in and out by layer marker*Imagine you want to set a layer to appear, then disappear repeatedly. With this example, I use even numbered layer markers to trigger the opacity to go from 0% to 100% and odd numbered markers to do the opposite. Working out which is odd and which is even is incredibly simple, thanks to the remainder operator (%), but don't worry if you're unfamiliar with that, I break down how it works.#AfterEffects #tutorial #expression @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*Project Download (Zipped AEP file): dropbox.com/scl/fi/dl7f1ezu662727mgdbdv1/Fading.zip?rlkey=3o26iwgtsrfed7jny63g2ba5g&st=hf6ud0et&dl=1*Chapters*0:00 Introduction0:22 Fade by position keyframe2:18 Fade by in- and out- points3:53 Fade by layer markersI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Every way to export transparent videos from After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-31 | In this video, I break down each way you can export a video with an alpha channel. Each format and codec has its own benefits and end uses so it ends up being about what you prefer and what the final use is going to be. If you are editing or streaming, then Apple Quicktime ProRes 4444 is the best option. These files can then be used directly in Adobe Premiere Pro, @BlackmagicDesignOfficial DaVinci Resolve and @OBSProject OBS.ProRes files are really quite large, in which case then it might be worth checking out WebM. Generating a WebM video with an alpha channel is not possible when using Adobe After Effects or Adobe Media Encoder. You will need to install FNord's software in order to export with an alpha channel - BUT sometimes that option disappears! Fortunately there is a fix for that solution too.You can also export Image Sequences with alpha channels and I explain how to do that as well. Next I take a look at HEVC and VP9 videos, which use the H.265 codec (instead of regular MP4 files which use H.264). In theory, both these video formats should be possible to use within CreativeCloud, but HEVC can only export with alpha when using MacOS and all the different ways to export VP9 failed to work on my Windows PC. And there is limited browser support for HEVC videos on Chrome and Chromium and limited support for VP9 videos on Safari (both desktop and iOS versions). As a result, I'd suggest avoiding these formats for now.Finally, I also take a look at Lottie Files and how to make them using @powermojo Bodymovin plugin for After Effects. In that I break down the steps involved and check out the links below for a simple webpage you can use to test your final videos.#AfterEffects #transparent #alphachannel @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Short Tutorials:* Using Luma Mattes in DaVinci Resolve: youtu.be/hS7c8md-6rYUsiing Luma Mattes in Premiere Pro: youtu.be/lNKSMl3D6jI*Lottie Webpage example:*dropbox.com/scl/fi/v014jnm9xybeevh98ykl2/lottie_example.zip?rlkey=so0o02756swf0xe5wdq6abu5h&st=lt5hw19d&dl=0*Model featured:*"0025 Pikachu 3D" (skfb.ly/psusq) by anak3d is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Links:*FNord: fnord.comVS Code: code.visualstudio.com*Chapters*0:00 Explaining the alpha channel01:37 Apple ProRes 444403:54 Separate Passes (Luma Mattes)06:55 Image Sequences07:52:26 WebM and FNord09:32 HEVC and VP910:46 Bodymovin (Lottie files) I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Using Luma Mattes in Adobe Premiere Pro ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-31 | This very quick tutorial shows you how to take an RGB clip and apply its separate Luma Matte pass using the built-in tools. This lets you view a video with a transparent background directly in the timeline.More about videos with alpha channels: youtu.be/PS5nPDpVM0E#tutorial #premierepro @AdobeVideo #transparency *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Using Luma Mattes in DaVinci Resolve ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-31 | This very quick tutorial shows you how to take an RGB clip and apply its separate Luma Matte pass using the built-in tools. This lets you view a video with a transparent background directly in the timeline.More about videos with alpha channels: youtu.be/PS5nPDpVM0E#tutorial #transparency #davinciresolve @BlackmagicDesignOfficial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Missing Alpha Channel option when using FNord for WebM in Media Encoder - SOLVED ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-26 | Here's a fix for an issue regarding the FNord plugin for Adobe Media Encoder. When you need to export a WebM video with transparency through AME, there should be an option to "Include Alpha Channel". Unfortunately it seems like this option sometimes disappears. This is possibly caused by the media encoder being updated. Fortunately there is a quick fix to allow you to render out videos with alpha channels in the WebM video format.More about videos with alpha channels: youtu.be/PS5nPDpVM0E#tutorial #transparency #aftereffects @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Rotating around an object or layer in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-17 | One of the most frequently asked questions on forums is: "how can I smoothly rotate around or orbit another layer?".And the answer is really simple, but that obvious if you are just starting out. In this short tutorial, I take you through the steps twice (it's that quick!).1) Create a null object2) Set its position to be the centre ( or center ) of rotation3) Parent your layer, shape or 3D object to this null layer.4) Position your "child" where you want the distance from your center of rotation.5) Edit the rotation properties of the null. Your parented layer, shape or object will now perfectly circle the null. And because you have set any position keyframes, you can go on to move it closer or further away, creating a spiral.#AfterEffects #3d #tutorial @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Tutorial: Step by step guide to using 3D Model in After Effects:* youtu.be/Pdsb7Z4l4JwModel featured:"(FREE) Porsche 911 Carrera 4S" (skfb.ly/6WGTU) by Lionsharp Studios is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Animate 3D Materials in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-03-03 | Swap textures on 3D models for animated precomps, with only a tiny element of Blender needed.In this tutorial, I build on the technique I demonstrated in "Animate color changes of 3D Objects in After Effects" ( youtu.be/r1e9kYNXgxU ) to create a 3D Luma Matte copy of a mesh / model. By setting all the textures to be black except for the screen, it's possible to use this as a track matte within After Effects. Unfortunately you cannot apply mattes directly to 3D layers, but with a little extra set up, you can create a precomp to drive this. All you need to do is link the camera from one comp to another.I break down all the steps, from importing your model Blender to editing the materials in the Shading area's node editor, then bringing these models in After Effects and linking them to a null object. Once that's done, we create a precomp for the screen, position it correctly and finally look to apply the luma matte using the Set Matte effect and a Glow effect for some screen glow. Despite the 10 minute runtime and the many steps, I promise this is a simple process and easy to follow.#AfterEffects #3d #tutorial @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Tutorial: Step by step guide to using 3D Model in After Effects:* youtu.be/Pdsb7Z4l4Jw*Blendin' FX playlist*youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58-kYtQUHvM9P-pLJSTG7gDayw6mZ-Vp*TV Bars Shape Layer Preset*:dropbox.com/scl/fi/ksjork0gdno5f5h0kf5gu/TV-Bars-Shape-Layer.zip?rlkey=eoph8c256cozrdle4s6vd8c4v&st=nu1iwn6y&dl=1*Models featured:*"Apple Watch Ultra 2" (skfb.ly/oLpRF) by polyman Studio is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Game Boy Classic" (skfb.ly/6YNov) by Georg Klein is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Asus Laptop" (skfb.ly/oAs7t) by My_Leea is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Samsung S21 Ultra" (skfb.ly/o7BT9) by bendjama1986 is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Chapters*0:00 Showing off animated screens1:10 Blender materials4:00 Parenting to a null in After Effects7:44 Duplicating the composition to apply the matte I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Animate color changes of 3D Objects in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-02-17 | It is so cool these days that Adobe After Effects supports 3D objects directly. Being able to import GLB, GLFT and OBJ models makes animation so much easier. But if you are not a 3D model creator, making a colour change to a downloaded model is not something that you can do in AE. Except, you can.There are a couple of different ways to apply effects to models and I break down what you need to do for each. Starting with the simplest option of an Adjustment Layer combined with a Track Matte. Then I compare this to using an Ambient Light as an additional light source set to a colour of your choosing. Personally I thought this yielded a better result. Next, I take a look at remaking the textures using @VideoCopilot Element3D and to be honest, I think the result was a little disappointing compared to what you can now do natively. I still love Element3D, but on this occasion, it didn't hold up in comparison. So finally, I demonstrate how to use @BlenderOfficial to create a 3D Luma Matte version of the model. If that sounds intimidating, don't worry, I take you through just the steps you need and we leave the rest of the program to the 3D model artists.#AfterEffects #3d #tutorial @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Tutorial: Step by step guide to using 3D Model in After Effects:* youtu.be/Pdsb7Z4l4Jw*Free 3D models you can use directly in After Effects*Sketchfab: sketchfab.comProductionCrate: productioncrate.com/3D/models.htmlModels featured:"(FREE) Porsche 911 Carrera 4S" (skfb.ly/6WGTU) by Lionsharp Studios is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/)."garages" (skfb.ly/owZHZ) by SPLEEN VISION is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Apple Watch Ultra 2" (skfb.ly/oLpRF) by polyman Studio is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Spaceship" (skfb.ly/o8UNv) by motaman is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."Farm House" (skfb.ly/6TW7N) by MaX3Dd is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/)."VW Van" (skfb.ly/6U7OR) by jesseroberts is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).*Chapters*0:00 Showing a colour change0:59 Adjustment Layer and Track Mattes1:52 Ambient Light2:20 Element 3D5:20 3D Luma Matte using BlenderI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
I Tested Adobes New Firefly AI Video ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-02-13 | A few months back I submitted a request to get access to the Adobe Firefly Generative Video beta and just yesterday, I recieved my invite.Super excited to try it out I made a couple of videos and... that was it. The beta program cuts off after just 2 video creations - each just 5 seconds long. Which was a bit of a shock.In this video, I show off both my creations, talk a little about my experience and then discuss some of the ethical concerns around the generative AI being used by Adobe and their pricing model.#review *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Articles and Links*Adobe Firefly: firefly.adobe.comAI Generated Art (explained): v7labs.com/blog/ai-generated-artAre A.I. Image Generators Violating Copyright Laws? (Smithsonian Magazine): smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/are-ai-image-generators-stealing-from-artists-180981488Artist finds private medical record photos in popular AI training data set (Ars Technica): arstechnica.com/information-technology/2022/09/artist-finds-private-medical-record-photos-in-popular-ai-training-data-setGetty Images is suing the creators of AI art (The Verge): theverge.com/2023/1/17/23558516/ai-art-copyright-stable-diffusion-getty-images-lawsuitAI art tools Stable Diffusion and Midjourney targeted with copyright lawsuit (The Verge) theverge.com/2023/1/16/23557098/generative-ai-art-copyright-legal-lawsuit-stable-diffusion-midjourney-deviantartAdobe Firefly is Way Behind: Is the Commitment to Ethics to Blame? (Peta Pixel) - In-depth review: petapixel.com/2023/03/27/adobe-firefly-is-way-behind-is-the-commitment-to-ethics-to-blameI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Step by step guide to using 3D Models in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-02-03 | Since 2024, Adobe After Effects has had native support for 3D models... but it is not always that simple.Did you know you can only import OBJ, GLB or GLTF models? Do you know how to get a model in this format?Once you have the model imported, how can you make a 3D environment for it? Where is the best place to get an HDRI (and what even is an HDR image anyway). And is it a 360 image?Then you need to light it - and that's where After Effects Image-based lighting comes into play with the Environment light. But what images does it work with? And can you get away with just using a regular 360 image?Finally, once your model is imported, lit, how can you add a shadow?Adobe have done a great job making all the above possible, but there's a few steps and a couple of tricks, so join me as I spell them all out.Model featured:"(FREE) Porsche 911 Carrera 4S" (skfb.ly/6WGTU) by Lionsharp Studios is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).*Free 3D models you can use directly in After Effects*Sketchfab: sketchfab.comProductionCrate: productioncrate.com/3D/models.html*Free 360 HDRIs*OpenFootage: openfootage.netPolyhaven: polyhaven.com/hdris#AfterEffects #Text #tutorial @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Animating Starry Night using Curl Noise in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-01-20 | Create vortex like patterns with an old plugin.Follow along with my investigation into reproducing an amazing visual effect that does not seem possible in After Effects. Thanks to some insights from X user AECartographer and a handy guide from @Texturelabs I was able to animate Vincent van Gogh’s Starry Night. Using the old, hidden plugin CC Time Blend FX and Vector Blur with a precomp with plenty of circular gradients, I found it was possible to make all the swirls and brush work slowly spin in place. With no keyframes or expressions needed, you can add animation to any picture or image with lots of circular patterns.At the start of the video, I explain what Curl Noise is, and then I run through how to activate CC Time Blend FX. Then I go on to demonstrate how to use Time Blend FX for other animation. Once that’s covered, I show how to how a vector map with CC Vector Blur to create the final look. And then I start showing off, animating other images and even the clouds of Jupiter.#AfterEffects #curlnoise #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*@Texturelabs tutorial: youtube.com/watch?v=8D4DNNJ_uN8@Lao_lu Painting Doctor Who's Tardis Van Gogh style: youtube.com/watch?v=SD3OdFaZnpMAECartographer on Gumroad: aecartographer.gumroad.comCycore FX website: http://www.cycorefx.comHow to install Plugins and Presets: youtu.be/gMDSVJlFv5E*Chapters*0:00 Painting with time1:25 Getting CC Time Blend FX2:21 Setting up Adjustment Layers4:05 Creating a Vector Map I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Flying through clouds with no plugins and AI images ShiveringCactus: VFX 2025-01-06 | An Adobe After Effects, Photoshop and Express tutorial.I've long been wondering about the best way to create a cloud flythrough using Adobe After Effects. Thanks to 3D layers, you can get pretty close with faking volumetric clouds. There are a lot of steps however that make it tricky to get right. First we need some images of clouds. I opted to use Adobe Firefly for its generative AI based on Adobe Stock. This got me a lot of useful cloud images, but as the Adobe's AI does not allow for transparent backgrounds, I then needed to open the each image into Photoshop. For the wispy clouds, I was able to use the Red Channel as a layer mask to remove the blue backgrounds. For the fluffy clouds, I used the new Remove Background option in Photoshop to cut out each cloud. This wasn't perfect for my needs though, so I then used a trick where I was able to decrease the selection outline to crop or trim each image.Once I had all my images, I started in After Effects by creating a precomp which allowed me to collectively manage all the pictures using AE's Essential Graphics option. In my main composition, I then used Expressions to randomly select each image and have them automatically fade if the camera gets too close.Finally to distribute the clouds, I used ChatGPT to help me create a script to automatically distribute the clouds in 3D space. By using a script, I was then able to tweak each layer I needed to better suit my final shots.#AfterEffects #express #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Project file and Script (zipped folder): dropbox.com/scl/fi/hsa84l8kkiid3fakizeir/Flying-through-clouds.zip?rlkey=ub8nkzzjfq93mj0dad2k0u27l&st=xrocgeiz&dl=1*@JakeInMotion Advanced CC Ball Action tutorial: youtu.be/lfCE8ghhDCk?si=enEqW4_HrSOge9t1Quick Cheats tutorial: youtu.be/x87pSAExIF4Image Particle Transition tutorial: youtu.be/6rXMElJKb_sWormhole's playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58-kYtQUHvMLeWDX4AWFno32eFsRlCX1*Chapters*0:00 Taking Flight01:45 Adobe Express prompts02:35 Removing backgrounds in Photoshop04:17 Creating a reusable precomp08:18 Adding expressions11:03 Running the script I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Movie monsters: Better before CGI? ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-12-22 | A look through some iconic movie creature effects.Less an investigation and more of a celebration as I explore how visual and practical effects artists have used lights, misdirection, make up, CGI and so much more to transform a human into Mr Hyde, a werewolf or a vampire. How they've used those same tricks to age and de-age characters and morph one performer into another. It was surprising for me to learn how the same artists would return to a transformation effect having perfected their techniques. Often decades later.I also explain how the filmmakers achieved the effects famously seen in Sh! The Octopus (1937) and Ben-Hur (1925). And talk about the controversy over replacing Rick Baker’s work in the Wolfman (2010).I've probably missed out dozens of other, better examples, please don't get mad, but do let me know in the comments.VFX History playlist: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58-kYtQUHvO3QDR3IoCxZBVHOAkcHW3SFor a complete list of the films and TV shows featured, check out the list on my website: shiveringcactus.net/transformationsAll the animations were created using Adobe After Effects. And of course, I must give a shout out to @RustyGellerSteadicam *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop*Alternate link: ShiveringCactus.redbubble.com*Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Bibliography*Turner, G.E. (2024) Two-faced treachery: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, The American Society of Cinematographers. Available at: theasc.com/articles/two-faced-treachery-dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde (Accessed: 14 October 2024)Blood, sweat and latex: Howling American werewolves and a make up effects explosion (2020) Film School Rejects. Available at: filmschoolrejects.com/blood-sweat-and-latex-howling-american-werewolves-and-a-make-up-effects-explosion-671156a588b7 (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Evangelista, C. (2022) What went wrong with the wolfman? how makeup VFX legend Rick Baker was pushed aside for CGI junk, SlashFilm. Available at: slashfilm.com/1050461/what-went-wrong-with-the-wolfman-how-makeup-vfx-legend-rick-baker-was-pushed-aside-for-cgi-junk (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Cronin, B. (2017) Did vampires not have fangs in movies until the 1950s?, HuffPost. Available at: huffpost.com/entry/did-vampires-not-have-fan_b_8415636 (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Kasden, L. _Light & Magic_ (27th July 2022). Disney. Available at: disneyplus.com/home (Accessed: 06 January 2024). Seastrom, L.O. (2024) Willow at 30 with visual effects wizards • lucasfilm, Lucasfilm. Available at: lucasfilm.com/news/willow-at-30-with-visual-effects-wizards (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Buffy the Vampire Slayer Season 3 Feature ‘Special Effects’ (2003) YouTube. Available at: youtube.com/watch?v=P7sjfH5AXTA (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Zicree, M.S. (2018) The Twilight Zone Companion. Los Angeles: Silman-James Press. Hollywood make-up legends: Jack Pierce (2011) Cause and FX. Available at: causeandfx.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/hollywood-make-up-legends-jack-pierce (Accessed: 14 October 2024). Neibaur, James L., The Monster Movies of Universal Studios, Rowman & Littlefield, 2017, p.Fxguidetv #202: The art of lola vfx (2015) fxguide. Available at: fxguide.com/fxguidetv/fxguidetv-202-the-art-of-lola-vfx (Accessed: 30 October 2024). Failes, I. (2016a) An oral history of morphing in Michael Jackson’s ‘black or white’, Cartoon Brew. Available at: cartoonbrew.com/vfx/oral-history-morphing-michael-jacksons-black-white-144015.html (Accessed: 27 October 2024). I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
How color film and analog color TV works with bluescreen / chromakey ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-12-09 | A deep dive into VFX History looking at colour film and colour matting / color matting.When I made my video exploring Optical Printers and how they could be used to remove blue from a scene, I was left wondering how did film know which colour was which? And if someone is wearing blue, like Christopher Reeve as Superman (1978) how was he able to be keyed into flying shots. And then I started to question how live analogue TV was able to "remove the blue" for weather forecasts and original Doctor Who.Join me down the rabbit hole of colour film (or color film) Technicolor, Eastman Kodak's Kodachrome and Eastman Color. We'll take a diversion to look at colour analogue telly and CSO (colour separation overlay). Once we're back on track, we'll learn about Petro Vlahos, Didymiun prisms and the Sodium Vapour process. And then, we'll take a diversion to look at how Star Trek: The Next Generation developed the use of UV light and flourscent orange screens before we finally crack the puzzle that made us beleive a man can fly.I also have to give a MASSIVE thank you to both Star Trek: TNG's Visual Effects Supervisor Dan Curry (who helped me with a load of research) and VFX artist @RustyGellerSteadicam for his interview and insights. Check out Rusty's series, What's Behind the Eye behind the camera: youtube.com/watch?v=vR046LZ_NU4&list=PLmVlIQ0mLCqbTGLR67OW1BwXSAQAId7_CI've tried to sum up my findings here and inevitably, I will have missed out crucial steps and glossed over important points. Still I hope you find this VFX history entertaining, if not informative.If you're wondering what software I used to create all the animations, I used Adobe After Effects and Video Copilot's Element3D. Blender was used for a couple of the models. If you have any questions about any specific parts, drop me a line in the comments.*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop*Alternate link: ShiveringCactus.redbubble.com*Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Bibliography*Matte - definition, meaning & synonyms (no date) Vocabulary.com. Available at: vocabulary.com/dictionary/matte#:~:text=The%20French%20root%20is%20mat,%2C%20%22maudlin%20with%20drink.%22 (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Courtens, N. (2024) 35mm film resolution, FilmFix. Available at: filmfix.com/en/blog/35mm-film-resolution (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Herwick III, E.B. (2016) How MIT and Technicolor helped create Hollywood, GBH. Available at: wgbh.org/news/local/2015-07-31/how-mit-and-technicolor-helped-create-hollywood (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Lewis, M. (no date) Natalie Kalmus: Ringmaster of the technicolor rainbow, ACMI. Available at: https://www.acmi.net.au/stories-and-ideas/natalie-kalmus-ringmaster-technicolor-rainbow/ (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Jewell, R.B. (2007) The Golden Age of cinema: Hollywood, 1929-1945. Malden, MA: Blackwell Pub. Merritt, R. (2008) ‘Crying in Color: How Hollywood Coped When Technicolor Died’, Journal of the National Film and Sound Archive, Australia, 3(2/3), pp. 6–6. The Color-Space Conundrum (2005) American cinematographer. Available at: theasc.com/magazine/jan05/conundrum (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Holben, Jay. (April 2000). "Taking Stock" Part 1 of 2. American Cinematographer Magazine ASC Press. pp. 118–130The history of colour TV in the UK (no date) National Science and Media Museum. Available at: scienceandmediamuseum.org.uk/objects-and-stories/history-colour-tv-uk (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Irvine, M. and Tucker, M. (2010) BBC VFX: The story of the BBC visual effects department 1954-2003. London: Aurum. Movie magic at the Rank Organisation: Pinewood studios’ mattes, miniatures & trick photography Available at: nzpetesmatteshot.blogspot.com/2014/03/movie-magic-at-rank-organisation.html (Accessed: 18 August 2024). Stipes, D. (2009) ‘V-The final battle’ mothership, Stipes’ Universe. Available at: davidstipes.net/?p=239 (Accessed: 14 September 2024). Failes, I. (2022) Yes, ‘dune’ used sandscreens, but it also used grayscreens, and even bluescreens, befores & afters. Available at: beforesandafters.com/2022/01/27/yes-dune-used-sandscreens-but-it-also-used-grayscreens-and-even-bluescreens (Accessed: 13 November 2024).Rickett, R. (2016) Optical Special Effects. Available at: https://people.computing.clemson.edu/~ekp/courses/dpa8150/assets/01_Optical.pdf (Accessed: 13 November 2024).#aftereffects #bluescreen #vfx I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Create a Photo Slideshow using After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-12-02 | A guide to showing how to place loads of images on a timeline and space them out automatically.According to YouTube analytics, there's a gap in search where people want to find ways to quickly arrange dozens of photos onto a timeline. I'm guessing a lot of After Effects users might not have heard of Sequence Layers, which is understandable as it is hidden in the in the Keyframe Assistant menu.Sequence Layers automatically spaces out your images based on each's duration and let's you include an overlap for transitions. It is super quick to use and once you are aware of how to set it up correctly, it will save you time.#AfterEffects #slideshow #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Recreating Star Treks Briar Patch with Motion Control ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-11-18 | An Adobe After Effects tutorial.This is a collaboration with @nmphoto37 who has been using a motion control to film models with amazing results. We've worked together to create an action sequence set in the Briar Patch from Star Trek: Insurrection.The Enterprise enters the Briar Patch, passes through some nebula clouds, is attacked by the So'Na before coming about to strike back. It was a fun sequence to create and you can see the results here:youtu.be/6ZNjEqVNQtcIn this tutorial, after explaining how this video came about, I start by using the rotobrush tool to cut out the Enterprise from the blue background. Then I use this as a Track Matte for the beauty pass shot. This cuts out the starship but removes any concerns over spill. Next I take the lighting pass and use the Levels effect to darken the background and brighten the lights, before separating the nacelles to enhance them further with a glow.Once that's done, I then demonstrate how you can use the Camera Tracker to determine the 3D space the ship is meant to be moving in. Using the parent controls in a slightly unusual way to make it seem like a cloud picture is fixed in space while the ship moves. And then I use that to create a luma matte so it appears the Enterprise passes through a cloud.While all this is going on, I also give a shout out to @SternFX for their tips on camera tracking and demonstrate how I use stock footage assets from @PexelsPhotos and @ActionVFXofficial to make the final sequence.#AfterEffects #StarTrek #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:*Files Download: dropbox.com/scl/fi/6uje400nh1olk5mcs94ij/Motion-Control-passes.zip?rlkey=kx4qw6dzp74omxyfgold9xx4w&st=6ynojp8p&dl=1NJM Photo's channel: youtube.com/@nmphoto37--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*00:00 Passing through the Briar Patch03:15 Keylight or Rotobrush?07:17 3D Space I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Partial Bold Text using After Effects expressions - UPDATED ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-11-14 | Now with an improved expression for Per Word SelectionQuestions asking: "Multiple Text Styles on a Single Text Layer", "How can I bold inline words?" or "how do I use Essential Graphics and allow some words to be bold?" come up a lot on the forums and it's a bit tricky. Thanks to After Effects 2025, we can now (finally) use expressions to set Per Character styling.Back in 2023, I made a video showing how to fake bold text using Text Animators and while it was a good enough solution for most people, sometimes you just need the real thing. So in this video, I break down how to use the new expression, then I add some slider controls to make it easier to adjust. And finally, I share my latest work in progress which allows to you select words instead of characters.#AfterEffects #Text #tutorial @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:* Project download (Zipped AEP file): dropbox.com/scl/fi/3cibybgp9w2ojv2ggefaa/Text-bold-for-real.zip?rlkey=9bcyol602aibmk0pkgwmws1cr&st=oci1cqiu&dl=1Adobe Help Guides for Per Character styling: helpx.adobe.com/uk/after-effects/using/expressions-text-properties.html Adobe Community Forum post: community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects-discussions/tutorial-bold-part-of-a-text-layer-using-expressions/m-p/14974435#M258224Control the width of Text using a slider: youtu.be/AxG0qwSkOqs I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Resizing Motion Graphic boxes in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-10-28 | Based on some recent forum questions, I've put together a tutorial to talk you through creating a stylish, motion graphic set of 4 boxes which can change shape, pushing the others out of the way - with only 3 keyframable properties.It is all down to a few repeated expressions, track mattes and the transform effect (instead of the transform properties). Even making the rounded corners is simple, as I use the Simple Choker effect.#AfterEffects #motiongraphics #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Project file: dropbox.com/scl/fi/sl75j6cgmcnwvctl9spmf/Resizing-boxes.zip?rlkey=q5xlgk0lyhjim4y8athdt49vi&st=h84qwdn1&dl=1*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Using invisible effects to hide a stage light ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-10-14 | An Adobe After Effects tutorial.Lasers, dinosaurs and space VFX are cool, but every so often you need to roll up your sleeves to add effects that hide problematic elements in a shot. Reflective surfaces are a great way for production equipment to wind up in a scene which ruins the illusion. Recently a friend of mine had such an issue and asked if there was anything I could do to hide a light's reflection in a painting. To make matters worse, one of the scene's actors moves infront of the reflection!Follow along with me as I use the included @BorisFXco Mocha AE planar tracker to isolate the painting. Once I have it tracked, I bring the painting in Photoshop to make use of Content Aware Fill and then finally cut out the waiter with the Rotobrush tool.*Need help with your project?*If you have a problem you think I can help with, drop me a line at the link:shiveringcactus.net/vfx-clinic#AfterEffects #particles #invisiblefx @AdobeVideo *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Project Files: dropbox.com/scl/fi/755wzxszajhxnt9bpewnj/Restaurant-with-Light.zip?rlkey=kyjt0rpdrwrdfpcskdhqt86vk&st=qtr20pc2&dl=1* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
The easiest way to create a Progress Bar in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-09-30 | Forget using expressions, complex equations or animating a scale, if you want to convey the impression of a loading bar, video duration or even animating hand writing, then the simplest, quickest method is to use a Shape Layer's path and the Trim Paths feature.In this quick tutorial, I demonstrate how to use a separate Shape Layer as a track matte for as many layers as you want. This bypasses any issues you might have trying to get a shape to scale in one direction only, such as a bar chart where the bars grow from the left to the right. I go a little bit further and show how you can use the Linear expression to add additional effects like a lens flare. Rather than get lost in all the detail, I've provided a project file with all the examples shown here.#AfterEffects #wipe #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Project file: dropbox.com/scl/fi/s21ftewbbw153svtjqyav/Progress-Bar-demo.zip?rlkey=4pifh94q41b207wwipkeagm30&st=woql2pq5&dl=1* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
3D DNA in After Effects (no plugins) ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-09-09 | A quick tutorial showing how to use shape layers and CC Ball Action to create a classic sci-fi / electron microscope DNA strand.Deoxyribonucleic acid was first isolated in 1869! Though it wasn't really understood until 1953 when Watson and Crick published their articles in Nature detailing its structure. In April 2023, scientists, based on new evidence, concluded that Rosalind Franklin was a contributor and "equal player" in the discovery process of DNA.I'm not sure how scientifically accurate my version of DNA is, but it should look familiar to audiences for illustration purposes. With all the new 3D features being added to After Effects, this also might end up being replaced with just importing a 3D model, but this is a free, quick way to create a strand of genetic material.And I've managed to make the whole tutorial without a single Jeff Goldblum / Jurassic Park joke, I just didn't stop to think about whether I should.#AfterEffects #science #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Project download (minus the water background, which I got from pexels.com ):*dropbox.com/scl/fi/xig85ybp80sn9e7kis4qa/DNA.zip?rlkey=jfohuhbbpz7eldt9vcum9z1ls&st=1o9x4u93&dl=1*Buy me a coffee?: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Recreating the Transporter effect from Star Trek: TNG ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-08-26 | An Adobe After Effects tutorial.After finding out that the DVDs for Star Trek: The Next Generation included an extra where the elements used to make up the iconic transporter look were shown, I decided to see if I could recreate them within After Effects. The original footage in the extra is not quite complete and is in SD quality. I saw it in a roundtable video on YouTube and the compression has not helped it either. So the challenge was can I use just the included effects in AE to get close. And you be the judge (although I think I got it).In TNG VFX Supervisor Dan Curry's book (Star Trek: The Artistry of Dan Curry) he breaks down the effect into 4 parts:- The Shower curtain- Swirling particles- The Power Pellet- The fading outUsing his notes and the clips from the roundtable extra, I used Shape layers with dashes, gaps, repeater and Pucker & Bloat settings for the initial particles. Fractal Noise supplied the shower curtain and CC Particle World the swirling particles. CC Star Burst created the power pellet with the help of some glows. Finally, I used expression controls and Essential Graphics to turn my composition into a reusable precomp.#AfterEffects #StarTrek #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:*Project Download: dropbox.com/scl/fi/gonfs33vx1j4jximiadro/Transporter-tutorial.zip?rlkey=b9glj7sr0ktx0ubicdjwvtrkb&st=87ann17q&dl=1Roundtable discussion - shared by @BXR_Archives youtube.com/watch?v=kJSZEH8n6fw&Star Trek audio files: trekcore.com/audioI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Marvel energy / aura flames in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-08-12 | A no-particles flame effect you can pull off with no plugins.There's some really cool VFX in the Captain Marvel movies, but my favourite is the firey aura that appears when Carol Danvers starts to use her powers. The process involved was shared in behind-the-scenes videos when Captain Marvel (2019) came out. In a nutshell, the VFX team recreated Brie Larson in 3D, and used the 3D model to drive complex particle simulations. Which apparently took months to refine. It's a bit of a shame they didn't consider using just After Effects to get a similar result! A similar effect can be seen in@Netflix Sandman series (Rose in the garden). Obviously what they did was way more complex and stunning, but in this tutorial, I show how to use a few, simple included effects to create the look of energy emitting in waves from a figure. I start using the rotobrush tool to quickly isolate the hero from their background. Then using the Find Edges effect, I get outlines for all their detail. CC Vector Blur along with some Fractal Noise creates the flame look and 4-Color Gradient adds some colour. This will get you a basic look, but there's nothing stopping you adding layers of this effect, with different settings to create richer, more complex flames.#AfterEffects #thermal #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*0:00 What we're makin'1:24 Using the Rotobrush3:00 Adding the effects5:55 Using a mask for the face I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Recreate Predator / Thermal vision in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-07-29 | I've been using the rotobrush tool quite a lot recently in other projects after I realised just how good it has become. Which made me realise I'd better make a tutorial to demonstrate how to use it to help recreate a classic and iconic look.The original Predator movie (released in 1987) used an Inframetrics thermal video scanner to record accurate thermal imaging. But thermal cameras remain very expensive so by combining Rotobrush 3 with the Colorama effect, I think you can get an acceptable substitute. #AfterEffects #thermal #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:*@ActionVFXofficial practice footage: actionvfx.com/practice-footage--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*0:00 A dramatic scene1:16 Rotobrush bitsI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Recreating Star Trek Phasers in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-07-15 | In this tutorial, I show how to build a reusable phaser effect, based on those in Star Trek: The Next Generation.I've been rewatching TNG recently and it reminded me of the excellent behind-the-scenes video from @fxguide where they looked in the remastering process for the series. At one point, they discuss how they used Flame to reproduce the look of the phasers. These effects were originally achieved in 1987 using Quantel Paintbox and so now, I thought it's past time to demonstrate how you can use After Effects to get the same look.The challenge with After Effects in making a multi-layered effect is how to make it reusable, but thanks Essential Graphics, this problem disappears. So in this video, I start with creating a null packed with all the options by using Expression Controls (found in the Effects menu). Then I apply the Beam effect to create the beam, but I add Turbulent Noise to create a sense of plasma. Next I use some expressions to create some 3D controls before adding flares using the Circle effect.There's a lot of set up, but once done, you have a reusble, changeble phaser beam.#AfterEffects #StarTrek #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:*Project Download: dropbox.com/scl/fi/3eny1cxe7acz5yooj5k9g/Phaser.zip?rlkey=aubjtu0138t8l3c5k9iwzj8as&st=qsvnggyy&dl=1FXGuide's report: youtube.com/watch?v=dPHP5izB8MU--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*00:00 Intruder on the bridge01:33 Controller Null03:51 The Beam effect05:31 Turbulent or Fractal Noise07:12 3D Null expressions11:24 Circle for glows13:40 End ripple14:59 Essential Graphics I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
How to fix common After Effects crashes ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-07-01 | Don't panic, crashes happen and knowing how to resolve them so they don't happen again is the most important thing.In this video, I use Adobe's own community guides to talk you through the different kinds of crashes and what you can do to prevent them.There are loads of different types of crashes, so feel free to use the chapters as a way of getting to what your issue is and hopefully you'll find a useful solution:*Chapters*0:00 Introduction0:35 Operating system and folder permissions1:34 Stuck on splash screen and crashes on launch2:13 Crashing while working2:54 Crashing during renders3:54 Crashing when switching windows#AfterEffects #crash #tutorial Adobe CC Cleaner: helpx.adobe.com/uk/creative-cloud/kb/cc-cleaner-tool-installation-problems.html*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus* I'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
Giveaway draw for 12-months of Adobe Creative Cloud ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-06-30 | *Sponsored by the Adobe Community Experts Program*I was given the chance to celebrate gaining 5000 subscribers (thank you!!!) by offering a year's worth of the complete Adobe Creative Cloud suite to one lucky winner.As promised in my video ( Using After Effects to giveaway 12 months of Adobe Creative Cloud youtu.be/8juIdVPijNQ ) here's the draw.It's not that spectacular as I've chosen to blur identifying elements from everyone's email address, but I promise the draw was as random as I could make it. In all, there were 28 entries from Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Lithuania, Romania, South Africa, Spain, Turkey, United Kingdom and United States.Adobe and the winner have been notified by email.#AfterEffects #tutorials #review*Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus*
Scientifically accurate Wormhole in After Effects ShiveringCactus: VFX 2024-06-17 | In this tutorial, we're going to travel from one point in space to another.Is this true, scientific representation of travelling through a wormhole? Probably not, but it's based on some concepts for tranversible wormholes.This video builds on previous tutorials and assumes you're comfortable with creating a 360 space scene. Let me know in the comments if you'd like me to do more tutorials around this (360 stars tutorial: youtu.be/xG0GQLHRvHw ).I start with two separate comps, each showing a different universe or region of space. Then using the free 3D Precompose script from @VideoCopilot , I link cameras in each comp. And then use a 3D mask to cut a hole out in one comp to see the other. Then I dress up the look of the wormhole using an adjustment layer with a reuse of the same mask but altered using Essential Graphics. I use the Bulge effect for distortion, but this is 2D effect, so I reuse the formula I came up with for the Black Hole tutorial ( youtu.be/jNX0zYLIEcU ) to convert it into a 3D effect.I've got a whole series on Wormholes: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL58-kYtQUHvMLeWDX4AWFno32eFsRlCX1#AfterEffects #Wormhole #tutorial *Get ShiveringCactus VFX as phone cases, T-shirts, mugs: redbubble.com/people/ShiveringCactus/shop**Or buy me a coffee: ko-fi.com/shiveringcactus**Links:*Project Download: dropbox.com/scl/fi/zudqkhmur07glolhbpkfh/Science-Wormhole.zip?rlkey=39ohc5bpemqdrkm52y7jl02ud&st=f9bh4yp9&dl=1Benderite games: benderitegames.itch.io/wormhole-demoVideo Copilot's 3D Precompose: videocopilot.net/blog/2014/08/free-script-3d-pre-compose-tutorialAnd thank you @SternFX -, you'll see why youtu.be/u-kZ53ikJPM?t=400--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------*Chapters*00:00 What we're makin'03:45 Two 360 space scenes05:28 3D Precompose07:44 Marvel's Universal Neural Teleportation Network10:41 Turning Bulge into a 3D effectI'm an Adobe Community Expert - which means you can find me on the Adobe forums if you need any help. community.adobe.com/t5/after-effects/ct-p/ct-after-effects?page=1&sort=latest_replies&lang=all&tabid=all#AdobeCommunityExperts
