Psionic Blasts

[Alan Lorence]

When you’re asking for a specific effect, it’s really best to provide some links to an image or movie of the effect you want, as many people may not be familiar with the character you’re talking about — I’m not.

(Hey, a question about an effect from a TV show and it’s not “Charmed”!)

Alan.

http://www.wondertouch.com

[Stassiss]

https://youtube.com/watch?v=pyR51D5dyB8
Here is a clip on youtube of the mutant x theme tune bit, emma is the girl with reddish coloured hair and is the only one who shoots a kind of psychic blst from her head. She uses it twice and the second time is easyer to see.
hope this helps:)

[Artflame Noir]

Hi..

This is how I would do it..

I don’t know if you’re familiar with displacement maps and their usage but you can fin some neat tutorials here on how to use them (check AE podcast).

so..

What I would do is following:

I’d make a comp of a normal size (pal or ntsc)

import footage where that effect should appear..

make a new solid and apply particles or some fractal noise (I use trapcode particular.. if u don’t have just google and grab a demo)

now make a “comet” like kind of thing ( through particles or mask if you’re fractaling) and animate it’s position so it flies out the girls hand.. it don really matter how it looks.. we just need it to move properly etc..

now shut down footage layer so you’re only left with particles on alpha channel..

here’s the trick:

pre-compose this..

take your footage and make a new composition..

import the pre-comp u just made

switch it’s visibility off (u don’t need to see it.. just the footage)

now.. apply time displacement to your footage and in the effect dialog of it set your pre-comp as the source..

that should do it..

it this is too messy for you I’ll do a real tutorial one of these days..

just give it a shot.. works like a charm for me

[Stassiss]

Hi thanks for the advice but whenever i’ve used displacement maps with it it is very tacky, i find that the get colour from layer effect in rings actually does an amazing ripple like effect without the messy distortion of the background, the problem is one emmiter wont do the job, it just doesn’t look right, i’ve made an effect similar to what i want now but it’s still not the same. its quite hard to do. but thanks anyway 🙂

[Artflame Noir]

well, while making this you’ll need to keep 4 things in mind, and stick to them fanatically :

All emitter layers must be pre-composed.. don’t be lazy

Mask everything.. as much as needed and animate it if needed

render render render as SEE WHAT is not right

And be absolute God of patience

if these things were a five minutes jobs everyone would be on it .. right?

now, why not try this..

make a copy of your “effected” to be footage

set up an emitter like before…

apply it to upper footage and make that distortion rather extreme

now roto the hell out of it, with some decent feather till you get what need..

it is tedious, but it works.. just try it and remember… no pain no gain.. gym rules work here too lol

and when you make it.. make it on 10 other things too, so you get into the groove of it.. after a week of that crap you’ll hate the damn effect but will become VERY proficient in applying it to just about anything.