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What do you call these things?
This is a fundamental (and perhaps stupid) question. In most professional news opens, promos, etc. there’s a very commonly used effect. I always called them “light flares”, but they’re not really “flares”. Instead, they’re basically “streaks” of light, usually in wavy lines of differing shapes and sizes. They often appear under a piece of text, and sometimes larger ones serve as transitions between scenes. Can someone please tell me what these are called and where they come from? As often as I see them, I assume there’s some plug-in or add-on which creates them. I’ve searched the tutorials here and can’t find what I’m looking for. Hope this is clear enough to understand. Thanks!
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1 Reply
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Hi John –
I’d say you’re right on the money calling them flares. They are generally created in After Effects using various combinations of plugins, depending on whether you want them in 2D or 3D (really 2.5D).
The 2.5D version would use Trapcode’s 3D Stroke plugin, combined with Trapcode Shine, Starglow, or AE’s native Glow plugin (although shine works better, looking more like actual light). The 3D Stroke plugin allows you to create a tapered swash that follows a path, and can then be manipulated to look as if it’s working in 3D space.
The 2D version can be accomplished just using the After Effects Noise filter, stretched either in the x or y axis (depending on whether you want a horizontal or vertical streak). The resulting noise can then be animated as you like, and tinted to whatever color you like. I generally leave the black in, and composite the resulting “flare” in additive mode over my source; the additive mode gives a much more real look of light. There are many tutorials on this all over the web – Ayato has many of these, among other killer effects (some of which require plugins – some don’t):
https://www.ayatoweb.com/ae_tips_e.html
Good luck, and don’t be afraid to experiment – there are many “mistakes” that result from trying to achieve a certain look, and missing.
Joe Bourke
Art Director / WMUR-TV
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