[Artflame Noir]

I checked it out a few times… definitely doable by “just” using 2d elements properly placed in Z space and matched to some fie camera moves..

not a quick and simple operation, but oh so sweetly doable in AE..

[Artflame Noir]

Well to be honest I think it’s even done in a more simple application than AE…

Could you do it in AE? Totally..

like, you could do things like this as an exercise after an month or two of learning it.. this is really easy.. and AE is exceptionally powerful program.. even some of the big scenes from movies like “The Constantine” and “Van Helsing” were made in it..

so yes it all doable in AE.

more questions? fire away..

[Artflame Noir]

well I make music videos for living, and it’s true what wuzelwazel said.. it all depens on what look you want to achieve..

last stuff I did was a simple video, shot on HD in a really nice location.. other than some simple CC to give it a deep blue hue I did nothing more… you can chack it out here ..

https://www.myspace.com/lance_sefiroth

just scroll a little down (about middle of the page) and you’ll see it.. (shut the music first)

that’s all in camera made, CCed in FCP (could have been Premiere Pro but this wad hd and I felt more comfortable with FCP) cut in FCP and Ta-Daa.. that’s it..

but that’s one way to do it..

I’m now working on two new things.. both will be done in AE only.. as they are really heavy on FX…

a friend of mine does everything in Fusion..

it is really a mater of what you’re comfortable with.. but for best results with DV footage I recommend AE as PP compresses hell out of footage when color correcting and making transitions..

give us some info as to what you want to achieve and some reference about what should it look like.. maybe we can help you more then..

[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.

[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

[Artflame Noir]

So.. What ever came out of this?.. I have a similar thing coming up soon.. (making a character become liquid like).. I read all that on displacement mapping etc. but somehow I still don’t get it.. Not it the practical sense of how do I make it work for this thing?

any chance some of the Big Cow Gods turn their smiling faces on us mortal and shine some tutorial mercy. Mr. Kramer? Mr. Rabinowitz? Beg, beg beg…