[Coverbee]

https://www.creativecow.net/articles/oneil_bill/as_matte/index.html

This great tutorial by Bill O’Neil is (again) the fist thing that come to mind…
Cheers

[Coverbee]

Each object you want an extra pass for, you must give a compositing tag in the object window. Then you choose : object 1, objectbuffer 1 ; object 2, objectbuffer 2 etc.
In the rendersettings go to Multipass check the box that says enable multipass and make your extra passes by clicking on the little arrow on the right en choose object buffer.
make as many objectbuffers ( with corresponding ID numbers) as you have given compositing tags to your objects. The will appear as different layers in After Effects.
You can also choose extra passes for other things Shadows, reflection,refraction and so on.

Good luck..

[Coverbee]

Hi
In your preferences (under “After Effects”) go to Import.
Change the duration for Still Footage (or make it comp size)

When your Still is in the timeline you should be able to drag the end of the track to make it longer (that is if the overall composition duration is longer than the still)

I hope this helps…

Cheers

[Coverbee]

Hi
Try this one

Effect>Adjust> Levels
bring the percenyage for “input white” back.

Does it work or am I just being to simple..

[Coverbee]

https://www.creativecow.net/articles/oneil_bill/light_storm/index.html

The first thing that comes to mind….

Cheers

[Coverbee]

http://www.creativecow.net/articles/thorn/c4dtoae1/index.html

Hi.
maybe this tutorial gives the answer to your question(s)

Cheers

[Coverbee]

https://www.creativecow.net/articles/rabinowitz_aharon/horror_text2/index.html

check out this tutorial by Aharon Rabinowitz .
It might help you…
Cheers

[Coverbee]

Hi
How about using the paint write-on effect
Add a little scatter to it to give it a spray look….
(Stylize>scatter)

Good luck

[Coverbee]

Hi there !

Maybe try this one…

Draw a mask with the pen tool to create the path you want the smoke to follow.
Copy and paste to a new solid.
Apply the stroke effect to the mask. Effect> Render> Stroke
App. Settings : Brush size 9
Brush hardness 60 %
Spacing 80 %
Animate the end of the stroke

Add some Fast blur to it Blurrines 10 for only the horizontal pixels

Add a new solid to the comp
Add some Fractal noise , animate the evolution, let’s say 10 evolutions.
Precompose this layer.

Go back to the stroke layer.
Add a displacement map. Set the fractalnoise comp to be the Displacement map layer. Use Luminance
Horizontal displ. 8
Vertical Displ. 1

Adjust the mask (the smoke trail) to your liking.
This might need some more adjustments and experimentation but I hope it will help you getting started.

Best Regards

[Coverbee]

Sorry, Still working in 6.5