[Mike Park]

If you have trapcode particular, you can use a similar method to kevin’s without the described problems with the echo effect.
Simply create a null for each plane, animate the null, pickwip the plane position to the null, create a new solid and apply particular, pickwip the emitter position to the null, turn the velocity to 0 and change the particle life to however long you need. Then, you only need to adjust the particle amount until you get a solid line. This depends largely on the speed of the plane.

You can also do this in true 3d and have the planes fly around the globe. Although you might be limited by the 2d nature of the plane images you are using.

simply duplicate the layers and adjust the null and you have an easy way for multiple planes to have trails following them perfectly.

[Mike Park]

are you trying to do a true 3d look with the planes and lines off the surface of the earth, or a simple 2d look.

Also, do you have trapcode particular?

[Mike Park]

Not sure exactly how you want to text to scroll, but as for the effect with clean edges, this is one way to achieve that result. There are probably easier ways with expressions or other tools, but here is what came to my mind.

1. Figure out the size grid of numbers you are using for the shot. ie 50×30. Make a new comp with your animaged numbers the size of your final comp. Call it “number source.”
2. Create a new comp. Call it “alpha mask.” Put your greenscreened footage in the comp and add a mosiac effect. Change the mosiac grid to equal the grid of your numbers comp. Next, turn on the “sharp colors” feature of the mosiac effect. Also, apply an alpha levels effect and turn the Input white value to 1 from 255.
3. Drag the alpha mask comp into your final comp.
4. Place your number source comp into the final comp, below the alpha comp. Change the track matte of the numbers comp to Luma of the alpha mask comp. Now, the numbers should only appear in full digits.

This method requires spacing out the numbers so that each is the same width and size. Manually adjust the leading and kerning of the numbers layer to fit.

I hope this helps. Like I said, there may be better ways to do this, but it will work.

[Mike Park]

Jose,

The best way I can think of to get that effect is actually pretty simple.
Start a new comp with your footage.
Create a new adjustment layer.
Apply the “Turbulent displace” modifier from the distort effects.
Change the displacement to “horizontal”
Adjust the amount and size to taste and then keyframe the evolution.
Finally, use the pen tool to draw the appropriate confines of the effect and add a little feather.

That should pretty closely approximate the Harry Potter effect with very little effort or complexity. If you want the effect to grow, simply animate the mask on the adjustment layer.

Hope this helps

[Mike Park]

I am guessing that you want the overhead lights to travel up the hood and then up the windshield as you pass by. I am assuming that you have a movie of the freeway as a background. You will probably need to mask off the hood and windshield in seperate layers. Next, turn your background into a 3d layer and position it so it flows over the hood in a proper manner. You will probably need to distort the footage to approximate the curve of the hood. Then, do the same for the windshield. Change the transfer mode to add and play with the opacity until it gives you the desired effect.

One last note, the believeability of the shot would be enhanced with some dirt or grime on the windshield. Get a black and white photo of some dirt or grime. Place it below the movie layers and change the track matte to luma inverted. Then play with the opacity and color correction tools to make it match the footage.

Hope this helps

[Mike Park]

Which effect are you talking about? The levitation like in the Order of the Phoenix?

[Mike Park]

Yes, that is exactly what I think. AFX seems to be much better at fine tuning your video footage. I generally import my footage using premiere, trim it down – much easier with Premiere, then export using Quicktime with animation codec. Import into AFX and do all your post work. That is how I like to work anyway. Depending on the version, you can also use the dynamic link to import premiere sequences into afx as a comp with a series of video on different layers so you can tweak them individually. Pretty handy.

Hope this helps

[Mike Park]

That is simple enough. Just duplicate your smoke layer and change the track matte of the bottom one to alpha or luma of the smoke layer above. Make sure the smoke layer above is not visible. You can then adjust the opacity of the invisible smoke layer to control the opacity of the visible smoke layer.

As for adjusting the color of the smoke, that should be simple enough if you rendered out the smoke as a seperate layer. Just apply some color correction to it, ie curves, cc toner, etc…you can then use this layer as is or control the color of the smoke by changing the transfer mode of the layer to hue or color, depending on what gives you the best look.

[Mike Park]

Is there any reason you didnt import the footage into afx and overlay it all together. Also, is the logo a shape layer or raster image. I am guessing the edges are a bit blocky in Premiere.

[Mike Park]

It seems as if you want the target of the light to track the 9 objects in sequence. Sometimes the simplist solutions are the easiest.
You could kust duplicate the light 9 times, keyframe the intensity of the various lights to come on as the prior one goes off and then simply pickwip and parent the light target position to the position of the elements they are tracking.

This will be much faster and easier than trying to figure out an expression to handle changing position targets or look at targets for a simple need. But, I am not an expression guru either.

Hope this helps