[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Free Form – better FreeForm Pro is the way to go- all you need is a great animated depth map. You could use animated shape layers to create one, combined with blurs and maybe Mesh Warp for a more organic look.
Here’s a couple of examples of what FF Pro can do with a good animated depth map:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-U0huO5UO7s

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A68RIwVZJZQ

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

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[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

The easy way would be to use ShapeShifter AE from Mettle to create 3d text and use the image as a reflection map.

Here’s a method without third party plugins:

Animate your text in 3d using a camera move and not the text layer ( in other words, the text layer is still, just the camera moves). Once you’re happy with it duplicate your comp in the Project panel. Open the duplicated comp. Turn the text layer off. Bring in your image (the one you want to reflect in the letters). Make the layer 3d and flip it 180 on Y axis. Take it back in Z space (you will have to tweak this according to the desired effect- the closer it is in z space the more change in reflection you’ll have, the farther away- less change) and size it up to fill the frame.
Bring the two together in a master comp and duplicate the text only comp. Use that as a track matte for the reflection comp.
If you want to play with the reflection and still be able to change the camera move you’ll have to link the camera from the reflection comp with the one from the text comp and then create sliders in the final comp and link the properties of the text only comp camera to those. You will need one more slider to link the z position of the reflection image layer to it.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Not exactly sure I understand your issue, but it seems to me that you could create a comp larger than the final size you need, position the rendered object (several instances) where you want them to be and bring that comp into your final comp and apply shatter to it.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Is it an AE flare or Knoll or Optical Flare from Videocopilot?
The second and the third type you can link the flare to a Light- parent the Light to the 3d layer that is your photo and position the lightflare to the desired spot and now the flare will move with the photo.
For the first option (native AE flare) – pre-render your animation and then track- it should work just fine.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Not a direct answer to your specific issue, but this can help you:

https://www.duduf.com/ressources/duik/en/tutos.html

You will find tutorials at the above link- browse the site for free downloads.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

FF Pro can do a lot of things- here’s a link to a demo that shows water in AE using the plugin:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PXGMOE7PtwY

Regarding the “darkness”- I am actually on vacation and I do not have my AE machine – though obviously still hooked on the COW- so I can’t really do a proper test to post it for you. You have to play around a bit- use different modes for compositing your layers- Multiply/ Overlay… also with the Fractal Noise settings- you have various presets for the way it looks, the way it animates and so on.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

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[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Here’s a free one- it will take your effort to watch and learn and then replicate, but then again, it’s a worthy investment and what else do you do as a student…:

https://after-effects.wonderhowto.com/how-to/build-360-degree-cube-world-with-after-effects-278784/

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

You can use a color range key to select the blue of the house and create a mask for color correction. Of course you will need to roto the girl out- a garbage matte should do. You can then use Hue/Saturation or Change to Color to try and match the houses. I think that you’ll have a hard time with the texture of the house.
Can you get a still camera and take a picture of the area around the door straight on? You could then bring that in AE, make it 3d and match the camera perspective, match the grain of the footage, track and match the camera shake and you’re good to go.
One more thing- to really match the 2 you would need to add a white door on the front of the house in the first shot.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

All of it can be done in AE- the letters could be created using FreeForm Pro, and the “darkness” could be a combination of Fractal Noise, animated masks and Color Grading (Levels or Curves and some desaturation).

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist

[Tudor “ted” jelescu]

Even if you do not have a Nvidia card, I would say yes, it’s worth the money. You get faster rendering and a solid 3d camera tracker,together with many new or improved features.

Tudor “Ted” Jelescu
Senior VFX Artist