Here’s another week or so of some news on After Effects tutorials, plug-ins, scripts and more. Thanksgiving was last week but there was substance from Video Copilot, a start on some broadcast-style graphics, LED light walls & casino-style text lights, green screen tips, 3D cubes and other shapes, linking objects with lines, results of a user’s choice survey on plug-ins, and more.
Stefan Surmabojov started a series on Building Broadcast News-Style Graphics. See also Free Lower Thirds plus Additional Resources on leveraging Photoshop, Premiere, and After Effects. Here’s the preview for the latest from Stefan:
BatchProcessor might be the answer to a need to apply the same effect to multiple comps:
Talk Making Money as an Artists + FAST Motion Graphics is the topic of Red Giant TV Live – Episode 7: Nick Campbell & Andrew Little:
See a creepier than usual Film Riot episode, and hear their top 10 tips for better green screening:
- 1st: Trapcode Particular
- 2nd: Red Giant Magic Bullet Looks
- 3rd: Boris Continuum Complete
- 4th: Video Copilot Optical Flares
- 5th: GenArts Sapphire
- 6th: Red Giant Magic Bullet Colorista
- 7th: The Foundry Keylight (Included in AE)
- 8th: Trapcode Shine
- 9th: Imagineer Systems mocha
- 10th: Noise Industries FxFactory Pro
Lines Creator is a new script for After Effects that lets use links object with lines; it’s inexpensive and has a 7-day trial (see the demo video below). David Alex Wanganju explained how to do this manually with the Beam filter and expressions (as recommended on forums) in After Effects – Join Points with a Line with Expressions. You can also do this with iExpressions, as shown partially in Tutorial: iExpressions 2 – Linking & Beat Detection.
Motion Graphics Exchange shared the 3D Cube Creator script used to create a 3d cube. See also the free Cube Intro project from Eran Stern and Create3DShapes at AE Scripts. Create3DShapes allows you to distribute layers as a box, sphere, cylinder, pyramid, or ellipsoid (e.g. rugby ball, with controllable x,y,z-radius) — as well as a 3D Platonic solids (see video), a Menger Sponge, and 3DFallingDominoes:
Chris and Trish Meyer some tips on what to look for when setting up a track in After Effects in After Effects Apprentice Free Video: Performing a Motion Track. CMG Hidden Gems: Chapter 30 – Motion Tracking previously covered some of the same ground.
A silent Newton chains and ropes tutorial by Tercel demonstrates continuing experimentation:
Shortformvideo retuned with a faster approximation for Lens Blur with creative use of adjustment layers and the Fast Blur effect. For other approaches see Camera Lens Blur effect and camera depth of field properties in After Effects CS5.5 by Todd Kopriva. Here’s Laurence and Richard Harrington, who recently posted a tutorial too:
Angie Taylor posted After Effects Light Wipe Tutorial:
adintermedia posted Create high realistic 3D Text in After Effects in 2 parts. See also, 3D Text in After Effects (updated), a kitchen sink list of approaches on creating 3D text in AE. Here’s adintermedia:
Miscellaneous
Even Scott Kelby doesn’t like Adobe’s new upgrade policy.
Todd_Kopriva collected Resources for Choosing a Graphics Card for Adobe Premiere Pro.
FastCo Design notes Dieter Rams’s 10 Principles Of Good Design, Revealed In 10 Clever Posters.
At Mindshare Los Angeles in October, 2011, Ron Brinkmann looked at the way camera technology is evolving and the ramifications of this for both photographers and society in general:
