Pulse Rays
Gobos and Gels
Finishing our tour of 3D lighting in After Effects, we’ll discuss gobos and gels. For those new to lighting,...
Lurking in the Shadows
The second stop in our overview of 3D lighting in After Effects is the subject of shadows. In the...
Blinded by the Light
The 3D implementation in After Effects is very flexible. You can selectively place some layers in 3D space, and...
Making 3D Effects Behave Like 3D
Expressions can make “fake” 3D plug-ins such as CC Sphere track After Effects’ 3D cameras. After Effects is, at...
Urban Legends of Video
Like urban legends, there are a few pieces of “conventional wisdom” that float around the motion graphics and 3D...
Expressive Animation
One common use of expressions is to set up automatic relationships between layers, such as having a minute hand...
Parenting Skills
Parenting is the ability to link one object to another. Once this bond has been established between parent and...
Open Wide: Creating That Widescreen Look
For years, the widescreen look has held a certain allure. Most widescreen imagery originated as film that was reframed...
Elements for Editors
As motion graphics artists, we’re often asked to supply elements for an editor to use in a final composite...
Luminance Ranges in Video
It would seem like a simple concept: “black” is the darkest color you can have; “white” is the brightest...
Do Not Adjust Your Set
In the motion graphics world, it is easy to become seduced with technology. New releases of software and hardware...
Do Not Adjust Your Set: The Studios
In the main article, we discussed some of the more interesting design topics brought up during the 1999 BDA...
Spinning Gold
In a perfect world, clients supply gorgeous video clips for you to use in the graphics they’ve hired you...
Getting Behind the Color Wheel
Ever composite a number of clips, only to have the result like an explosion in a paint factory? This...