Dave Scotland has over 12 years of CG production knowledge and experience, working for some of the biggest clients in the entertainment industry including, Disney, Warner Bros. and Plastic Wax, just to name a few. He is the creator of CG Swot and is dedicated to bringing CG knowledge to anyone interested in learning... Dave started out, in production, as a 3D Animator and Technical Director before moving into the world of Compositing, Digital Visual Effects and Motion Graphics. Throughout his career, Dave has been drawn to the process of sharing his knowledge with others and has a definite gift for teaching quite technical procedures and techniques to both experienced and novice operators.
In this 3 part tutorial, we’ll take a look at compositing this “Sci-Fi Gas Refinery”. The shot is completely CG and contains no live footage elements. Using photographic layers, 3D renders and effects, we will explore the process of compositing the shot to read as live footage. Techniques include; color correction, blur effects, layer-blending, matting, RPF channel extraction, camera parallax and atmospherics, just to name a few…
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In this tutorial, we will rig and create cycle animation to breathe life into a still image of a Kangaroo. Then we’ll take the cycle render and animate it across our master scene, using null animation. We will also create a hint of parallax using camera projection. The techniques you’ll learn in this simple tutorial will open up loads of opportunities for your own creativity. Enjoy…
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Today I really wanted to share some workflow tricks that I use on a daily basis in a production environment. Many of you might be familiar with these techniques, but there will be a lot of people that will definitely benefit from these tips. With the exception of the Reel Smart Motion Blur plug-in, all of these processes are built into After Effects. Whether you’re a newcomer to After Effects or a seasoned veteran, you will definitely get something out of these great timesavers…
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In this tutorial we will be stepping through the process of compositing this CG shot over a live footage background plate. We’ll show you how to import the 3D multi-pass renders and how to correctly layer them in the comp. We’ll also go through the process of color correcting the elements to better marry them into the background plate. Then we’ll step through the process of creating a glass particle system using Particular. We will also add motion blur to various elements using the ReelSmart motion blur plug-in. Once you have completed this tutorial, you will have a much greater understanding of the types of challenges faced throughout a production compositing process, and how to tackle such challenges to get high quality output.
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In this tutorial I’m going to take you through the process of creating a “CMYK Color Wheel Tool”, using After Effects and Flash. You can view Parts 1 and 2 under the AEtuts section of Tuts Premium, and for the flash training we’ll jump over to Activetuts for Part 3. I’ll be using some great shortcuts and techniques with masks, shape layers and various effects. I’ll even be using a few expressions to make the process easier. I’ll also go through the render process to get a sequence of images which I will be bringing into Flash. I’ll be using one of the templates available in Flash to create an interactive executable tool for you to use in future designs and projects.
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If you’ve ever tried to shoot a car chase scene, you know how hard it is to get everything set up right. Besides being extremely difficult to reset your shots, getting the perfect angle and nailing your timing can be next to impossible unless you can find a deserted road somewhere. With this tutorial, you’ll be able to pull off shots that are guaranteed to impress (cause they’re not real). Half of the tutorials are available in AE Premium, the other half of the series is available through CG Premium… enjoy!
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In this step by step tutorial, you will learn how to take various elements from 3D into After Effects, using the Max2AE plug-in. These elements will include camera animation and helper objects, to use as particle emitters. You will use color adjustments to add realism to the 3D jet element. You will learn how to create contrail and exhaust particles using Trapcode Particular. You will also learn how to create 3D cloud layers in After Effects, to give a realistic flight movement. And you will learn how to add camera shake animation, to help sell the chase-plane look and feel…
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In this tutorial we will be stepping through the process of animating an audio voice-over using mask-driven lip sync animation in After Effects. We will setup the project using phoneme mouth shape reference and various teeth and tongue layers. We will then animate the voice-over using a fluid, organic animation technique. Finally, we’ll look at how to take a master render of the animation into 3D and map it onto a 3D character, using various material techniques…
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This tutorial is based on the Hyundai i45 tv commercial. The effect is rain falling in the shape of various designs, onto a vehichle. The tvc uses a real-world rain rig with a computer driven water delivery system, however we will be showing you how to create the same effect using only After Effects and Particular.
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