Good horror isn't about over the top effects. Its about using effects and colour correction to create a constant and un-nerving sense of fear, suspense and terror as part of an imaginative and horrifyingly well directed film. In this first part James will teach how to create 2 scenes. First how to take a shot of a mansion and give it an intense and scary look through sky replacement and colour correction. Second we will take a shot of a stone gargoyle face and create a subtle yet creepy effect in which it frowns evilly at an oncoming victim. Be afraid...be very afraid.
Preview
RSS readers: click post title to view preview video at AETUTS.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Download
PreviewView Tutorial
RSS readers: click post title to view preview video at Aetuts+.
Instructions: Click 'View Full-screen' button (bottom right corner) to see this HD tutorial at maximum size. Click screen to pause, click again to play.
Get the Flash Player to see this player.
Download
TutorialRelated Posts
Keep reading with more great tutorials and articles!
Enjoy this Post?
We'd love your vote!
Plus Members
Source Files, Bonus Tutorials and
More for $9 a month for all Tuts+
sites in one subscription.
User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Nickium May 6th
First
Very nice Tutorial. Will help me tons.
( )James Twyman May 6th
Great to hear it
( )michael keal May 11th
It s HORRIBLE
( )Do something
like grab this project in the trash
We are very disappointed
michael keal May 11th
Is it a project for children ?
abo nabam May 6th
great….likes it…i want to know miore about colour correction.. if somehow u cud give me some guide..thanks for this tut btw..^_^
( )arrow23 May 6th
Very nice and handy, but the first video (after) looks a little bit fake and there is to much animation in it. I,m not trying to be the ass of here but this is just my meaning. the rest is just great.
( )Fox May 6th
Hm I think the colors are to much crushed for my opinion.
( )Sorry
James Twyman May 6th
Yes i agree, Though the point was more about the theory ofColor grading then anthing. Thanks for the comment
( )Modisana May 6th
Great Tut dude… Okay Im lying I havent seen the final sample or the tutorial..my connection is a bit of a pain at the moment and I wanted to comment and be one of the people at the top….not that it makes a difference though!
But Im sure the tutorial will be kick ass like all other AE tuts tutorials…so thanks in advance
( )ben May 6th
who are these people who just want to comment first. your cropping up everywhere – losers! lol
( )michael keal May 11th
totally agree
its awfull
greg May 6th
Uhm…. that’s about as bad as it gets. Your blacks and midtone details are blown out, there is hardly anything to look at. The figure isn’t even visible clearly.
You can plus this shot by adding grain, a vignette and slight pushing into the greens while desaturating the image. Also try to add a bit of slight camera shake and defocus around the edges.
( )James Twyman May 6th
If thats about as bad as it gets in your opinion you’ve not seen much before so to be honest with that kind of lack of experience i’ll ignore that section of the comment (and the figures not clear to avoid having to search for him and get permissions)
( )I don’t mind criticism. i thrive on it. It helps me improve. What is sad to see is someone who rather then giving it, decides its easier just to slate something. Which is why (unlike the rest of the opinions which i am thank full for) yours is meaningless. Better luck next time.
Nurman Vistosky May 7th
Guess what James: I agree with Dave. It does look very bad.
Live with it: it will help you improve.
Sean H January 14th
James
The final product may not be to everyones taste but I really enjoyed you explanation and demonstration about making a quick alpha matte. It was very clear and very detailed and I will be looking at it again just for that. I don’t know what’s up with these people here but if you already know everything why are you even bothering looking at a site like this and leaving rude commentary.
Sal May 6th
James,
Wonderful, just wonderful. More tutorials, please. I can’t believe you’re only 22.
Great job!
( )James Twyman May 6th
Thank you. There will be more (i’ve learnt a lot from doing this one so expect something cool)
( )Craigsnedeker May 6th
Not bad actually but it is a little dark.
( )vijay May 6th
great job James good tuts good work man
( )Chip May 6th
Normally, I would never write up a bad comment about a free tutorial… but to be fair, the first sentence of the description of this one says, “Good horror isn’t about over the top effects.” though, that’s exactly what this one is and isn’t really done well. The first shot really looks way over the top and extremely fake. The sky and trees on the left of the frame look far too blown out and the sky really doesn’t blend into the rest of the footage.
Again, I would usually be the last one to write up a negative comment on a free tutorial, but this one I think needs it.
( )James Twyman May 6th
Thanks for that. The first shot is something a lot of people are commenting on and i think your right. I was too focused on telling the theory and not enough on applying it effectively. This is something I am glad i have learnt because it means my next tutorial can be much better.
( )Topher Welsh May 6th
I agree the first shot is a little over the top, but hey, its all about the techniques you learn, right? Good tutorial… the effect just needs some polishing… that’s all.
Lets all remember friendly criticism is welcome, but lets not bash.
I look forward to the next tut from you dude!
( )nirvana May 6th
Have a look~! Thks~
( )James Twyman May 6th
Thanks for the feedback every one. The over darkness was a personal choice and in hignsitght probably not a great one. the next will be vastly improved
( )Nono May 6th
Ugly. Period.
( )James Twyman May 6th
Sorry your screens reflection must have gotten in the way of the video… come on mate this is a community, if you don’t like something fine. Thats your choice, just be a bit more tactful about it.
( )cpt. curious May 6th
I think there is no need to insult people for their (legitimate) opinion about the outcome of your tutorial. Even if you previously stated otherwise, you don’t seem to take criticism all too well. The fact is, that even while your explanation and theory about color grading might be solid knowledge, the final outcome looks terrible and emphazises in no way the mood that would be appropriate for a horror movie. To tell the truth: your example above looks really amateurish and nothing like what you would expect from a professional editor, who you claim you are. Having a good understanding of color grading and film editing is one thing, but failing to transfer that knowledge into a believable and awesome looking end product is another. The comment from Nono may be a bit harsh but it’s also true. So instead of insulting other people for their honest opinion, you should think about it and use it to enhance your next presentation. Because the point is: if you tell me to color grade it like this and like that and in the end it looks horrible, why should I listen to you at all, if doing so gives me an end result that I don’t like one bit.
James Twyman May 6th
I think your missing the point. There was nothing constructive about your comment. It was an insult and so I responded with the like to demonstrate how unnecessary it was. The fact that you feel insulted reflects the way I felt about your comment. So we’re even. I get your point about the final product. and the thing is (which counters your theory that i can’t take criticism) I know its true. Something i have learned from this experience is i have the technical knowledge…but not the skill to put it into practice yet and thats something i will go away and work on before my next tutorial or project. I’m glad you thought it was ugly, its a point of view and i need to hear them all, whats sad is when people can’t express these views with any intelligence. this for me has been a fantastic wake up call. I thought i was good (and i know i am) but i now realize it takes more then that and i thank you and everyone who has pointed that out for doing so. Its just the manner i which you chose to do it. I mean you no disrespect, i just don’t like it when someone i don’t know disrespects me for no reason.
cpt. curious May 6th
First of all, that comment about your finished clip being ugly was not from me, but from “Nono”. Second, I understand your point, but I also suspect that you take criticism far too personal. Everything Nono and I were saying was directly related to the finished product and in NO WAY related to you as a person nor was it intended to deny you of your abilities or skills. So you really cannot speak of any form of disrespect there. Probably you could settle for disapproval of the final outcome. But as a tutorial writer, that really is something you have to learn to live with. You simply cannot make everybody happy. A word of advice: by creating a visually appealing presentation for your tutorials, you attract more readers and you show that your knowledge isn’t just some theoretical gibberish but that one can actually use it to enhance their own productions. So let your next tutorial just rock and everyone is happy. There, that’s all I wanted to say, no offence meant.
ben May 6th
god, I’m going to sound like a complete prick – but was someone payed for doing this tut? The only thing I learned from this is that I should start making tuts!!
I know that you are trying to teach theory but dude, the effect is so badly done in the first place, that I find it hard to believe it made it on here.
I’m in no way trying to offend you, the theory is kind of there but just all in all, I can tell that its passion that drives you and not actual experience and skill – which I think this site should strictly stick to. The other authors here are all pretty much excellent afx users.
i think you should wait a couple of years before creating another tut, watch more stuff, learn how it should be done.
I’m sorry mate, I’m the same age and always appreciate free things, but this unfortunately just wasn’t up to scratch considering the level of quality and awesomeness of the majority of tuts released over the past 6-8 weeks on here!
( )ben May 6th
P.S. by the way, I forgot to mention that I do really like the subtle face animation, and I know you’d put more effort into the colouring if it was to be made for a film, it’s not all bad, I just think that there has been a high benchmark set on this site with great looking final outcomes – this raises expectations and thats possibly why you had a lot of negative feedback.
As I said earlier, I probably sound like a prick slating your hard work, but I just wanted to give you my opinion.
hope here was not to much offense caused!
x
James Twyman May 7th
No you don’t sound like a prick. I admit my first reaction was to take offence but I’ve spent a few hours reading the reviews and watch the tutorials and watching others. The funny thing is i think I’ve learnt more from this then anyone else. In regards to being driven by passion…well yes. Every one in any area of life is driven by passion long before they have the skill to produce what they want. Its up to me now to move forward and learn the skills needed to attain what i want. I will continue to learn and hone in my skills. Thank you for the positive comment about the animation.
( )Keep the feedback coming, positive and constructive. I promise next time you see me here you’ll see something 1000 times better.
David_97 May 6th
I think it is a little dark but it is a horror film and I’m mostly an action film type of person, so I don’t explore horror much.
Good tut.
( )-David
MartinS May 6th
I really liked it, and enjoy your teaching style. Although I do somewhat agree with your self assessment “too focused on telling the theory and not enough on applying it effectively”.
Looking forward to your next tutorial!
( )James Twyman May 6th
Glad you liked the teaching style and thank you for the honesty. this has been a very important experience for me. i started with a question. “Am i good enough to play with the big boys?” the answer at the moment is …”no, but keep working you’ll get there”
( )Adam Everett May 6th
James,
( )I’m glad you used a nice mic, I think my biggest annoyance is when I’m trying to watch a tutorial and the audio is really crappy… the tutorial was well thought out. well done. My critique is simply this… you don’t have to defend yourself. The vast majority of people in this community are decent, amiable people who are excited to learn and welcome any knowledge they can get. If you’re getting insulted rather then honestly scrutiny, it’s being done by people that probably don’t belong in this community. If somebody hits you, he’s a jerk, if you hit back, you’re now a jerk too. My recommendation is just to walk away and smile as you watch a friend hit him back for you. Just my thoughts, again… Well done and keep it coming! I want more James!
James Twyman May 7th
Thanks for the advice i will take it on board. Yes i agree, a good mic costs £30 (and probably similar in dollars.) Its a simple shotgun mic at about arms length. so to anyone looking for a good mic try that
( )Guoest May 6th
thanks for sharing good tutorial
( )Rafi May 6th
you should watch “El Orfanato” if you havent already! That’s whait i call psychological horror…
( )Greg May 6th
Treading over thin ice here. Thanks for taking your time to create a tutorial. What I have to say has already been stated before. You should analise the end result, and be realistic at that. Ask yourself: Would this be acceptable in a professional environment?.
I’m assuming you do for a living, as do I, so I hope you get my point.
( )karl May 6th
This is not on the same level as the other tutorials on aetuts.
( )Loay May 6th
Thank you very much.
( )Oliver May 6th
Sorry James, I didn’t like the tutorial.
Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I found it a bit preachy and what you were talking about was quite basic.
When you start getting into audience pleasures and structure it gets extremely complicated; there is no one way to make a film, no matter what genre it is in.
It is not always about characters and plot; it was never intended that way [going back to the Lumiere Bros. and Edison] but story tellers high-jacked the medium and made it about many elements coming together, and the social paradigm changed through time. It is, and always must be, a spectacle with the juxtaposition of the story creating a verisimilitude which is compelling to an audience.
If you want to talk about film theory then maybe you can talk about it from a personal POV, and take that stance when delivering it to your audience. Also, I’m not sure how much relevance it has on an AE tutorial site; but if you can feel that you can make it work
Maybe you should set up your own site about filmmaking as a whole, splitting it up into separate tutorial sections, from ‘theory’ to ‘pre-production’, etc. If that is something that you feel passionate about.
Also, I have to agree with an earlier comment if you are going to teach someone how to colour correct, you have to be able to do it well; because no matter how much you can explain the theory behind it, what you have to be able to teach is the application from theory to practice and without that part you don’t understand the theory.
Lastly, Well done for getting you’re self out there and putting something back into the community. Being someone who also has supported Andrew Kramer from early on, I often feel that I would like to do a tutorial and support the online community and it is not easy to put a product out there for people to see and comment on.
I hope this message hasn’t demoralised you too much, keep plugging away and it will be interesting to see what you do next.
( )David_97 May 7th
I agree.
( )-David
sellen May 6th
wondeful. so i expect something else cool。
( )Michael May 6th
James, thx for putting so much effort in this tutorial but I have to agree with Greg and Oliver. Don’t take it personal but I think your AE skills aren’t good enough yet to post a tutorial on AEtuts+. The guys who post here are AE experts and according to what you’ve written you are director, actor, stuntman ect, so it’s just normal you can’t keep up with them. It’s just that I consider AEtuts+ to be a platform for more advanced insights of AE.
( )aechopper May 6th
ha! anyone notice that James Twyman use andrew (videocopilot) tutorials techniques.
( )1. 42. Advanced Sky Replacement
2. 43. Demon Face Warp
3. Flim magic pro for color grading
Nurman Vistosky May 7th
What do you expect from a “director, actor, stuntman, editor and special effects artist” ?
( )ben May 6th
I have to be honest, and this is not just specifically aimed towards this tutorial – I have lost my enthusiasm for aetuts, and that is unfortunatly down to these crazy flash players you introduced.
I am on a 12 MB cable connection and the thing takes soooooooo long to load. I know i could just download, but it’s not the point.
I take it you have a server, so why not do what ALL the best tut sites do and stick to QUICKTIME vids.
Im as impatient as anyone else in this day and age – i have to wait for the stupid player to think about loading ANYTHING for so long that it drives me mad. I have tested the site with various friends who have up to 50MB connections, and are right next to the exchange yet it lags SOOOO BADLY even at these increadible transfer speeds???!!
This issue has to be sorted.
( )cookie May 7th
You’re not the only one with the problem. I just leave the site if it takes too long.
Where is the quality control on this site? Not trying to bash you James because we all have to start somewhere. Also, I suggest you learn to take crits well because these guys are actually being gentle. It’s part of the biz. You won’t please everyone no matter how polished your stuff is.
( )Satya Meka May 7th
The problem with Quicktime is, it is not as universal as flash and I always experience problems with quicktime videos if I am in a non 0S X, non Safari browser. Not only that, I think flash streaming is a lot faster than quick times. I suggest the admins to try to improve the speed a little bit because it takes a while to load sometimes. But also, users should keep in mind that the bandwidth costs a lot especially if you are streaming HD videos. If you have problems, better consider downloading the tutorial and watch it in your free time.
( )Pual May 7th
Yes. I agree with you. I cant even watch Quicktimes from Apple’s website if I am in windows/firefox/chrome with latest Quicktime installed.
Diego SA May 6th
I know this tutorial purpose is to show an idea of how to let a video with a horror shot look, but even so, the first “after” example seems a little far-fetched. I mean, if you look more at the left side of the video, you’ll realize too much blur effect. It’s too dark. The entire composition is great, but I’d reduce these two points.
( )The second example is perfect. Can’t find any problem.
As I said, this tutorial has a purpose and show an idea of horror shot that’s a great inspiration source for future horror like works. So, I’d congratulate you for offering this tutorial for us! Thank you!
Sunny May 6th
even though the first shot wasn’t the best, you always learn from your mistakes. There’s always room for improvement, but this tutorial of course still helped me, its not like were all gonna make a horror scene this idea, will branch off into other things like, a sad scene color correction. I would say you set us off in a good direction, and i cant wait for you next tutorial.
Thanks for the tutorial, and I’m sure your next tutorial will be even better then this one
( )abo nabam May 6th
i dont know why these cheap ppl are complaining about this tut. if they think they are really good in their experience of colour and effects skills, i swear i am waiting for such tutorials. but if u guys dont know how to put up a tut in this gr8 site, than please dont put a word. and also i think you guys sud be gr8ful that there are people like james who are trying to provide some free tuts, and that too for free. people like you if cant be happy with free tuts, than i gues if you purchase a tuts DVD, you would ask for a money back. please dont be cheap ya, if there are no tuts provider like james, than how the hell are you gonna learn even a tiny bit, or better stop visiting this site.
specially NONO, i am waiting for your tut.
( )thanks james a tons. waiting for more.
David_97 May 7th
Most of us aren’t saying the tutorial was badly recorded and the style was terrible, we are just saying our opinion.
I completely agree with Diego SA above. Good post, I think you hit the nail on the head there.
( )-David
aaron May 7th
Hey Abo,
Hopefully I’m not alone in my dislike for the gibberish style in which you write. And I say this because I’m presuming that English is your first language, as most non-native English speakers I see post in forums have a distinct style…one that is not peppered with lazy-ass “gr8’s” and other senseless abbreviations that save you two keystrokes at the expense of legibility. If I’m mistaken I apologize but it was literally agonizing to read and discern the meaning of your post.
Grammar aside, your rationale is suspect and by that I mean it seems according to you, we should all just shut up because these tutorials don’t cost us anything. This is poor thinking which will lower the caliber of tutorial on this site and that’s something I don’t think any of us want.
Lastly this attitude, “specially NONO, i am waiting for your tut.” is pure crap and something that everyone should take issue with. Our ability to criticize, is not dictated by whether we perform the activity or not. Just because Nono nor I make tutorials speaks nothing of our ability to judge whether a tutorial is good or not. We’ve all seen good, great and groundbreaking tutorials and this is none of those. One would think that is obvious from the overwhelmingly negative response it has received.
If I were James I would take this experience, learn from it, and put out something awesome next time. I’m sure he will do this. The last person I would want in more corner would be you, who would seem to not give a damn what he puts out next because after all, these tutorials are free, right?
done.
( )abo nabam May 7th
oh Mr. aaron. why dont you write an essay. wouldnt it be gr8( by the way gr8 =great) for ur kind info. i dont really stop by this site often, but when i see such rubbish comms, which i personally refer to many others, i dont think i can keep quite.
by the way, who did ever tell you guys to follow on the tuts as perfect as it is. if you are quite gud enough, wouldnt you just get the technique of using color gradient. so what if the video was quite blown out, are you gonna make your project too like that. oh c’mon. dont be so bookworm.
and as per for my grammar, my dear frend this is 21st century( now dont tell me you wud type 21 FIRST CENTURY), this is not the point of discussion here. dont you know internet language, or are you still stuck with the that grammar book of yours.
if you wud have seen what Mr. NONO had written, i mean in a proper way, rather than the mood of arguing, is it justified to say tons of words which are discouraging, but instead we sud be encouraging for such tuts.
the day when free tuts are gonna stop coming, people are gonna cry about it. i have no grudge against you regarding your above post, but people shouldnt judge a tut according to its looks, we do have brains dont we.
and also i am sure AETUTS people must have posted this tut cos they might have expected that people wud understand the idea behind this project.
whatever, but appreciate what we have got till now.
PS- i am quite fast in typing…^0^
aaron May 8th
Apparently nobody posting comments here knows “internet language” as you call it, because we’re all communicating using plain old English. I know it’s cumbersome to type “should” instead of “sud” but those extra three keystrokes have the added benefit of conveying what you mean.
I’m aware that grammar isn’t the point of this whole discussion, but as a community of professionals I think we should take the time to communicate that way, and not as a bunch of 13 year-old kids texting each other.
By the way, nobody is advocating free tutorials to stop, but you shouldn’t be so naive about this whole thing. Free tutorials are the rubbish you find on youtube. AE tuts sets the bar high because they want to increase the traffic to their website and push people off to videohive or their advertisers websites so they can make money. That’s why they can afford to pay people for articles/tutorials. This isn’t a charity, it’s a business, and what they’re doing is just smart business.
abo nabam May 9th
wowow…again after my grammar, what the f*** is wrong with you, evrytime talking about some keystrokes. you must have had a bad childhood regarding typing or the english language. and i am shocked that you have no idea about the internet lang. i feel pity for you dear. start surfing the net often, and when you encounter another person just like me, you know wat will b their reaction be……” are you writing an essay or an article, or is it that you still think of me as your old school grammar teacher.”
freedom of expression my dear.
PS- i am quite fast in typing ^0^
abo nabam May 9th
oh and did you say free tuts on youtube rubbish… hoho…u r gr8. i bet when your brain was still an egg about to hatch in this AE world, your first destination was youtube. dont blame youtube. i wonder what the people from the youtube community gonna do to you when they find out that Mr. AARON is bitching about youtube on other sites.
get a life. stop buzzing in my ears for such a small thing. if you still reply to my these posts, it wud clear my suspicion that you are the kind of people who just posts on others sites for fun, and try to make themselves important, which is not at all true.
peace out yo!!!!
dont have that look on your face, even though your fingers are itching to reply me in the most arrogant way.
be a gentleman……….ooook.
Nurman Vistosky May 18th
Abo… so maybe you think you’re stylish, cool, or “modern” just because you abreviate when you type. OK. Good for you.
You’re still an @ss.
( )mark May 7th
2 years ago, there were no bad critics for tutorial makers, people just glad whent they found just one new tutorial. now, they are bitching for free stuff.
( )michael May 7th
2 years ago there already were dozens of free AE tutorials around the web covering basic color grading and AE techniques. It’s not about bitching about a free tutorial.
As you say, people are glad when they find a NEW tutorial.
I guess most people here check AEtuts for that reason and like me, most people were just disappointed to see a tutorial on a very basic level.
( )DLow May 7th
nothing like reading through a good commentary bashing to sweeten rendering time
( )James May 7th
I think the problem with the first shot is that the man walks in front of the dark section of the building, so its not great because we cant see him. the technique is good, thanks for this tutorial.
( )C May 7th
I also thought the tutorial was very subpar. I’m however not going to blame the author here but rather say it’s aetuts fault. Why do they publish this? Don’t get me wrong I love a free tutorial as much as the next guy and most of the tuts on this site are great but a 42 minute tutorial for this? Look at what Andrew Kramer does with 42 minutes.
( )What I will say at the author is that “experience” is written with an “e” not like in the showreel on his site where it’s written as “experiance”. Also it would be wise not to call yourself a special effects artist when your reel consists of the same tutorials we’ve all seen around the net.
It’s great that you’re this passionate about filmmaking at your age but please, if you introduce yourself as such, you better bring your A-game to this neck of the woods.
Dawn May 7th
what a load of rubbish! I cannot believe you would put such a totally bad example up. Also nice description of yourself! – i mean come on – really.
BAD BAD BAD
( )Nurman V May 7th
Right you are Dawn !
You gotta laugh when you read this: “I use my qualification in hypnotherapy, and NLP to help drive the emotional impact of my work whilst letting the cinematography, visual effects and sound create the overall experience”.
( )aaron May 7th
You think that’s a laugh….did you read the about us on his site?
“Founded in 2002 JTMR Films has always endeavoured to abide by a set of self imposed and extremely strict rules. Its very important that everything they create fresh, innovative, of a professional quality, contains character, story and thrills as well as being entertaining to any audience. The owner and founder James Twyman started th company aged 16 has written and directed all of the companies films and starred in many, with locations spanning the globe from England and the way to China and varius feature films in the works, JTMR Films future is looking very bright indeed.”
It doesn’t exactly instill confidence in clients nor other professionals when there are typos all over your company history. And beyond typos, the sentence structure is horrible and nonsensical at points.
cK_RED May 7th
“JTMR Films future is looking very bright indeed”
…if it’s as bright as the guy walking in front of the house the future is actually hard to see at all
seriously James, I agree with all you said in theory during the tutorial but preaching about subtlety on the one hand and delivering such a result at the other? Be realistic about it, you seem to know what it takes for a good horror movie so I guess best role for you would be director, concentrate on it and let other guys act, do the stunts, DP, post ect
c May 7th
Hey! What happened to my post? Was it because I said “don’t blame the author, blame aetuts for posting a subpar tutorial”? Really now?
( )c May 7th
and now it’s back again, nevermind…
( )CTS May 7th
One suggestion….
Your sky image is not big enough for the comp. You scaled up almost 200%.
That blows out your pixels and isn’t ideal for a high quality output.
peace
( )Sean May 7th
I think people are looking for “motion” graphics tutorials. Altering color really isn’t a motion graphics technique….and one that really doesn’t require a tutorial. This could as well have been a Photoshop tutorial. When I watched the preview yesterday, it was easy to anticipate the reaction this tutorial has gotten.
I eagerly anticipate the tutorials here. Most are excellent. I don’t know if I speak for anyone else around here, but when I see a new tutorial and it ends up being something like this, I just feel let down. I think alot of the backlash is just based on that. Not a bad tutorial, just not up to the par of some of the others.
( )Nurman Vistosky May 7th
I agree with you Sean and I think AETUTS should think twice about posting sub-par amateurish content like this.
Just reading the author’s “bio” makes me giggle: as a 44 year old commercial director, it brings me back to when I, too, was “green” and was describing myself as a “writer-director-cameraman” because I owned a camcorder and used it to shoot pretty lame short films.
So James, if you’re reading this, stop being a crybaby and face the fact that your tutorial is just not very good. Learn from this and do better next time.
And James, one last thing: “director, actor, stuntman, editor and special effects artist” ? Gimme a break ! How do you expect to be taken seriously !
( )Ryan May 7th
James, I know this would be very harsh for you especially if you are facing public for the first time, but think of it more as a stepping stone for success and take criticism positively and do your best the next time. I am also surprised that the editor gave such a hyped up introduction for your tutorial. Also remember that no matter how much theory and concept you have in mind, people judge you only by the execution. Also I saw you bashing other peoples negative comments. They help you a lot more if you take them properly. You might have a tremendous ability in film making but don’t hype yourself and please don’t live in a dreamworld(your intro). Also, I appreciate you for taking time and making this tutorial, but make sure you get the quality right before you send it to the editor.
To the Editor: I believe in your judgement, but you shouldn’t have let the author write such a hyped up introduction because I was expecting a lot just by reading the introduction. All the rest of the tutorials have wonderful introductions and most of the time they are on par with the introduction. I am saying because it just affects the quality of the website.
CTS May 7th
I also agree,
when I first stumbled upon AE tuts, I thought of it as a more advanced AE community. Which excited me.
Lloyds initial Tuts using expressions were awesome.
We need more of those.
Oliver May 7th
LOL!
A bit harsh, but I completely agree.
Sal May 7th
@ Nurman & all the other whiners,
You may, or may not be, a 44 year old commercial director but not everyone on this site can make such claims. I’ll go out on a limb and say that there are people on this site spanning the whole spectrum of expertise. The ones like myself who do not approach your estimed level will take something from James’ tutorial; the others like yourself will not. But I don’t remember anyone asking me for a fee to view this tutorial. I’ll go out on another limb and say no one asked you for a fee either.
I don’t want to speak for the people running this site but I feel they’re trying to appeal to as many AE enthusiasts as possible: the experts like….yourself and the novices like me.
Funny how no one complained about his technical expertise. Everyone complained about his taste.I didn’t know people came here to learn taste. He showed you the tools to use.
Jeeze, people complain about freebies. How pathetic can you get?
abo nabam May 7th
dear SEAN,
checkout wikipedia. you wud understand the meaning of motion graphics.
MG is not only about putting CGI elements in the video, it is more than that.
After effects is about effects, whether it is color grading or CGI elements. whay do you think, all the blockbuster movies you watch doesnt have coloring techniques. if there were no color effects on the movies, then it wud look like some other common video taken from some camera.
every frame and every shot depends upon the color effects. take the example of the movie TWILIGHT, you really think that the whole scene was shot in a cold location. no my dear. it is all about colors. colors decide what a movie or video should look like, only the CGI elements.
PS- AARON( if ur reading this) I AM QUITE FAST IN TYPING
( )Sean May 7th
You apparently are too dense to understand what I was saying. My photoshop comment should have been enough. Apparently not….for you. I can do color correct in Vegas….in FCP….in Premiere. I don’t need to do it in AE. I can….but color correction can happen just about anywhere. I can even do quite of bit of color correct at the filming level. Simple enough for ya?
As you can see from the multitude of negative comments….this tutorial failed to find popular acceptance, not only because of the quality but because of the content.
We don’t need color correction tutorials. Since the vast majority of people who visit this site are beyond the basics…..most of us fully understand the concept of color correction.
aaron May 8th
Abo is pretty dense….and a slow typist.
Nurman Vistosky May 7th
HEY SAL, if you think we are lame because we complain about freebies, what are you for defending them ? Pathetic, i guess. That’s the word you used, right ?
We’re not complaining about freebies, we’re saying that this “amateur” did a poor job. A tutorial, free or not, is supposed to teach you how to achieve something that looks good. Not the case here. The end result just looks terribly bad.
The point is: the “author” of that tutorial ripped off a few tutorials from videocopilot.net, claimed that HE was the author and didn’t even do a good job at creating the color correction he claims he’s good at. The end result looks awful !
Who needs help for creating crap ? Not me. AETUTS has posted some incredibly helpful stuff in the past few months. I keep coming back for more.
But this… it’s just not up to their usual standards. Maybe it’s just me, expecting too much from this site.
Maybe I need hypnotherapy…
( )abo nabam May 7th
my dear SEAN,
ok i agree you can do all the color corrections in any other programmes, you happy with that.
fine i agree with you, i wonder when u were a noob in all this effects things, the best you could do was to color correct in any medium. so well you say you are quite good at, fine. i agree to all your arguments.
but, did you say vast majority of people visiting this site are beyond the basics? or did i hear you wrong.
but i assure you, about 70% of ppl out there are still new to these things. why do you think that in the tutorials submission form of AETUTS, it advices that all the TUTS has to be given step by step info.
i guess you didnt get the information or maybe you sud just check it out.
if you think you are much more beyond the basics then just cool down. some others are not like you. they need such advices.
so chill, there are more years ahead…^0^
Oliver May 7th
Also Sal,
Most of the comments are pointing out what went wrong so that James can improve; whether they are kind or not is irrelevant. I find your comment more insulting because you are just making excuses and sounding patronising.
We have all made bad work and got slated for it. Ok, yeah it might be a little upsetting, but it is always better in the long run. The fact you are upset means you care; and that is a good thing. If you are not criticised it doesn’t drive you forward and you will end up cutting corners and producing sub-standard work.
This idea that you can’t say anything bad because it might hurt someone’s feelings, will make you end up working of some bad daytime TV program while you watch others making the proper work.
Besides money doesn’t drive me as a person, whether this tutorial is free or not, it doesn’t matter; the work is the work. That is what is important.
Additionally many people did comment on the technical standards and ability [there is more to technical work than just the physical tools that you use]. Mental tools and devices are still put of the same area.
This isn’t the type of work you can tweak to make better, it is about understanding colour and aesthetics. This comes through time, there is no short cut. You have to train you’re eye and learn how to see in more detail. Without that ability all the text books in the world will never help you.
The more mediums you use the better you will get and the faster you will progress. I could go on and on about how colour correction is about preserving the natural latitude of the stock, and the reason why high contrast shots are shot on film is that they have the greatest colour latitude [about 10-13 stops] to blend the segregated colour palate together. But, if you can’t see this with your eyes you cannot apply it in practice.
P.s.
Nurman you’re standards aren’t too high.
Sal May 8th
You guys complain about the results. Why are you complaining about the results? He showed you the tools to use. I think that is all we can expect from a tutorial. When it comes to the results, we all have different tastes. So we will all react differently. I personally find horror flicks boring but am I going to lambast James because he uses his tools for horror films?
But I think there’s more to all this complaining. I think some people come here not only to be shown HOW to do something but also WHAT to do. That way they can go away and impress their friends. I saw the trend starting with Adam’s tutorial about CC Ball Action. Some people complained that Adam didn’t spoonfeed them. Hell, he revealed a fantastic tool hidden in after effects. Go & use your imagination.
As for James’ tut everyone complained about WHAT James did (too dark, over the top) but no one complained about HOW he did it.
That is all I expect from any tutorial. How would I do that! The what I do is something no one can show me or you.
James Twyman May 8th
Hey everyone
I’d like to add something to this interesting debate. Not so much to defend myself and my tutorial (because there is no need, I’ve learnt all i needed to) but because I think there are some interesting points here.
First is my “hype”. I think it came across a little arrogant which wasn’t my intention. I am a martial arts expert (I have trained in chinese kung fu in Gansu China) and have played action roles that have required a lot of stunts. So thats here that comes in. the rest comes with directing my own shorts and a feature film I am shooting currently. the NLP and hypnotherapy is an internationally recognised certification. Enough said about that.
I think everyone own has a different idea of what motion graphics is. to some its about special effects, to me its anything that you do to take raw moving images and manipulating them to what you want. Thats just my opinion.
Whats interesting, and something i was a little disappointed with was the nature of this reaction.
Do you remember when you were learning to drive? I do. You fumble for a long time.
“what does this button do?”
“how am i supposed to do that whilst I’m concerntrating on this.”
You get a bit nervous when you first go out on the road. People impatiently beep you or over take you speedly in frustration of the 5 miles an hour you do at first and after a while you crack under the pressure and you stall. Usually at a green light. People behind you get angry “get off the road!”
All you want to do is learn. Be the best at driving you can be. But theres these people trying to tell your not good enough. All you need is a little understanding, nothing more, where people give you the space to learn and share a little of thier wisdom with you. Who when you make a mistake say “its ok we’ve all been there, hey try this”
A few years later you’ve over come this along time ago and your driving like a pro. You stop at a light and infront is a learner. The light goes green and they stall. You blast the horn in frustration. “get off the road”
Its funny how we all forget that we were all beginners at something. We forget what its like and so we inflict the torture (hypocritcally) on others. Dstracted by our own sense of worth.
For me this has been a humbling experience and a kick up the arse. Its said “James you have to bring more to the table if you want to sit with the pros.” For me its not a knock back but a push forward. And although my initial reaction was anger. I would like to genuinly thank each and every one of you for your input. Its made me look at myself and my art in a new light and shown me what i need to do to take this thing further. I only hope that along the way i don’t forget what its like to be in this position and risk breaking some poor new comer by squashing their dreams.
In NLP and hypnotherapy we have a saying, there is no failure only feedback, and i thank you for the feedback you’ve given me whether its intention has been to help or attempt to cause hurt. I have analysed it all and taken what i need and discarded the rest.
I will be back to AE tuts. I will produce another tutorial at some point in the future and I will be a million times better then I am right now. As Gandhi once said “live as though you were to die tomorrow, learn as though you were to live forever.”
James Twyman out…..for now.
( )c May 8th
I wouldn’t wanna learn how to drive from someone who just got his liscence either though…
Oliver May 8th
James, I think that is the best response to this experience. You have to get out there and give it ago, and see where you are.
I would disagree with you on one thing; I have never forgotten what it is like to be a beginner I always remember what it is like, and I try to cut some slack in the appropriate areas. But sometimes harsh comments are the ones that stay with you for the rest of your career and keep you on your toes. It’s not about being liked.
Sometimes we are so passionate and insane about what we do, we get a little carried away.
The way you describe your self didn’t bother me at all, it just let me know where you are in your career. As you get more experienced you will tend to specialise [I know Directing isn't really a specialism; but for this case let’s just say it is]. So, when people ask what it is you do, you can reply in one word. It’s not that you have forgotten, or left behind the other aspects of your career; you have no need nor want to impress anyone.
P.s.
Dear Sal,
If you attacked James for liking Horror films I would say that you were being pedantic, your exaggeration is not really applicable in this argument. This entire site is about teaching and learning, not about tastes in film styles [on a site like that those comments would be applicable].
Besides no-one can really challenge the techniques as they are tried and tested; these aren’t new ideas. Andrew Kramer uses these techniques in some of his past tutorials and I am sure they were somewhere else before; and they are really good tutorials. But there is much more to teaching than just the tools.
The CC Ball Action was good as a starting point; it’s not really a finished effect but brilliant to build on. This is a very different tool to use, these are the finishing touches.
Also, I don’t think that you should be taken through tutorial step by step, if you understand the ‘reasons why’ then you can apply it better in practice, but probably not in replication. But what do you want? To Replicate? Or to be of some value?
Honestly, I expect a lot more from a tutorial. When I say something is good work I genuinely mean it, I want it to mean something more than just something you say at the end of a piece of work. But for that to happen you have to establish what par is, and then par is never good enough.
James Twyman May 8th
You know what i love about you C? You have to have the last word LMAO.
( )DVD Replication May 7th
Thanks for sharing. I appreciate the time you took to make the tutorial. I have a few ideas of statues I want to morph.
( )Parker May 7th
I feel this tutorial isn’t on par with the others.
The tutorials should be given by professional after effects users and people who have experience and knowledge in the field.
With the exception of Satya Meka who has fantastic tutorials, the younger “tutors” seem to bring down the reputation of the site due to their inexperience.
( )VertigoSFX May 7th
I miss the original flash player that was on here…it loaded just fine then they changed it and made it bad…frustrating.
This tutorial is a nice beginner tut but I do agree the darks are way too dark. I definitely like the eye thing and the overall color effects it just shouldn’t be so dark.
( )CTS May 7th
where can we see the finished movie?
( )Nurman Vistosky May 7th
There is no finished movie.
( )j May 7th
really good tutorials, it is so dumb how people bitch on here… it was really informative for me, apparently i am not as well learned as everyone who is complaining on here…
( )James May 8th
stop crucifying the author!
( )Oliver May 8th
I’m loving this! I find it all really interesting, everyone’s different POV’s. I can’t be the only one?
Well done James Twyman you’ve started a war!
( )James Twyman May 8th
No I’m loving it too. Debate is great fun even its at my own expense. What’ll be even more interesting is the reaction when i release another tutorial (which wont be for a long, long so i can brush up and learn more an put the learnings to good use)
( )Adam Everett May 9th
I love the back and forth dispute… it’s refreshing… I think there is a stellar community that needs to get to know each other better… I know we’re from all over the world, but I’d love to build some friendships here…. I wanna see “regulars” and “newbies” and everything. We only got one run at this life… let’s keep building!
Nurman V May 13th
Quote ; “stop crucifying the author!”.
James: the author put himself on that cross.
( )James Twyman May 15th
Yup and i can see my house from here.
Ricardo May 8th
The first example, well, is terrible. Sorry mate, I appreciate your effort, but it looks awful. I am sure people will learn something from your technique, but I honestly hope they are a bit more tasteful with their final composition.
That gaussian blur creeps me out – in a design-ish way!
The second example, the face morphing, is overall nicely done. It’s a basic morph and isn’t all that realistic, but I didn’t know how to do it and now I do. So thank you for that.
I don’t think you deserve all of those bad critics and comments people made so far about you. You knew how to make something in AE and you wanted to share it, that’s nothing wrong with that, in fact, we appreciate it. Altough your final result is not particularly beautiful, it was the team of AE Tuts of decided to post it; after all, they have the final word.
( )michael May 8th
Sorry, but somehow it feels like your motivation to do this tut is to be a cool tutorial author. I’m good at AE, but miles away from being great and honestly, you are as well James
like someone said before:
( )“I wouldn’t wanna learn how to drive from someone who just got his liscence either though…”
CgBaran Tuts May 9th
Great job
( )abo nabam May 9th
for all the people out there.lets all cooldown. as we can see there are people for whom this tut was quite useful and for some not quite. since there are posts which talks about the good and bad this tut.
so lets stop hitting on the author for this, as he himself have said that this is his first time in posting a tut.
lets move on and wait for the next one. i hope i meet all the guys i had arguements in this tut to the next level.
AARON, see there. we’re brothers bro. chill
lastly, james you must have seen the reaction right, so becarefull next time. eventhough i grasped quite a handfull of tips here, but for some it didnt reach their expectation.
( )peace to everyone.
Mike May 9th
From a cursory review of some comments I don’t think I need to elaborate too much on how poor this is in execution, theory and end result. Not only is it a technical nightmare but there are no aesthetically redeeming qualities about it.
I’m amazed that something like this can be published on a site that pays contributors.
( )Nono May 10th
Hu-Ho,
It seems that my (very) short comment waged a war of pros and cons.
I was just commenting the final result of the tut as a many of you clearly understood.
There are lots of high standard tutorials on color correction around the web (Andrew Kramer is not the only After effects guru, check Stu Maschwitz CC, for instance) .
The fact is that on a professional level the result is not acceptable even with low standards. Some would say that he did his best, etc. but that’s not the point.
Sorry for you James but you have to learn more before trying to teach.
And the same rule applies to all of us.
NoNo.
( )James Twyman May 10th
Thank you NoNo. That was a far more mature and intelligent comment that, if said in the first place, could have avoided many issues. i take your point and learn from my mistake and will come back all guns blazing with something to the standards you and other professionals expect.
( )James
Topher Welsh May 10th
hmmm 103 comments as of now…
Sure shows the mindset of the general community, when the one article on this site that has the most comments is the one that has the most hate.
Maybe we should all think about voicing ourselves with praise this much, instead of having hundreds of comments about how much you hate the effect or whatever.
Remember this stuff is free. Can’t complain about free.
( )Mike May 11th
I think an important distinction to make is between “hating the effect” and calling someone out on their bullshit.
I hate the visuals in the latest incarnation of Star Trek, the completely over the top stylization doesn’t do it for me. However it is no doubt executed with the highest level of craftsmanship, which I can recognize and appreciate independently of the end result.
The above effect exhibits neither an impressive end result nor a proper technique. On top of that there is no sound theory behind it. The author is not a professional, not an expert, by any means, though he speaks as though he fancies himself one – which is both annoying and pathetic.
And free or not, I would think that no work is free from a scathing critique if it deserves it. No one is complaining – people have been so moved by the poor quality of this tutorial that they were motivated to comment. (And lets not overlook how many of these posts are James defending himself.)
I would wager that if there were more tutorials as good as this one was bad, they would receive an equal amount of attention. The site seems to have settled into some kind of stasis where mediocre AE users produce mediocre tutorials. Until that changes, its posts like this that will get peoples attention.
Free should never be an excuse for lack of quality. Especially not amongst a group that would consider themselves creatives.
( )CTS May 11th
Hit the nail right on the head.
Nurman V May 13th
If you post a tutorial on a site that, so far, has done a good job of teaching in a fun and friendly fashion, you set yourself up for praise or criticism.
The abundance of criticism speaks for itself.
And what’s this bullshit about “If it’s free, we can’t complain” ?
Free or not, we sure as hell CAN complain, when a site we have come to love lowers it’s standard by giving the spotlight to a guy who thinks he can fool us into believing he’s a “serious international director”. His work looks like crap ! (see his website: it’s unbelievably bad !).
The fact that he believes he’s talented is just… pathetic.
( )michael keal May 11th
It’s awful
( )You need to make some progress
It look like a project made by a child
You need to work very hard to progress
the compositing sucks
try to learn with Andrew
Tuga May 11th
Hi… sorry for my typos as I am not English.
James’ tutorial was nice, not the best I’ve seen but interesting.
I am a newbee in AE (stil using a trial version) but want to learn to workaround it.
I ‘ve learned from you and that’s what counts.
Every project is diferent and uses diferent settings, so what’s the problem? I’ve seen the tools and how they work, now it’s up to me.
Mattes and Alphas were ghosts a few days ago, now I getting the hang of it thanks to tutorials like these (looking better or not).
Thanks James and don’t stop trying to pass something to others just because of this experience (critics).
Tuga.
( )arlington cruz May 15th
I don’t understand why all the hate and so much rude and Flame wars. Ok the tutorial needed improvement, but there is no such need of writing a bible of insults and lecturing the author. If you people don’t like it, just move aside and let people who have better things to do other than Whining and complaining , learn.
I check this site everyday, to look for new things to learn and I appreciate the effort that every contributors does to give their input and teach things to people “FOR FREE!!!!!” . I am shocked that so many people are acting like little kids ” I don’t like the food, The food sucks”
I am pretty sure that I might get flamed back for defending and stating how absurd all this insulting is. It is just plain rude.
Most people who are complaining and writing with all the hate and insults just for the sake of being rude, are not helping at all. Just take what you can to learn and if you don’t have anything constructive (and not “insultive”) to say. Just don’t bother posting or you are plain rude.
( )jason May 18th
Yeah,
even if you’re learning things the wrong way.
Hey! Maybe you’ll get a gig a studio and they’ll ask you to color something.
You can wow them by putting a green solid over a video layer and adding a transfer mode. That should look great on a vectorscope.
Not only are there newbies that enjoy there are some pros who are always looking to learn new tricks.
We need to protect the newbies from getting wrong information.
this guy should not be making tuts. bottom line.
( )Felix May 30th
at those complaining about this tutorial:
Could you please tell me where to find a better tutorial to create a good horror atmosphere?
I just created an entire short movie, using these color gradings, green filter and stuff explained here. It was a lot of work and everything looks a bit dark, but as a beginner I couldn’t think of a better way of doing it.
( )michael May 31st
See?
That’s what happens!
After effects beginners putting in a lot of work just to end up with a “green filter and stuff, everything looks a bit dark”-result.
Felix, check videocopilot, best resource for beginners
( )jo June 4th
hi James Twyman,
I liked it.I am beginner in AE.Thanks for sharing your knowledge
( )Thank you very much.
Zeroflush June 22nd
wow awesome man realy looked just likek a ingame cutscene =D
( )narkeleptik July 10th
I am also beginner and I liked it, and I’ve read all comments, I know Andrew Kramer’s and others’ tutorials, I just want to say that this is not a competition, teaching or releasing a tutorial has nothing to do with that, so thank you so much and please do not feel like you are on a stage to show how better you are than the others, I am saying this because comments sound like meaning this..English is a kind of canditate to become my second language:) I hope you got what I mean.
( )Thanks!
hs August 10th
James,
( )Thank you for your tut. Of course you cannot get to perfect results of colors and levels while teaching…. As you said: it takes hours to get to perfection, and this was not the point of the tutorial. besides (Felix dude) – adjusting is different on every footage… I have no idea why all this people are criticizing you for this (small people as they call them in my country)… anyway, it was great, and appreciate your intelligent advice. take no notice of ungrateful greedy people.
Keep it up.
h.
alpy August 25th
thanks baby
( )locco mc August 25th
me parecio muy bien el tuto… mil gracias y saludos desde colombia
( )sultal October 27th
grading without good taste, don’t like it
( )rks November 7th
hi james .. its time to proof urself from another great tut ..
( )honestly 1st part is poor .. second part is very creative…….like that
Rod November 29th
I have been using After Effects for about 3 years and editing video for about 6.
I actually found this tutorial very informative and well presented.
I liked that you explained that effects are to convey emotion and enhance the performance.
I watch quite a lot of tutorials as I think that I can always learn something from them. Maybe a subtle style change or a new approach.
I disagree with all the negative comments saying it is too basic. Without the basic building bricks no one can build anything.
This video gives someone a strong foundation to then take the knowledge and apply it to any project.
I will use it for sure on some of my stuff.
Thanks.
( )Sean H January 14th
James
( )I agree with Rod. These people here leaving nasty comments shouldn’t even be watching tutorials. If you already know everything there is no need for you to be viewing a site like this. I found your tutorial helpful and I will be referring to it from time to time when I am making quick alpha mattes. Thank you for taking the time to make it and post it.
ALEXANDRE/SAO PAULO-BRASIL January 26th
Thank you FOR SPENDING YOUR TIME sharing great thougts FOR FREE.
( )