Tutorials

Make a Chalkboard-Style Scribble and Smudge

By Jorrit Schulte at AEtuts+. "We’ll be looking at creating a chalk-style scribble based on an image. We’ll be creating masks to make the lines using both manual and automatic techniques. From there we’ll animate the drawing on, and create a wiping animation which leaves smudges on the screen."

Video Copilot: Explosive Training

Video Copilot has a brand new training series online and it is completely free!  It is one of the most advanced tutorial series that they have released to date! First Video Copilot shows you how to do compositing and Adobe After Effects, then they teach you how to build advanced 3D assets.

Create a Shattering Glass Animation in Cinema 4D & AE – Part 2 Cameras & Pre-Viz

Post at CGtuts+: "In part two you’ll get an in-depth lesson on how real-world cameras work. Cyril provides detailed insight on working with focal length, aperture, depth of field and motion blur and how these principles and settings apply to your Cg cameras. Then it’s back to Cinema 4D where you’ll learn how to block out shot timing, and find the best camera positions for the animation by running through a detailed pre-visualization process."

Create a Shattering Glass Animation in Cinema 4D & AE – Part 1 Modeling & Animation

Post at CGtuts+: "Create a cool slow-motion shattering glass animation using Cinema 4D and After Effects. Over the course of this massive lecture, professional artist Cyril Kotecky will teach you the ins and outs of working with dynamics and what goes into creating such a shot. Including the benefits Pre-Viz can have in the early stages as you block out your shot timing and camera positions."

Tempo: Up in Flames - Realistic & Slow-Motion Fire Effects

In this episode of Red Giant TV, Aharon Rabinowitz walks you through the workflow used to create realistic fire for the film Tempo. He’ll be using a combination of real fire footage, Trapcode Particular, and some 3rd Party plug-ins from RE:Vision Effects.

How To Make A Jack-O-Lantern Pumpkin In Cinema 4D

Chris and Nick at Greyscalegorilla will show you how to make a Jack-O-Lantern pumpkin scene in Cinema 4D.

Chris shows you how to model it using a Loft Nurb, the connect object, a boole for the face cutout, and displacers to make the pumpkin bumpy.

In part 2, Nick will show you how to light, texture, and render your pumpkin scene for compositing in After Effects.

Creating Object buffers and Depth mattes in CINEMA 4D and using them within After Effects

Check out this tutorial from AE Templates about creating Object buffers and Depth mattes in CINEMA 4D and using them within AE.

Creating Faux Shadows in Adobe After Effects by Eran Stern

Shadows sell the illusion that we are really in 3D space. This lesson demonstrates how to add depth to our scene with shadow effects. You'll also learn how to save the effects as an animation preset so they can be reused and matched to each element.

What’s New in Sapphire 6.1

A brief overview of the enhancements to the preset browser in GenArts Sapphire 6.1.

iPhone 5 Screen Animation with Video Copilot Element 3D

Post by Andrew Kramer/ Video Copilot: "If you wanted to get your hands on the new iPhone 5, “Congratulations”, we have a free 3D model just for you! Along with this free mode I also recorded a short tutorial that focuses on animating the screen and preparing the model for Element 3d. The iPhone model is in the OBJ format so you can use it with any 3D program such as 3D max or Cinema 4D."

Depth Compositing in After Effects

In this tutorial we’ll use a technique called Depth Compositing to combine stock footage with 3D rendering and the use a Z-Depth pass. This method allows you to place 2D elements like stock footage into the depth of a 3D render. I also demonstrate how to export a Z-pass from 3D max, Cinema 4D and even use Element 3D to output a depth channel.

Alien Surface Set Extensions with Video Copilot Element 3D and Roto Brush Tool

Post by Andrew Kramer/ Video Copilot: "In this tutorial we will create a realistic set extension for the surface of a far away alien planet. With the help of the Matte Painting challenge we will be compositing the background along with adding 3D rocks with Element 3D and pulling out the Roto Brush tool."

Element 3D: Environment Tips

By Andrew Kramer/ Video Copilot. Create a custom Environment map and learn to control the background!

Creating Realistic Dust Hits with Trapcode Particular

Post at Red Giant TV: "In this tutorial, John Einselen shows you how to create realistic dust hits with Trapcode Particular. He also covers some very advanced compositing techniques for 3D animators working with Particular."

Creating A Cool Broadcast Background In Cinema 4D & AE

By Stefan Surmabojov at CGuts+. Uses Maxon Cinema 4D and Adobe After Effects Optional: Video Copilot's Optical Flares :  "In this tutorial we are going to create a cool looking extruded globe in Cinema 4D using the best technique I was able to find (after endless attempts trying different ways of doing it.) With the globe model complete we’ll add some simple, yet stylish shaders and render out the animation before moving into After Effects to composite the sequence and add various effects to make it look even better!"

Melting Objects in Cinema 4D

Charles Rowland explains how to melt a soda bottle or other object/ model in Cinema 4D.

How to Create a Security Sweeper effect in After Effects

RedGiantTv's Seth Worley shows you how to create this cool looking Sweeper Effect (Inspired by Ridley Scott’s new film Prometheus) in After Effects using Foundry’s Camera Tracker, Trapcode Particular and other techniques.

Mid-Air Emergency in After Effects by Video Copilot

Post by Andrew Kramer/ Video Copilot: "In this new tutorial we’ll composite the interior of an airplane as the wing bursts into flames. We’ll cover green screen keying, 3D tracking with Camera Tracker, particles and compositing live action elements. I’ve also included a dropping Oxygen mask in the project file for people that want to add an extra layer!"

Growing 3D Vines

Create Vines in only After Effects

3D Set Extensions with Trapcode Particular and The Foundry CameraTracker

Create a 3D set extension with fog using Stock Footage. Use Camera Tracker to matchmove inside of AE.

Dynamic Machine Gun with Video Copilot Action Essentials II & Trapcode Particular

Create a machine gun with dynamic ricochets types. Use Expressions to emit unique particles on each surface. Uses Video Copilot Action Essentials II & Trapcode Particular

Grenade Throw using Video Copilot Optical Flares

Composite a super-slow motion grenade to live footage. Use 2D Tracking on a camera to match a nodal pan. Uses Video Copilot Optical Flares

Bringing Cinema 4D Shadows Into After Effects

Post by Joren Kandel / The Pixel Lab. "In this quick Cinema 4D and After Effects tutorial I'll show you how to set up your C4D render to export shadows to AE. I'll also go over how to composite the multipasses correctly in After Effects."

Achieving Realistic Depth Of Field In 3D Studio Max & After Effects

Post by Chandan Kumar at CGtuts+. "Depth Of Field is essential to add believability and realism to any 3d render. In this tutorial Chandan Kumar will explain how to achieve in camera DOF in 3d studio max, and how to improve quality and control focus using the camera’s target distance. In the second half of the tutorial we’ll move into After Effects where you’ll learn how Z-Depth can be used to control Depth of Field using AE’s Lens Blur Options and the benefits of doing this in post production."

Creating edge-blended Panoramic Projections in After Effects

By Robert Sarosi from erLab. ErLab_edgeBlender script for After effects helps make edge-blended panoramic projections for projector based images and panoramas.

How To Track Footage That Is Out Of Focus

Posted by Stefan Surmabojov on AEtuts+: "How to work with footage that is out of focus making if difficult to track. After we track it we are going to attach the camera interface elements and fake some depth of field to create the illusion that they are floating in space and shift in and out of focus like the rest of the scene."

Create And Composite A Mobile Phone App Demo Template

Posted by Carolin Sellman at AEtuts+. "In this tutorial you will learn the workflow on how to set up a scene for an animated pack shot of a phone in CINEMA 4D and composite it in After Effects. We’ll start off by setting up the scene in CINEMA 4D, animating the phone model and go through the necessary render settings for getting our files into After Effects. After that we’ll compose our scene in After Effects using luma and alpha mattes. We’ll also create a background and a reflection on the floor using a few simple steps."

Digieffects LightWrap by Kevin P. McAuliffe

Created by Kevin P. McAuliffe

Enhance the look of your keyed video by adding DE LightWrap to give a more realistic look.

The Importance of Compositing: A Layer By Layer Breakdown in After Effects

In this video, I wanted to show you how important compositing is for your 3D renders. A 3D render is never finished straight from Cinema 4D or any 3D package. Every shot needs and deserves some sort of compositing and color correction before it’s ready for prime time. Uploading a render straight from 3D is like uploading a raw image from your digital camera without any color correction. Rich Hinchcliffe was kind enough to allow me to show you his compositng file for this excelent animation for the latest Five Second Projects. I will show you how Rich used After Effects, color correction, blurs, RSMB Motion Blur, Frischluft Lens Care and Lens Flares to turn his simple grey primitive 3D animation into a beautiful, atmosphere rich finished composite.

After Effects CS5.5: Stereo 3D Controls by Chris Meyer on Adobe TV

Chris Meyer, one of the world's foremost After Effects experts, teaches you how to take advantage of his favorite features from the CS5.5 release in this complete end-to-end training series.

Learn how the new stereoscopic 3D camera rig plus resulting chain of compositions in After Effects CS5.5 are manipulated by the Stereo 3D Controls effect, including setting camera separation (inter-axial distance) and the convergence options.

Five Quick Ways to Clean Up Your Shots with mocha Pro

Eliminate objects, rigs and wires for a cleaner plate with the software's Remove Module

Video Copilot: Tutorial- 3D Set Extensions in After Effects

• Create a 3D set extension with fog using Stock Footage
• Use Camera Tracker to matchmove inside of AE

Digieffects Delirium v2 Alpha Tool Tutorial

Learn how to use Alpha Tool by applying it to our particle emitter plug-ins or to you own footage! Author Brandon Smith

Digieffects LightWrap Tutorial

Enhance the look of your keyed video by adding LightWrap to give a more realistic look. Created by Kevin P. McAuliffe.

Digieffects Depth Intro Tutorial

Intro Tutorial on digieffects Depth plugin. Author: Dustin Klein

Digieffects Depth Cue Atmosphere Driving Range Tutorial

Learn to use the controls of Digieffects Atmosphere through various examples in this interactive driving range.

Red Giant TV Episode 54: Compositing and Color Correction in After Effects and Premiere Pro

In this episode of Red Giant TV, Eran Stern returns to show you how he created the promo for his new DVD: The Best of Premiere Pro. He'll cover keying, compositing, color correction and visual effects in After Effects and Premiere Pro.