Mindscape Films Production Logo - This was made in 3Ds Max using the
reactor feature. Initial fade in, fade out and the dust after the word "FILMS" falls, was
done in After Effects.
3D Intro -
This was done entirely in After Effects using Trapcode's plug-in called 3D Strokes. The shine
effect was done using Trapcode's plug-in called Shine. These plug-ins can be found in
Trapcode's Website.
DBZ Energy
Ball Effect - Once again, done entirely in After Effects. The Energy Ball effect was
created the same way the Lightsaber Effect is. Blurred core with a colored aura fading into
the rest of the video in a gradient type fashion. The light that the Ball emits was done
using a Three to Four point gradient effect. The smoke was added using After Effects
Particle Engine.
DBZ
Energy Ball Effect 2 - Same concept as the first effect except I used a One point
gradient effect in After Effects...Oh yes, and sound. If the sound effects sound familiar
to you, that's because I ripped them from the Sony Playstation game; Dragon Ball - Final Bout.
Kamehameha Blast - Master Roshi's famous attack, as diplicted in the Dragon Ball Series,
was made in 3Ds Max using it's Particle System (Not Particle Flow).
Cyclops Beam - Much like
the Kamehameha Blast, the Cyclops Beam was made with the exact same Particle System in 3Ds Max,
different settings of course. Although the results were great, I would have loved to try
to add this effect to live action footage.
Flyby -
This was my first ever 3D Animation using a freeware 3D program call DOGA (the L2 Series).
Wasn't bad for my first try but I wanted to give it Lasers. DOGA could not do this so I
exported the Image Sequence from DOGA (about as high quality as DOGA can export), and then
imported it to After Effects. In After Effects I gave the clip Lasers and Render the final
project; here it is
Flyby 2.
Force Push -
The Force Push is the very popular technique Jedi use to push their enemies long distances.
In Episode II: Attack Of The Clones, they introduce what they called CG Stuntmen. So I decided
to try this in 3Ds Max with the Rag Doll System and Reactor. Turned out quite nice except that
the "Doll" slides more than it should. So I gave it another try; here is
Force Push 2.
Tyderium -
Tyderium is the Lamba Class Shuttle Darth Vader uses to transport from Vessel to Vessel, Vessel
to Land etc... This was my first try at animating a ship in 3Ds Max, not to mention the Video
Post Method to create the Sun and the barely visable Star Field.
Star Wars
Rotoscope - This clip was ripped from the Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace DVD as a direct
response on TheForce.net Message Boards for more footage to practice Rotoscoping on. I was one of
those who downloaded the clip to practice on. The results came out nicely.
RvD Rotoscope -
Ryan vs. Dorkman was an entry that won TheForce.net Lightsaber Choreography Contest.
That entry set the standard for Lightsaber Choreography for Star Wars fan-films. Yet another response
to the over-whelming demand of footage to practice Rotoscoping on, this time, provided by Michael Scott.
Here is the first 21 seconds of the RvD Entry that I have Rotoscoped.
Misc. Star Wars Effects - This clip has it all; the Lightsaber Effect, Force Lightning Effect, Day for
Night Effect, Music and SoundFXs. The Day For Night Effect is a method of taking footage shot in the Day
time and using Computer Graphics to turn it into Night. I really like the way this one turned out.
Clone Test - This
was done completely in After Effects. It was shot in two passes; Shot One consist of myself (on the left)
passing along an object (DVD). Shot Two consist of, once again, myself (on the right) receiving the object
(DVD) and of course the last ingredient was an empty background plate. After careful editing, timing the
footage(s), all that was left to do was carefully Mask the things I didn't want in my scene out. At the
time I did this I knew nothing about Color Correction and that is why it looks too saturated.
Besides that, I'm happy with the results of this test.
Clone Test 2 - My
friend Justin generously send me footage of him talking to...well himself. For this, I used After Effects
and not only was Masking needed (of course) but I also threw in Audio, Video Noise Reduction and
Color Correction. The Video Noise Reduction created a "Dreamy" look. Since the audio was recorded low
on this, I had to punch up the volume which unfortunately created what's called Audio Distortions. The
Audio Noise Reduction was done using Audition. Overall, I really like the way this turned out.
Production Logo - This
Production Logo created for Joe Haffner and HmH Films was done using 3Ds Max with the
Mental Ray renderer, Premiere for Editing and Sound (Music and Sound FXs) and After Effects for final
composite. I just want to take this time to say Thank You to Joe for giving me the opportunity to prove
myself on a Professional Level and Sam Saulnier for his invaluable input.
Clone Test 3: Multiple Clones -
This is by far the longest clone FX Test I have made. I shot the whole thing as one footage. Then in
Premiere, I cut it down to several footages. I plug them all into After Effects, timed them and apply the
masks. It was pretty easy and I knocked it off in 15 mins. This would have to be the best Clone FX I have
made thus far.
Motion Track Test -
This is my first ever motion tracking test combined with the Chorme Mapping method. I would normally use ICARUS
to track the camera movement, but after numerous failed attempts I turned to the one program that is,
in my opinion, better equipt to handle free camera movements. The program is called BOUJOU and the company
that made it is 2d3. After the inital tracking was done I exported the data
from BOUJOU and brought it into 3Ds Max. There I created the teapot, used the Chrome Mapping method, gave
it some lighting and a nice texture.
This was done using After Effects 7.0 Pro with the
Particular plugin. I'm in the pre-production phase of creating a Wand Duel inspired
by Harry Potter. So I started testing some effects out, and I really like how this came out.
I will be using a variation of this effect for the final project. For now I'll just
chalk this up to it being a replication of the iPod Nano Ad Effect *wink*.
Light Streak
Light Streak - iPhone version
The Priori Incantatem effect took me about four days to get done as closely to the film as
possible given that I don't have a 3D Liquid plugin for any of my programs. I put so much work into this
I can't even begin to put into words how it was entirely done. It involved Trapcode's Particular plugin for
After Effects, Trapcode's Shine, Manual animation, Fractal Noise (animated), just a lot of layers in one
Timeline. It was fun but insane and yet I'm pretty sure there is more to add to this besides the obvious
video and soundtrack to go with it.
I didn't want to use 2D Lightning in After Effects, it's plain and dull. Instead I used Particular to create
a beam, unfortunately this beam does not have an end point so it was just waving in the air, not giving me the
forking I wanted the beam to make. I will most definitely be putting up an update to this because I am curious
to see how all this looks with lightning even though it'll be in 2D.
Priori Incantatem
Priori Incantatem -
iPhone version
I was in a sci-fi mood and imagined what it would be like if Billboards or in this case, Office Signs were
all electronic holograms. My Supervisor was out one day and I thought I would film outside of the Studio so I can
replace our dull, mundane paper and plastic sign with a little gadget from the 22nd Century.
The "Holo-Sign" was done in both Photoshop for the Logo and After Effects for Motion Tracking and Hologram Animation.
It was fun to do and I will be making more Motion Tracking FX Test including one I would like to mimic on the Hit T.V.
Show "Fringe".
Holo-Sign
Holo-Sign - iPhone Version
I created this test using three programs; Boujou for Motion Tracking, 3Ds Max to make the text and After Effects for the
rest. Tracking was the hard part, however not as hard as tracking in After Effects. But when you have good footage to play
with, Tracking can be easy and fun when you see it work.
The idea to make this effect test was brought on to me by my favorite TV Show "Fringe".
The effect consist of having 3D Text Floating in the air or even resting on either a building or a Wall (from what I've seen
so far). It's an easy effect to shoot for and I'm going to be shooting different angles in the future.
FRINGE Test
FRINGE Test - iPhone Version
