Into special FX? Check out this video for a lesson in green screen. Watch and learn how to use green screen in After Effects. You can use green screen to make incredible visual effects for your videos and short films.
In this free video science lesson from Internet pedagogical superstar Salman Khan, you'll learn how to undertstand the effects of solvents on SN1 and SN2 reactions. Whether you need help studying for that next big test or could just use a hand finishing your homework, you're s ...more
Want to create unusual effects on your photos? In this video tutorial you will learn to create a stylized portrait using a two-tone rendering. Learn to mask by color range and to blend with control. This video will give you a good grasp of the manipulation tools available so m ...more
Andrew Kramer demonstrates how to create and use proxies inside of After Effects 7.0. Proxies are low resolution images or videos that you use to speed up work flow. This is very useful when working with HD footage and other large files. Use proxies in After Effects. Click thr ...more
In this video tutorial, viewers learn how to make a real flame text in Adobe Photoshop. Begin by opening a flame image in the program and select the text tool. Type in the text and position it over the flame. Now go to Select and click on Load Selection. Once the selection is ...more
Haven't mastered the full potential of Motion yet? Motion is a part of the Final Cut Studio package, and it allows you to do much of the things possible in After Effects. In this video tutorial, learn how to create particle confetti in Motion. Particles can save you a lot of ...more
Starcraft 2, like it's predecessor before it, has a very robust level editor that allows you, the DIY modder, to create nearly any scenario within the bounds of the Starcraft 2 engine that you could imagine. We have compiled videos on how to do all sorts of fun things with it, ...more
Gimp is an amazing free program that is capable of creating many of the same effects as Adobe Photoshop. In this video, you'll see how Gimp can be used to select one area of an image to be edited. Using a few of the program's many tools, you can transform images however you want.
This is an easy technique that even beginners can master. Start with some basic text, like a logo or a title, and then use a few simple techniques in Adobe After Effects to give it the look of 3-D animated text. Create a 3-D text effect in Adobe After Effects. Click through to ...more
This software tutorial teaches you how to use Trapcode Form, and After Effects plug-in, to visualize audio. Trapcode form is used to bend nature to your will by creating flame, smoke and other organic 3D shapes — and then synchronize it with your favorite audio. This After eff ...more
This software tutorial shows you how to create custom particles in Trapcode Particular plug-in for After Effects. Learn how any object can be used to create particles with the Particular plug-in in this After Effects tutorial. Create custom particles in Particular in After Eff ...more
In this After Effects tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to be an AE road warrior by changing the keyboard shortcuts to account for missing keys on a laptop - such as the Ram Preview key or the Audio Preview key. Learn to customize your shortcuts in ...more
Stu Maschwitz, creator of Magic Bullet and veteran visual effects artist, demonstrates the tools within the finishing app Magic Bullet Looks within After Effects. Watch and learn how to build a look from scratch or apply a look from a library of presets available withing Magic ...more
Creative Cow Contributing Editor Eran Stern shows you a how to track objects that are moving out of frame in After Effects using expressions and AE motion tracker. Track objects moving out of frame in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this After Effects tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz adds to the concepts he covered in his tutorial Straight Vs. Premultiplied and explains how to use the remove color matting effect to fix a bad composite in After Effects. Use the remove color matting effect ...more
In this week's podcast Creative Cow Leader Jerzy Drozda shows you how to create a Skybox, the illusion of distant or even infinite 3D surroundings - in this case, a star field. Create a skybox or skydome in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
CreativeCow leader Aharon Rabinowitz returns to the subject of "Audio in After Effects" and shares a quick tip for working with audio waveforms. Use Show Audio Waveform in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz introduces you to Shape Layers, one of the most powerful features in Adobe After Effects CS3. Use shape layers in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
Creative Cow contributing editor Eran Stern demonstrates a quick, easy way to make a smoky title effect. Create smoking letters in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
After a while, all effects start to seem the same, or maybe similar. See how to combine effects with fractal noise to add some variations and new twists to your projects in this After Effects tutorial. Combine fractal noise effects in After Effects. Click through to watch this ...more
In this tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how working with Null objects lets you get better control of your animation. He also shares a technique for using nulls to make 3D camera motion easier. Use null objects to control animation in After Effects. Cl ...more
Ever wanted to create a cavernous tunnel in After Effects? This tutorial takes you through the steps. Learn lighting techniques and how to place layers in 3D space. Create a dark 3D tunnel in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
Create the famous Star Wars text scroll using the corner pinning tool in After Effects. Use corner pinning in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativemac.com
In this After Effects tutorial you will learn how to use blur, median, and levels to make individual pieces of art blend together to look natural, as well as get pointers for starting character animation. It will help if you already know a bit about After Effects. Blend clips ...more
In this Particle Playground tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) demonstrates how to generate particles from live action footage without using any keyframes or expressions. The idea of this is to show you how to generate particles that inherit motion and velocity from li ...more
Aharon Rabinowitz shows you several popular techniques and tools for creating 3D extruded text in After Effects. Some of the solutions he discusses are the shatter effect, plug-ins like Zaxwerks and another shadow and RGB value method. Create 3D extruded text in After Effects. ...more
In this tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to create the popular effect in which a colored stroke is placed around a keyed or rotoscoped subject. This example outlines an actor, but you can use it on anything. Create an outline around an actor in Aft ...more
In this tutorial, Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you a simple method of creating text wipe-on effects, and ways to enhance them with an updated look. Create & enhance text wipe-on effects in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this podcast, Creative Cow leader Andrew Kramer shows you how to use the "Per-Character Text Blur" effect, a new feature in After Effects 7. Use "Per-Character Text Blur" in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this tutorial, Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to create the coveted Film Flash transition in After Effects, without the use of any 3rd-party plug-ins. Create the Film Flash transition in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this tutorial Aharon Rabinowitz shows you the secret to scaling a motion path in After Effects. If you've ever created motion in after effects that you needed to confine to a smaller area, but also needed to keep the exact same shape, this lesson will show you how you can e ...more
In this brief tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz shows you a simple way to create masks and motion paths in After Effects using Illustrator and Photoshop path shapes. Import a motion path into After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this short After Effects tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) demonstrates creating some cool volumetric lights without any plug-ins. So try it and enhance the "look" and "feel" of your projects by lighting them a little bit. The project files are also available on th ...more
In this After Effects tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz shares a method of quickly and automatically creating extremely precise junk mattes/gargabe masks for use in the keying process. Create junk mattes/garbage masks in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativeco ...more
Andrew Kramer demonstrates how to create ray traced light reflections inside After Effects. After Effects does not handle ray traced reflections natively so follow along with tutorial and learn some cool tricks to get a ray traced effect. Create ray traced light reflections in ...more
In this tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz introduces you to the Fractal Noise Effect, and shows you how to create the animated backgrounds seen in the opening of the Creative Cow After Effects tutorials. Fractal noise is a powerful way to add variation and randomness to surfaces or ...more
In this tutorial, Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz show you how to create seamlessly looping fractal background animations by using After Effect's Fractal Noise effect. Loop fractal noise in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this tutorial, Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to create simple and complex multicolored gradient ramps in After Effects. No need to open Photoshop just to do your ramps ever again! Create multi-color gradient ramps in After Effects. Click through to wat ...more
In this tutorial, Creative Cow leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you a technique for creating a magnifying glass effect in After Effects. Create a magnifying glass effect in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
This tutorial creates several authentic lightsaber effects. Kramer has created a simple technique to make sabers with a breeze. Create a Star Wars lightsaber in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this After Effects tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr (aka Maltaannon) demonstrates how to create a radar that really works! You'll draw the radar, animate the target over it, and watch how the radar detects the object by itself, marks it on the grid and even makes a beeping sound. ...more
Andrew Kramer takes you through the set-up for creating a day to night effect in After Effects. These are some more advanced techniques so make sure you are familiar with the software basics. Turn day into night in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativeco ...more
Want to do something cool for Halloween or your next horror flick? Learn how to make fake blood splatter just like the professionals. Here is a cheap and easy way to make gun shots look real. Make blood splatter effects. Click through to watch this video on tricklife.com
Andrew Cramer shows you how to simulate light in your After Effects scenes. The effect shown is good for any time you have a flash of light shown like lightning or clashing light sabers. Add simulated light to a scene in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on crea ...more
Andrew Kramer is going to show you how to create ink splotches or spatter in After Effects. This may be a bit tougher than just bringing in images of REAL splatter, but it is possible. Watch and see how! Create ink splotches in After Effects. Click through to watch this video ...more
Andrew Kramer gives us a practical look at HDR Imagery and 32 bits per channel inside of After Effects 7.0. See how using 32 bits differs from using 8 or 16 bits and some tricks with HDR and motion blur. Use HDR imagery and 32 bpc in After Effects. Click through to watch this ...more
In this quirky tutorial you'll learn how to make it appear that a person is looking through a pair of binoculars or through a rifle scope using After Effects 7.0. Make a first-person binocular effect in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on ivfilms.net
This After Effects tutorial will show you how to create a flickering light effect. Hopefully you can take these ideas and apply them a little bit better than our teacher did. Simulate a flickering light using After Effects. Click through to watch this video on ivfilms.net
See how to create a swarm of flies using CC ParticleWorld in After Effects. Our teacher recommends using fly swarms over spoiled food or dead bodies. We're sure you'll find your own creative uses for flies. Create a swarm of flies in After Effects. Click through to watch this ...more
This After Effects tutorial shows you how to create an outward explosion, useful if you want to blow out windows or doors. Also create cool glowing flame effects for added realism. Make sure you have or get some fire/explosion footage to use for your effect. Create an outward ...more
Turn your bright daytime footage into a look that seems as though it was shot at night. This common technique known as day for night was done on many low budget films in the 60's and 70's. Turn day footage into night in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on ivfil ...more
Learn how to convert between 60i fps to 24P fps footage. This technique will also work for PAL to NTSC. This is not sexy, but very needed for the everyday conversions. Convert frame rates in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
Jayse Hansen demonstrates how to create graphic elements that will grow in After Effects. Now we have a step by step tutorial. More experienced users are welcome to skip around using the included menu. Using simple masking techniques doesn't always do the trick, this in depth ...more
Expressing the camera: animating along a path. Rick Gerard presents a five minute tutorial movie as the second in a series that teaches basic After Effects Camera animation. In this example you'll learn how to simplify animating a camera over a still image and how to orient th ...more
Learn how to use the page turn effect and apply it to an entire sequence or piece of footage to create a flipbook animation in After Effects. Create a flipbook effect in After Effects. Click through to watch this video on creativecow.net
In this video from Dr. Carlson, users are shown how to witness the effects of the relationship between temperature and matter firsthand, using light-sticks. For the experiment, users need 3 beakers (or vessels of the sort,) and 3 light-sticks of the same color, shape, and ligh ...more
Check out Houdini's new pyro effects! Watch this video tutorial to learn how to use Pyro FX n Houdini 10. It's time to start looking at one of the most exciting new features of Houdini 10! Take a look at the Pyro FX workflow used to create high-quality Fire and Smoke. The Pyr ...more
After Effects is one of the best digital motion graphics software programs out there. Learn it. Now. With this video tutorial, learn how to use Vector Smart Objects in Adobe After Effects. Find out in less than 5 minutes how vector smart objects can save you time and frustrat ...more
Filmmakers beware... or more importantly, cinematographers beware... boring setups and unpleasing camera tricks can ruin a movie. Check out this helpful video tip from Focal Point Technologies on how to use zoom and dolly effects in your film. Whether you're a cinematographer ...more
This simple Adobe Photoshop video based signature tutorial, teaches you how to create a simple effects in a forum signature. This tutorial also has some great tips for beginners explaining the use of gradient maps and clipping masks in Photoshop. Part 1 of 4 - How to Create an ...more