Noob In Need With After Effects 6.0

2 minutes later*

Uh, im stumped... Im starting out with something simple that isnt to long, like a commercial, and i outline the saber frame by frame, but the lighning just wont follow. Am i using the wrong thing as a lightsaber? What do you guys use? and if its not to much to ask can you guys kinda give me a step by step instructive? if its not too much.
Entwined User,
Scotty Walker- |13

 

Hey dude,

just make sure you draw the mask for the saber only for the very first frame and then just activate the keyframes for the shape of the mask. From there on ONLY drag the points of the mask to their next position, DON´T draw a new mask for each frame. Maybe you´re doing that right already, but it sounds to me like you are trying to draw a new shape for each frame. If you follow Ryan´s Video Tutorial for AE you should soon enough find out that´s quite easy to do.

Also I can´t remember anything in that tutorial that should differ from AE 5.5 to AE 6.0 as Ryan is only using standard stuff like masks and standard AE filters.

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

Well you can use Pixel's tutorial on lightning. You can keyframe that to move anywhere you want...as far as the lightsaber keyframing is concerned if you're using Masking on each frame then yes you are doing it right ( by right I mean masking the first frame and activating the Mask Shape...the little stopwatch next to it...then dragging the points, Like what HTS_HetH said)...I'm having fun lol keeping asking me questions!

 

The only thing that I cant get about the rotoing, is that the blade seems to fluctuate a lot when played back. It doesnt seem to move naturally. I have zoomed in to 400% and rotoed, but I still seem to get the unnatural "shaking" I am beginning to use the "easy ease" and keyframing every other frame, but it still looks rough. Any tips?

 

"Go with the flow" is all that I can say. I get those shakes too. It's cool because you can past it off as Lightsaber Pulsing

 

Try doubling the frame rate. If you are working with interlaced footage and the saber is moving fast, you might need to roto every field, not just every frame. Doubling the frame rate will let you see each field. Or you can deinterlace your footage, then you don't have to worry about the fields and can just roto every frame.

Justin

 

Thanks a lot guys Im gonna go try that stuff now, wish me luck :/

 

Hey Guys,

Im having trouble (again) On the white solid Ryans tutorial said to click the little twisty button next to it, and when he did that it had "Mask 1 > Shape"
all mine says is "Transform" there isnt a mask one, you guys know whats going on?

 

That would only happen if you didn't make a Mask in the first place

I'm here all night folks...be sure to tip your waitresses

 

lol.

You guys have been a great help i can actually make the mask follow the prop blade now... I LOVE YOU GUYS! lol

 

Snoogans!

Translation: Cool!

 

lol, Hey Obi-Juan how do i put the color in it now? my ryan tutorial that i d/ld is going haywire on me :/

oh and another question: When i activate and deactivate my lightsaber, how will i make the prop blade dissappear while its deactivated?

 

Well my friend...heard of DIGITAL EXTRAPOLATION? On shots where you want to activate a lightsaber...you're suppose to have a sbaer without a rod. Then that's when DIGITAL EXTRAPOLATION comes in.

 

HaHa, i shouldve been able to come up with that on my own. well im embarrassed

 

But how do i add color ?

 

Well if you have already made three duplicate from your original solid...then you should do the Ryan's 10:20:30(or 40) ratio. Of course after you have given the first solid a Gaussian Blur of either 1, 2, or 3. Depending how close or far your saber prop is from the camera

Edit: Then you go to Effect>Adjust>Color Balance. Make sure Preserve Luminosity is checked and give it a color. Then play with the numbers...

 

This is great stuff. Someone should make a tutorial for it.

 

lol come on leave the guy alone...I was once like him many moons ago.

 

lol, real nice pick on the kid i still cant get that color to work, i change the imbalance but nothings happining. What do i have to do with the white solids?

 

That's my fault I left a step out....once you gave the blurs to your solids....go back to your footage Comp and whatever comp the solids are in plug that into the footage comp....then give it color...sorry

Eidt: It's cool I just think people here pick on noobs to much

 

I'm not being mean. I'm simply stating, this is covered STEP BY STEP in the tutorial.

 

Thanks obi-juan

 

Let me know if it worked

 

Im obviously doing something wrong I changed the colors around to try to get any color at all in it, and it didnt add it to my film. The 3 solids are all White right? or are 2 black? and how do i plug them into my Composition?

 

On your Solids comp there is suppose to be one ALL BLACK SOLID at the very bottom. That allows you to change the color when you put that comp into the footage comp...let me know