Whats the best way to create.......

Whats the best to create the lightsaber impact flashes?

 

Depends on the software you're using ... in AE, the quickest way is to create a lense flare (Knoll Light Factory Lite plugin works well, and is free) ... just make an extrememly bright flash and keyframe it down over the next 3-5 frames.

 

Anyway other than Lens flares? Is there a way to get them to look like they are in the movies?

 

Hmm ... I would pause a frame of the biggest "flash point" in the real movie and try to see exactly what you're trying to accomplish. Knoll Light factory doesn't produce a lense flare ... but big blobs of light you can customize.

 

where can you get Knoll Light Factory?

 

I heard there was a way using radical gradents in photoshop or something.

 

Knoll Light Factory Download