Lighting Effects/Flares in After Effects

[Mojo67821]

I have a quick question about an effect I"m trying to achieve. Quick warning... I am NOT that fluent in After Effects. I know the basics, but not much beyond that.

I want to be able to put a lighting source on a graphic. The only thing I find in "effects" drop down is "lens flare".... which isn't exactly what I'm looking for.

The second thing I want to do is displayed in this picture:

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/7662/mytvflarewe0.png

The little flare in the upper right hand corner. It flashes in and out quicly... I would also like to be able to do something like that.

Can anyone help me out with this?

 

[howinson]

AE version ?

 

[Mojo67821]

AE version ?

5.5 for Mac OSX on a PPC mac.

 

[LukeSkope]

First, there is a pretty big jump in functionality from AE 5.5 to 6.5 or 7, although I'm not sure if that specific effect was added. Might want to look into upgrading.

There is a great set of plugins called Knoll Light Factory which will do exactly what you're trying to do.

As far as doing it out of the box with AE 5.5 and not being fluent with the app, probably not. You'll have to create the flare in Photoshop and to animate it you'll have to create several frames, the better your graphic design skills, the better your results. Your results will likely not be as good as the ones achieved with Knoll, although, creating a lens flare in PS isn't that hard.

 

[tk421]

There is a great set of plugins called Knoll Light Factory which will do exactly what you're trying to do.

I second that. Knoll Light Factory is great.

 

[howinson]

I have a quick question about an effect I"m trying to achieve. Quick warning... I am NOT that fluent in After Effects. I know the basics, but not much beyond that.

I want to be able to put a lighting source on a graphic. The only thing I find in "effects" drop down is "lens flare".... which isn't exactly what I'm looking for.

The second thing I want to do is displayed in this picture:

http://img485.imageshack.us/img485/7662/mytvflarewe0.png

The little flare in the upper right hand corner. It flashes in and out quicly... I would also like to be able to do something like that.

Can anyone help me out with this?

What you really can do if u're limited to effect/plugs or AE version is to recreate the effect in photoshop first by drawing a similar shape just like the cross-flare.

Bring into AE and pop in default effects such as glow and adjust the paremeters to it.

To obtain the fading off corners, use a circular mask and feather the side.

Abit tougher but you should more or less replicate the effect. Don't limit yourself to filters, create objects in photoshop.

Photoshop + AE = wonders.

 

[Sdashiki]

im sure you can create some vector objects in AE, blur them and twiddle with them to become a light flare.

 

[LukeSkope]

Photoshop + AE = wonders.

This is true. Throw in some vector graphics with Illustrator, amazing. Export to Flash and add interactivity with Action Script, well I'm just getting there, but it's friggin awesome to the x degree.