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Section I: Working Foundations
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Section I: Working Foundations
by Mark Christiansen
Adobe After Effects CS4 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques
Copyright
About the Author
About the Contributors
Acknowledgments
Foreword
Who Brings the Sex?
Did It Feel Just Like It Should?
Was It Good for You?
Lights On or Off?
In Your Hands
Bring It
Introduction
Why This Book?
Some Key Steps
Organization of this Book
The Unique After Effects Workflow
New in this Edition
What’s on the DVD
The Bottom Line
Section I: Working Foundations
1. Composite in After Effects
Workspaces and Panels
Customize the Workspace
Order Reduces Effort
Import and Organize Source
Context-Clicks (and Keyboard Shortcuts)
Missing Footage
Move, Combine, and Consolidate Projects
Advanced Save Options
Project, Footage, and Composition Settings
Project Settings
Interpret Footage
Alpha
Frame Rate
Fields, Pulldown, and Pixel Aspect Ratio
Source Formats
Photoshop Files
Composition Settings
Previews and View Panels
Resolution and Quality
Responsiveness
Multiprocessing
Caching and Previewing
Preview Settings
Backgrounds
Effects & Presets
Output via the Render Queue
Render Settings: Match or Override the Comp
Output Modules: Making Movies
Optimized Output
Study a Shot like an Effects Artist
2. The Timeline
Organization
Column Views
Color Commentary
Navigation and Shortcuts
Time Navigation
Make Layers Behave
Timeline Views
Keyframes and the Graph Editor
Graph Editor
Show Properties
Basic Animation and the Graph View
Ease Curves
Separate XYX
The Transform Box
Holds
Beyond Bouncing Balls
Copy and Paste Animations
Layer vs. Graph
Über-duper
Dissect a Project
Keyframe Navigation and Selection
Keyframe Offsets
Spatial Offsets
Anchor Point
Parent Hierarchy
Motion Blur
Decoding After Effects Motion Blur
Add, Do Not Subtract
Manipulate Time
Absolute (Not Relative) Time
Time Stretch
Frame Blending
Nested Compositions
Time Remap
Timewarp
Conclusion
3. Selections: The Key to Compositing
Selection Types
Matte
Alpha Channel
Mask
Blending Mode
Effect
Combined Techniques
Compositing: Science and Nature
Bitmap Alpha
Feathered Alpha
Opacity
Alpha Channels and Premultiplication
Premultiplication Illustrated
Get It Right on Import
Solve the Problem Internally
Masks
Bézier Masks
Shape Layers
Combine Selections
Overlapping Transparency
Overlap Inverted Layers Seamlessly
Masks in Motion
Move, Copy, and Paste Masks
First Vertex
Blending Modes: Compositing Beyond Selections
Add and Screen
Multiply
Overlay and the Light Modes
Difference
HSB and Color Modes
Stencil, Silhouette, and Preserve Transparency
Luminescent Premultiply
Track Mattes
Gotchas
Render Order
Conclusion
4. Optimize the Pipeline
Multiple Compositions, Multiple Projects
Project Templates
Mini-Flowchart View
More Ways to Manage Many Comps
Precomping and Composition Nesting
Why Precomp?
Gotchas
Boundaries of Time and Space
Collapse Transformations
Nested Time
Advanced Composition Settings
Adjustment and Guide Layers
Adjustment Layers
Guide Layers
Render Pipeline
Optimize Previews and Renders
Post-Render Options
Proxies and Pre-Renders
Background Renders
aerender
Network Rendering
Multiple After Effects Versions
Watch Folder
Adobe Media Encoder
Project Optimization
Setting Preferences and Project Settings
Hack Shortcuts, Text Preferences, or Projects
XML
Memory Management
Conclusion
Section II: Effects Compositing Essentials
5. Color Correction
Optimized Levels
Levels
Contrast: Input and Output Levels
Brightness: Gamma
Individual Channels for Color Matching
The Levels Histogram
Problem Solving Using the Histogram
Perfecting Brightness with Curves
Just for Color: Hue/Saturation
More Color Tools and Techniques
Color Finesse and Magic Bullet Looks
Three-Way Color
Color Matching
The Fundamental Technique
Ordinary Lighting
Dramatic Lighting
When There’s No Clear Reference
Direction and Position
Gamma Slamming
Conclusion
6. Color Keying
Good Habits and Best Practices
Linear Keyers and Hi-Con Mattes
The Extract and Linear Color Key
Extract
Linear Color Key
Difference Mattes
Luma Mattes
Blue and Green Screen Keys
Keylight
The Three-Pass Method
Get the Best Out of Keylight
Generate the Screen Matte
Screen Gain
Screen Balance
Bias
Refinement
Holes and Edges
Noise Suppression
Fringing and Choking
Spill Suppression
Beyond Keylight: Better Mattes
On Set
Matte Problems
Edge Selection
Close Holes
Color Spill
Conclusion
7. Rotoscoping and Paint
Articulated Mattes
Rotobeziers
Beyond Built-in Limitations
Tracking and Translating
Mask Motion Blur
Morph
Reshape
First Vertex and Target Mask
Puppet
More Tools
Paint and Cloning
Paint Fundamentals
Cloning Fundamentals
Tricks and Gotchas
Wire Removal
Dust Bust
Conclusion
8. Effective Motion Tracking
Point Tracking Essentials
Choose a Feature
Tweak the Tracker
Position, Rotation, and/or Scale
Confidence
Solve Problems with Nulls
Track Averaging and Mask Tracking
Match Motion Blur
Match Multiple Objects
The AE Camera as a Tracking Tool
2.5D Tracking
Stabilize a Moving Shot
Incorporate MochaAE
The Basics
The Nitty Gritty
Use Tracking with Expressions
Continue Loop
Import 3D Tracking Data
3D Tracking Data
Import a Maya Scene
Try It Out for Yourself
Conclusion
9. The Camera and Optics
Cameras: Virtual and Real
See with the Camera
Lens Settings
Real Camera Settings
Emulate a Real Camera
The Camera Report
Lens Distortion
2D and 3D
Photoshop CS4 3D
Storytelling and the Camera
Camera Animation
Push and Zoom
Camera Projection
Camera Blur
Image Planes and Rack Focus
Boke Blur
Go for Boke
The Role of Grain
Grain Management Strategies
Grain Removal
When to Manage Grain
Film and Video Looks
Lens Artifacts Aren’t Just Accidents
Lens Flares
Vignettes
Chromatic Aberration
Frame Rate Isn’t Just Speed
Format Isn’t Just Display Size
Less Color Can Be More
Conclusion
10. Expressions
What Expressions Are
Creating Expressions
The Language of Expressions
Linking an Effect Parameter to a Property
Using a Layer’s Index
Time Delay Based on Layer Index
Looping Keyframes
Using Markers
Trigger Animation at Markers
Play Only Frames with Markers
Time Remapping Expressions
Jittery Slow Motion
Wiggle Time
Random Time
Layer Space Transforms
Effect Tracks Parented Layer
Apply 2D Layer as Decal onto 3D Layer
Reduce Saturation Away From Camera
Interpolation Methods
Fade as Move Away From Camera
From Comp Space to Layer Surface
Color Sampling and Conversion
Extra Credit
Fade as Turn Away From Camera
Audio Triggers Effect
Conclusion
11. 32-Bit HDR Compositing and Color Management
Color Management: Why Bother?
Completely Optional
Related and Mandatory
A Pixel’s Journey Through After Effects
16-Bit-Per-Channel Composites
Monitor Calibration
Color Management: Disabled by Default
Project Working Space
Input Profile and MediaCore
Display Management and Output Simulation
Output Profile
QuickTime
To Bypass Color Management
Film and Dynamic Range
Film and Cineon
Working with Cineon Files
Dynamic Range
Cineon Log Space
Digital Film
Video Gamma Space
Linear Floating Point HDR
HDR Source and Linearized Working Space
32 Bits per Channel
Mixed Bit Depths and Compander
Blend Colors Using 1.0 Gamma
Output
Conclusion
Section III: Creative Explorations
12. Light
Source and Direction
Location and Quality
Neutralize Direction and Hotspots
Color Looks
The Virtual Lens Filter
Black and White
Day for Night
Color Timing Effects
Source, Reflection, and Shadow
Backlighting and Light Wrap
Flares
Reflected Light
Light Scattering and Volume
Shadows
Contact Shadows and Indirect Light
Multipass 3D Compositing
13. Climate and the Environment
Particulate Matter
Match an Environment
Create an Environment
Sky Replacement
The Sky Is Not (Quite) a Blue Screen
Infinite Depth
Fog, Smoke, and Mist
Masking and Adjusting
Moving Through the Mist
Billowing Smoke
Mesh Warp
Liquify
Smoke Trails and Plumes
Wind
Adding and Articulating Elements
Precipitation
The Wet Look
Create Precipitation
Composite Precipitation
14. Pyrotechnics: Heat, Fire, Explosions
Firearms
The Shoot
Muzzle Flash and Smoke
Shells and Interactive Light
Hits and Squibs
Energy Effects
Core and Decay
Heat Distortion
What Is Actually Happening
How to Re-create It
Fire
Creating and Using Fire Elements
All Fired Up
Light Interacts
Dimensionality
Explosions
Light and Chunky
In a Blaze of Glory
What’s on the DVD?
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Introduction
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1. Composite in After Effects
Part . Section I: Working Foundations
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