Assignment 7 - After Effects Tutorial

Ancient Title Tutorial extended from Justin Taylor on Vimeo.
          For this assignment we were to learn some new effects in After Effects. I went to Video Copilot and found a very interesting tutorial on how to make an Ancient Title effect. So I watched and learned how to make this effect. I had to learn various effects such as the Particle World effect, the tint effect, mesh warp, the fractal noise, linear wipe and the radial blur effect. All were very useful. I also used the 3D option and learned the uses of the t-matte modes and the different modes for the layers.

Tutorial Link:  http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/ancient_titles/

Ancient Title Effects Tutorial:

• ·         Create new comp
• ·         Import 2 different images of textures.
• ·         Bring first texture into comp and scale it evenly to comp.
• ·         Toggle Transfer Modes
• ·         Create text layer, put anything
• ·         Then pre-compose text layer
• ·         Select texture image – go to effect-color correction-curves.
• ·         Take most the contrast out
• ·         Go to Layer-new-adjustment layer, then add curves adjustment.
• ·         Make darker.
• ·         Select ellipse tool, double click it, set mask to subtract.
• ·         Turn feather up as desired.
• ·         Create new solid layer, name it particle waves.
• ·         Effect-simulation-particle world-turn grid off.
•       -Physics – velocity 0, gravity 0, -particle – faded sphere, -producer – radius xyz turn up to spread     around. –birth size – up to haze, as well as birth death. Gravity – 0.220, longevity – 2, size variation – 33%.
• ·         Drag mesh warp to particle waves layer. 3 rows, 3 columns.
• ·         Make mesh move inward or outward to make unusual flow.
• ·         Change transfer mode to screen.
• ·         Layer-new-solid, name small particle and change tag color.
• ·         Repeat making the Particle World effect as above, but make them smaller, and increase birth rate to about 10.
• ·         Layer-new-solid, name it light, then go to effect-noise and grain-fractal noise.
•       Transform- uncheck uniform scaling. –scale height to about 3300. –contrast up and brightness down.
• ·         Effect-transition-linear wipe, transition completion 23%, -wipe angle 0, and feather as much as needed.
• ·         Now set “light” layer to screen mode, then set the layer to 3D.
• ·         Use Z-axis and rotate tool to bring light forward.
• ·         Then ALT Click on the Evolution watch, type – time*100 to add movement.
• ·         Now duplicate “light” layer and name lightB, on the top one put “+500” in the evolution after “time*100”
• ·         Make title and texture layers 3D.
• ·         Layer-new-camera, hit “P” and hit stopwatch, then move forward in the timeline and move camera position closer.
• ·         Now highlight both light layers and pre-compose them, name it Light Comp.
• ·         Duplicate “light comp” and toggle switches to show the track matte options.
• ·         Select the small particles layer and set the track matte to luma matte “light comp”
• ·         Select the light comp above the layer and add curves, bring the curves up to see the particles more.
• ·         Make other light comp opacity to 70%.
•              Duplicate title layer, name it title shadow
• ·         Select title, layer-layer styles- bevel and emboss, -depth 300%, -size 1, -altitude 56%, -angle about 93%, layer styles- drop shadow, -distance 0, -size 14, -opacity 40%.
• ·         Select title shadow layer, effect-blur-radial blur. Change type to straight zoom.
• ·         Effect-generate-fill, any color, then go to radial blur and move center all the way above the comp, bring the amount to 7, quality 50.
• Now drag second texture image to comp, switch mode to overlay, make 3D, opacity 50%, and add adjustment layer, then effect-color correction-tint and curves. Tint to 23%, and mess with curves till text pops more.