22
Using Multiple Effects Together
This chapter, along with the few to follow, can best be thought of as an appendix to the book. Here, I just want to underscore some of the concepts that we’ve lightly breezed through in the book that deserve greater emphasis.
In this chapter, we’re going to be looking at using multiple effects together. No matter which effect you’re going for, the final results are almost always enhanced by another effect. Throughout this book, we’ve seen numerous examples of this. We’ve used the Strobe Light effect with the Advanced Lightning effect to create lightning strikes. We’ve used the Roughen Edges effect with the Fractal Noise effect to create a fireball. But we don’t have to apply just two. We can apply as many effects to a layer as our system can handle. Let’s look a little more closely at using effects together.
Using Multiple Effects for Utility
The possibilities are endless when we use effects together. But it’s not only a matter of creative possibilities—the quality of effects is also greatly increased when using them together. The quality (and photorealism) of effects is often increased a great deal by adding one of the Color Correction effects. When keying footage, the Minimax effect or one of the Matte effects can often help you fix edge problems. When creating maps for other effects (as we’ll discuss in the next chapter), many of the grayscale pattern generators—such as Ramp, Fractal Noise, or Wave World—can save you from having to go back to Photoshop to create those maps.
Using Multiple Effects for Creativity
There are so many times as a motion graphics artist when you are asked to create an original background or texture in an instant. When using effects for creative and artistic purposes, using multiple effects is critical. To help you create artsy textures, I’ve created a couple formulas to help you get started, or in case you ever encounter a mental block and need some inspiration.
Some Sample Formulas
To create artistic textures from scratch, try starting with an effect from the Generate category, or by using any other effect that creates a pattern from scratch, such as Fractal Noise or Turbulent Noise.
Figure 22.1
Start the formula with a texture created from scratch with effects. In this case, I used the Lens Flare effect.
Next, apply an effect from either the Distort, Blur, or Stylize category, or some from each.
Figure 22.2
The Lens Flare, after distorted with the Twirl effect from the Distort category.
Then finish up with either the Stylize>Glow effect, or another Color Correction effect, or both.
Figure 22.3
Here, I added the Glow effect from the Stylize category. Then I enhanced the Light effect by adjusting colors using the Levels effect.
Here are a few other quick samples I created from randomly grabbing effects in this order. These aren’t perfect, nor are they exemplary art. But they are fairly decent patterns created very quickly.
Figure 22.4
A pattern created with Radio Waves, Turbulent Displace, and Glow.
Figure 22.5
A pattern created with Turbulent Noise, Mosaic, Radial Blur, then levels. I also added some color with color balance.
Figure 22.6
A pattern created with Grid, Wave Warp, and Glow.
Figure 22.7
A pattern created with Cell pattern, Find Edges, and Colorama.
Remember that you can also create animation presets that store the effects that comprise these patterns. If you find yourself with free time (hey, it could happen), you might consider creating your own library of patterns to use in a pinch.
Playing CSI with Animation Presets
The way to Sherlock an animation preset after you’ve applied it is to select the layer and press UU (that’s the letter “U” pressed two times in a row). This super sweet keyboard shortcut reveals every property that has been changed from its default in the Timeline panel.
Also, as mentioned back in Chapter 1, After Effects ships with a large library of animation presets that are not only great jumping off points for use in your own work, but they can also be educational. They can help you see the possibilities available when using multiple effects. And, because the presets are actually “live” applications of effects settings, you can go back to the effects after applying these presets to play CSI and figure out what the original settings were. This is an absolutely phenomenal way to get acquainted with After Effects and the creative potential there.