Creating Light Streaks : Adobe After Effects basics Tutorial

Creating Light Streaks

A CreativeCOW.net After Effects Video Tutorial

Create Light Streaks like the Nano iPod commercial -A Video Tutorial by Andrew Kramer

Andrew Kramer
VideoCopilot.net

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Article Focus:
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow leader Andrew Kramer demonstrates how to create light streaks as seen in the new Nano iPod commercial.

Download the project files here
Watch the final movie here

Click here to launch the tutorial

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Comments

Making the Lights go where you want them
by Jeff Fisher

Edit: Ok now I'm confused reading the coments does this not work with Cs4?

In the tut he used an expression to animate the Emiter which controls where the lights go and how they act.
I would guess if you wanted to make the lights go where you want them you would have to animate the Emiter with keyframes.

Thats what I got out of it anyways but I just got after effects 3 days ago.

Great tutorial though, I won't be using any add-ins yet until I get more of the basics down and have some cash but when I decide to do so I will for sure try this out.

No Custom option
by Steven Daniels

I just downloaded the Trapcode particular demo. I have found that under particular type there is no option for custom, is that because its a demo? I just used the Glow Sphere so I could continue. Then when I went to render it out there was an X across the screen. It is on the layer labeled Particular, it is the same color as my color FX layer. How do I get this to go away?

@ Stefan Roth: The plug-in Andrew
by Ken Green

@ Stefan Roth:

The plug-in Andrew used is called Trapcode Particular.

The plug-in you are using is called Particle Systems II. These two plug-ins are not the same. Here is Trapcode Particular, which is NEEDED to do this tutorial: http://www.trapcode.com/products_particular.html

Keeping it inside the frame
by John Dean

How can I tell AE to always keep the streak inside the frame?

I'm stuck
by stefan roth

I'm using Adobe After Effects CS4 And Particle V2 I've followed every step you've done in the tutorial video up until after I designed my own particle I go into Effect Controls: Particals look down the Particle options and under Particle Type there is no custom. Under Particle Type the options I have to choise from are Sphere, Glow Sphere (No DOF), Star (No DOF), Cloudlet, Streaklet, Sprite, Sprite Colorize, Sprite Fill, Textured Polygon, Textured Polygon Colorized, and Textured Polygon Fill are my only options to the list of Particle Type.

Trapcode particle
by malathy natarajan

The tutorial was awesome the way he explained was really good and it helped me a lost thank. do expect more tutorial and samples from you guys

I got this to work, but
by Christopher Mallan

I got this to work, but I don't know how to control where my light streak goes. All I get is the light to move around randomly. Thanks

in cs4 the particles wont follow
by lukasz wiecz

in cs4 the particles wont follow the light :(

Creating Light Streaks
by Abraham Chaffin

To key out the black background of the light streaks use Unmult which is a free plugin found here:

http://www.redgiantsoftware.com/unmult.html

Have fun!

Creating Light Streaks
by Haydn Nelson

Those of you having trouble exporting with alpha - try a search for unmult - that might help... what i wanna know is why the light turns and revolves on itself as it changes direction with the wiggle function - surely it should just move in x.y,z not revolve?

Creating Light Streaks
by Matthew Exton

Hi,

I

Creating Light Streaks
by Marten Kopp

SUPERB TUTORIAL!! works grate and higly ajustable! Keep it coming!!!

Creating Light Streaks
by dane lewis

is it possible to use a different plug in if you don,t have Trapcode

Creating Light Streaks
by john grant

I thought i could use this as a simple tutorial for streaming lights(like Design 9 in Video Stream HD) but it got to complicated for that and I realized that there is probably an easier way to have shooting lights. I haven't been able to find a tutorial on this.

Creating Light Streaks
by Harris Oates

how exactly do you upload the particle plug in, im just a beginner but this is the kind of stuff i want to do. this tutorial really expired me to try this stuff.

Works For Me...
by Eogan O'Brien

Good tutorial and especially good sign-off, lol.

Creating Light Streaks
by Virtual Trancer

It's a great tutorial. I'll use the effects for my presentation. But I've also problems with the export:

How can I export the streaks without losing the color?

The color is loosing if the BG isn't Black. It must possible to use the the Light Streaks with another BGs, isn't it?

Creating Light Streaks
by Stefan Eichenberger

Great Tutorial! But how can I export the streaks with an alpha channel without losing the color?

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