Article Focus: In this tutorial, David Zandnerg creates a "Liquid Light" background element using some basic knowledge about Trapcode 3D Stroke & Shine and Turbulent Displace from Adobe. The important thing to remember is that this tutorial is flexible, so change it as you like to whatever works for you in terms of shape, color and size. Also keep in mind that the tutorial is designed to give you some idea of the simplicity of After Effects for creating abstract art or to just have fun.
Create a new comp 720/576 Pal or 720/486 Ntsc 6 sec duration.
Create new black solid 20% bigger than your comp size for better resolution results.
Use the pen tool to create line and make it curve as in the figure below.
Duplicate this solid 3 times and name the 4 solids: red, blue, green and purple.
Now manipulate each solid mask to the shape you like; as long it's an open line and not a closed mask, such as a circle.
Select all layers and go to EFFECT>TRAPCODE>3D STROKE
In the Effects Editor, make one key frame OFFSET -100 for each solid.
At the beginning, open the TAPER and check the box to enable.
Go 2-3 sec in Timeline and set key for OFFSET 100 again for all solids: red, blue, green and purple.
Preview your composition. Make your adjustment for your mask shape as you like. Also make adjustment for the speed by moving the last key frame of OFFSET to the time that works for you.
Now for some feather tweaks: you can set each solid different; Thickness 8 -20, Feather 100. Set what works for you.
Open the ADVANCED and set the internal opacity 20 -70.
Part Two
Now for the fun part! Select all solids and go to EFFECT>TRAPCODE>SHINE
Set each solid for COLORIZE. In Colorize, try to stick with colors that match the solid name.
Set RAY LENGTH 1-8 (again, choose what you like) and BOOST LIGHT 1-30
Go back to 3D stroke and open the TRANSFORM dialog bend 1-4
Set the angle that you like.
Part Three
Create new comp same size: 6 sec dur and make new White Solid.
Same size as comp, Create 2 circle masks
Mask Feather: set to 100.
Apply EFFECT>DISTORT>TURBULENT DISPLACE
Set key for OFFSET at the top left corner.
Set key for EVULOTION move 2-3 sec. in time line and set key at bottom right for OFFSET & EVULOTION 3 cycle.
Tweak your complexity... I set to 3.5.
Now apply the shine effect as in Part 2, but put 0 value in Boost and Ray.
Part Four
Pre comp this solid and put the color comp inside this new comp.
Apply EFFECT>DISTORT> Displacement Map to the color comp.
Set value of 60 horiz & vertical.
Set Displacement layer to white solid comp.
Set it to luminance.
Choose transfer mod for the pre comp white solid…
Conclusion
These are just some basic techniques using Displacement and Shine. I hope this will give you some new ideas how to create your own background effects.
David
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