Create Hyper Visuals & Physics - Motion Design in After Effects

Summary

This tutorial dives into creating cinematic 3D scenes using After Effects, focusing on the integration of 3D objects, lighting, and orbital animations. The instructor guides through setting up a project with Cinema 4D renderer, extruding a 3D shape, and centering it perfectly. They demonstrate adding a camera for dynamic angles, lighting techniques with point lights, and using expressions for animated rotations. The tutorial also covers creating a sun-like effect, adding glow for cinematic reflections, and incorporating shadows for realism. With a touch of humor, the instructor encourages creativity and offers additional resources, like free template packs, to enhance motion design skills.

Takeaways

• 🎬 The tutorial covers using After Effects to create 3D scenes with reactive lighting for a cinematic look.
• 📐 It begins by creating a primary 3D object using the rectangle tool and setting the renderer to Advanced 3D or Cinema 4D.
• 🔧 The extrusion depth of the 3D object is increased for depth, and it's centered in the composition with the help of two views.
• 📏 The Anchor Point of the rectangle is adjusted to the center, and the Y rotation is set to 45° for proper orientation.
• 📹 A camera is created to give a 3D perspective, and keyframes are added for dynamic camera animation.
• 💡 Lighting is added using point lights, and a null object is used to rotate the light around the 3D shape for dynamic lighting effects.
• ✨ Additional light sources are introduced to reduce contrast and create a flickering effect using expressions for intensity.
• 🌞 An orbital scene is created with a sun by making a circle 3D, parenting it to the light source, and orienting it towards the camera.
• 🌌 Optional effects like noise, posterize, and glow are applied to enhance the scene's cinematic quality.
• 🌕 Shadows are integrated by duplicating objects, adjusting their orientation, and parenting them to the null object for realistic interaction with light.
• 🚀 The tutorial encourages creativity and experimentation with different shapes and objects to create unique 3D scenes.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the video tutorial?

The main focus of the video tutorial is to teach how to create 3D scenes with reactive lighting in After Effects to achieve a cinematic look.

What are the key elements combined in the tutorial to create the 3D scenes?

The key elements combined in the tutorial are 3D objects, 3D lighting, and 3D orbital animations.

Which renderer does the tutorial recommend setting for the project in After Effects?

The tutorial recommends setting the renderer of your project to either Advanced 3D or Cinema 4D.

How does the tutorial suggest creating the primary 3D object?

The tutorial suggests using the rectangle tool to create the shape, setting it to white, and increasing the Extrusion depth in the geometry options.

What is the purpose of setting the Y rotation to 45° for the 3D shape?

Setting the Y rotation to 45° helps in positioning the 3D shape for an orbital type scene and ensures it is angled correctly for the camera view.

Why is creating a camera in After Effects important for the 3D scene?

Creating a camera in After Effects is important to add depth and perspective to the 3D scene, allowing for dynamic camera animations and interactions with the 3D objects.

What is the role of the null object in the lighting setup of the scene?

The null object is used to rotate the light around the 3D shape in 3D space by parenting the light to the null object and applying an expression for rotation.

How can you add a flickering light effect to the scene?

You can add a flickering light effect by creating another light, moving it below the scene, and adding a wiggle expression to the intensity of the light.

What is the purpose of creating a circle with the ellipse tool and making it 3D?

The purpose of creating a circle with the ellipse tool and making it 3D is to simulate a sun or a light source in the scene, which can then be animated to rotate around the main object.

How does the tutorial suggest enhancing the cinematic quality of the 3D scene?

The tutorial suggests enhancing the cinematic quality by applying effects such as noise, posterize, glow, and brightness and contrast, as well as using expressions for subtle animations.

What is the final touch discussed in the tutorial for integrating objects and shadows?

The final touch discussed is integrating objects and shadows by duplicating the object, setting it to lay flat on the surface, parenting it to the null object for rotation, and adjusting the layer properties to look like a shadow.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Mastering 3D Motion Design with After Effects

This paragraph introduces a tutorial on creating 3D scenes in After Effects with reactive lighting for a cinematic look. The speaker outlines the process of combining 3D objects, lighting, and animations to create an interactive scene. The tutorial begins with creating a primary 3D object using the rectangle tool, setting up the renderer for 3D work, and adjusting extrusion depth. It emphasizes the importance of centering the object and setting up a camera for dynamic angles and keyframes. The lighting section demonstrates how to create and manipulate point lights, rotate them around the object using a null object and expressions, and adjust light intensity for desired effects. The tutorial also covers adding a flickering light effect, creating a sun-like object with a circle, and setting up auto-orientation for a realistic look. The speaker playfully mentions being new to motion design, highlighting the accessibility of the process.

05:04

🌟 Enhancing Cinematic Effects with Lighting and Shadows

The second paragraph delves into enhancing the cinematic quality of the 3D scene with various effects. It starts with optional effects like noise and posterize to add texture and control color noise. The glow effect is highlighted as a key feature for creating light reflections, with a suggestion to set a high radius and duplicate the effect for intensity. A bonus tip includes using the brightness and contrast effect with a wiggle expression for a subtle flicker. The paragraph also discusses creating a 3D particle effect using CC Ball Action and adjusting scatter and ball size for a camera-fly-through effect. The focus then shifts to shadows, explaining how to integrate and animate them in the scene by duplicating objects, adjusting anchor points, and parenting them to a null object. The tutorial concludes with a creative prompt to use different shapes and tools, like the pen tool, for custom 3D object paths, and an encouragement to subscribe for more content and maintain creativity.

Keywords

💡After Effects

After Effects is a digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application developed by Adobe Systems. It is widely used for video post-production and is the primary software mentioned in the script for creating 3D scenes and animations. The video's theme revolves around utilizing After Effects to achieve cinematic motion design.

💡3D Scenes

3D scenes refer to virtual environments created in a three-dimensional space, which can be manipulated and viewed from various angles. In the context of the video, 3D scenes are being constructed within After Effects to give a sense of depth and realism to the motion design project.

💡Reactive Lighting

Reactive lighting is a technique where the lighting in a 3D scene dynamically responds to changes in the scene, such as the movement of objects or cameras. The script discusses using reactive lighting to enhance the 3D objects and make the scene more visually engaging.

💡Cinema 4D

Cinema 4D is a professional 3D modeling, animation, and rendering software application. The script mentions using Cinema 4D as the renderer for the After Effects project to achieve high-quality 3D visuals.

💡Extrusion Depth

Extrusion depth is a term used in 3D modeling to describe the distance or depth by which a 2D shape is extruded to create a 3D object. In the script, the presenter sets the extrusion depth to 300 to give the 3D rectangle object thickness and dimension.

💡Orbital Animations

Orbital animations refer to the movement of objects around a central point or axis, often in a circular or elliptical path. The video script describes creating orbital animations to add dynamic motion to the 3D scene.

💡Camera Tools

Camera tools in After Effects are used to create and manipulate virtual cameras that view the 3D scene. The script mentions using camera tools to angle the view and add keyframes for a point of interest and position, enhancing the viewer's engagement with the scene.

💡Point Light

A point light is a type of light source in 3D graphics that emits light equally in all directions from a single point. The script describes creating a point light to illuminate the 3D shape and make the scene more professional-looking.

💡Null Object

A null object in After Effects is an invisible layer that can be used to control other layers without being seen in the final render. The script uses a null object to rotate the light around the 3D shape, creating a dynamic lighting effect.

💡Glow Effect

The glow effect is a post-production technique that adds a luminous halo around objects, enhancing their visibility and creating a sense of light emission. The video script describes using a glow effect with a large radius to create a cinematic look and simulate light reflections.

💡Shadows

Shadows are the dark areas created when an object blocks light. In the context of the video, shadows are discussed as a way to integrate additional objects into the scene and make them interact with the light source, adding realism to the 3D environment.

Highlights

Introduction to using After Effects for creating 3D scenes with reactive lighting.

Combining 3D objects, lighting, and orbital animations to achieve a 27D effect.

Setting the project renderer to Advanced 3D or Cinema 4D for 3D layer creation.

Creating a primary 3D object using the rectangle tool and setting it to white.

Increasing the Extrusion depth for a 3D shape to achieve an orbital scene.

Centering the 3D object in the project using two views and adjusting the Anchor Point.

Enabling title safes for precise object placement.

Creating a camera for a 3D perspective and animating it for interest.

Lighting tutorial emphasizing simplicity and professional results.

Using a point light and observing its impact on the 3D shape.

Rotating the light around the shape using a null object and expressions.

Adding a flickering light effect with the wiggle expression.

Creating a sun-like object in the scene with a circle and material options.

Orienting objects towards the camera for a dynamic 3D effect.

Incorporating additional orbital objects and parenting them to a null object.

Mention of a free template pack and over 35,000 templates for After Effects.

Enhancing the scene with noise, posterize, and glow effects for cinematic quality.

Using the brightness and contrast effect with a wiggle expression for a subtle flicker.

Creating a 3D particle effect with CC Ball Action for a camera fly-through.

Integrating objects and shadows in the scene for interaction with the light source.

Customizing 3D objects with the pen tool for unique designs.

Encouragement to subscribe for creativity and becoming the best in motion design.

Transcripts

are you ready to conquer light and

Shadow and create masterful motion

design we'll be using after effects to

create 3D scenes with the reactive

lighting that will make your vision

truly cinematic and it's all very easy

to do so if you're ready let's get

started all right we have a lot of great

Concepts in this one we'll be combining

3D objects with 3D lighting along with

3D orbital animations and if you do the

math that's 27d as you can see with the

reactive lighting our math objective

here is to have all these Concepts

interact with one another all right the

first thing we need to do is create our

primary 3D object I'm going to use the

rectangle tool to create the shape and

make sure that shape is white now when

you're working with actual 3D and after

effects you need to set the renderer of

your project to either Advanced 3D or in

my case we'll use Cinema 4D so when you

make your shape a 3D layer this allows

you to go into the geometry options and

increase the Extrusion depth which I'll

set to 300 since we're going for an

orbital type scene I want to make sure

that this object is absolutely in the

center of the project so to help with

this we can set our display to two views

and then we'll set that second view to

top and now we can see that this is not

perfectly centered though we can adjust

the Anchor Point of our rectangle layer

to the center of our composition and pro

tip be sure to enable title safes when

doing this and lastly set the Y rotation

to 45° and if needed you can lower the Y

position now that we have a 3D shape

here one thing we should do real quick

is actually make this look 3D and create

a camera and then we can use the camera

tools to angle downwards towards the top

of the shape and this would also be a

great opportunity to add key frames for

point of interest and position then you

can Dolly into your scene using the

camera tools very nice but feel free to

adjust the camera animation later okay

now let's jump into my favorite part of

this tutorial lighting don't worry this

is so simple and the lighting makes

everything more professional even my

mediocre voice sounds more professional

hey who wrote that go ahead and create a

new light set it to a point light and

our 3D shape should update as a result

of this light and if we adjust a lights

y position uh you can now see how the

lighting changes now what I would really

like to do is rotate this light around

our shape in 3D space the easiest way to

pull this off is by creating a null

object make it 3D and by default the

null should be centered in your scene so

if we alt click the stopwatch for y

rotation and use the time asri 200

expression then parent the light to the

null now our light should rotate around

the scene which is really nice if this

scene has too much contrast or in other

words uh kind of dark this would be a

great opportunity to create another

light and move it below the scene and

away from the shape uh then we could add

say the wiggle expression to the

intensity uh we'll use 8 comma 20 for

example and when this is done this will

create a flickering light animation that

affects the entire scene at this point

we essentially just have an invisible

light source you actually can't see the

light bulb if you will so this is a

great opportunity to create perhaps an

orbital scene with a sun and since our

work is mostly done doing this is easy

just create a circle with the ellipse

tool and of course make the layer 3D

then go to the position and ALT click

the stopwatch uh parent the position to

the position of the light source then

parent the main Circle uh to that nle

object we created for the rotation and

to make the circle a pure white go into

the material options and turn off except

lights and set it diffuse to 100% now

before you play back anything select a

circle go to layer transform Auto Orient

and select Orient towards camera perfect

this is starting to look really legit

and this is my first day of doing motion

design just kidding I don't even know

what motion design is anyways you can

use this step to add in other orbital

objects into your scene however you just

need to parent it to the null object and

not the lights position as well using

that top 3D view makes it very easy to

position these additional graphics which

could be planets Next Step faking the

moon landing but before we move on I

just wanted to mention that we have a

100 free template pack that you should

absolutely get your hands on for After

Effects and if you ever need to save

time we have over 35,000 templates to

help you produce amazing work with the

link below all right back in it and

sorry I lied we're not going to be

faking the moon landing but we're going

to make this scene look so much better

with just a few effects so create

yourself an adjustment layer apply the

noise effect set it to around 12% and

uncheck color noise then apply posterize

and set it to about 12 and keep in mind

these effects are just optional however

the big bad boy here is the glow effect

all you need to do is set the glow

radius to an insane number like 500 and

duplicate the effect and that glow does

wonders for light Reflections very

cinematic and to any of you

cinematographers out there this is like

using lens diffusion in a way and as a

bonus tip you can also add the

brightness and contrast effect and apply

a wiggle expression to the brightness to

give your scene a subtle Flicker and if

you're looking for a 3D particle effect

take a look at applying CC Ball action

to a white solid layer and then adjust a

scatter and the ball size and because

this is a 3D particle effect your camera

will fly through these simple field of

particles okay let's get back on track

one last thing we need to to talk about

is Shadows let's say you want to

integrate another object in your scene I

have here uh this Vector in which I'll

move into 3D space on top of our

rectangle what I like to do is duplicate

this object and set the Anchor Point to

the bottom center of the layer so when I

set the x rotation to 90° this will lay

flat on the surface then all we need to

do is parent the shadow to that orbital

null object and if you need to set your

layer to actually look like a shadow you

can use the fill effect to make it black

however Shadows can now interact with

your light source now you should be able

to take these Concepts and hopefully

create unique pieces of work for example

instead of a rectangle we can use the

pen tool to design a custom path for our

3D object so subscribe if you want to be

the best and always be creative