Creating a Short Film: 10 VFX Effects

Get real-world insights into creating visual effects for short films. Learn how to use common VFX tools to create cool, otherworldly effects like magic particles and explosions.

1. Introduction

• About this training series
• The Assurance
• Introduction to this course
• About the third-party plugins used
• Dealing with the exercise files

2. The World of Effects

• An overview of common VFX tools
• The importance of sound design in effects
• Using practical helps
• Utilizing contrast to enhance effects shots
• Using 32 bits per channel
• Why the VFX were done in 4K

3. Ta'ani's Off-Screen Light

• Approaching VFX shots
• Supplementing the practical light
• Anatomy of the lens flare
• Enhancing with Particular dust
• Removing the background bird
• A quick look at the reverse shot

4. Making Ta'ani's Magic Eyes

• Painting the eyes in Photoshop
• Tracking the eyes in After Effects
• Creating depth and movement with Fractal Noise
• Coloring the effect to composite better

5. Forming the Little Ball

• Preparing the shot
• Making the little ball with Trapcode Form
• Adding particles with Form and Particular
• Making the tiny swooshes
• Simulating a rack focus effect
• Simulating the ball being blown away

6. Creating an Explosion Shot

• Combining live action explosion shots
• Creating a realistic glow in front of objects
• Compositing branches over the explosion
• Adding embers created with Trapcode Particular
• Rotoscoping the characters
• Freezing areas of the frame in time
• Simulating camera shake

7. Forming the Big Ball

• Examining the original plan, and why it changed
• Creating the textures with Fractal Noise, part 1
• Creating the textures with Fractal Noise, part 2
• Making the textures equirectangular
• Assembling and compositing the ball components
• Coloring the ball
• Creating the fiery top in Trapcode Form

8. Effects in the Finale Sequence

• Custom lens flare, part 1: Streak
• Custom lens flare, part 2: Glow
• Custom lens flare, part 3: Multi-iris 1
• Custom lens flare, part 4: Multi-iris 2
• Gathering the ball with Element 3D
• Creating Golhatn's eyes
• Using dust footage to make embers
• Creating swirling particles in Cinema 4D
• Compositing live action fire footage
• Adding heat distortion

Conclusion

• The importance of failure
• Previewing the color course
• Final thoughts