VFX Techniques: Creating Particle Effects

Learn to create Harry Potter–style smoke, fire, and explosions with particle systems in After Effects.

Introduction

• Welcome
• Using the exercise files

1. Getting Started

• Breakdown of final comps
• Setting up the project in After Effects

2. Prepping and Repairing the Plate

• Working with Cineon files
• Color grading for night
• Generating a particle blob
• Hand tracking particles into the plate
• Patching the background

3. Working with Particles

• Creating a particle puff
• Creating a trailing particle sparkle
• Creating a streaked particle blast

4. Relighting the Scene

• Creating light spill
• Adding a fake shadow and flare

5. Motion Tracking Damage

• Copying footage and effects
• Motion tracking elements
• Continuing with motion tracking

6. Creating Smoke, Sparks, and Blasts

• Creating smoke with simple particles
• Creating sparks with particles
• Reusing particles
• Adding the blast as a 3D layer
• Integrating a CG explosion
• Creating glowing embers
• Rotoscoping the foreground
• Color grading the shot

7. Working with Green Screen and Clean Plates

• Preparing the green screen
• Keying green screen
• Time remapping and split screening
• Reusing particles

8. Utilizing CG Particle Simulations

• Preparing CG particles
• Using the Liquify effect
• Layering the particles
• Final relighting

Conclusion

• Looking at the final project
• Next steps