PLASMA VFX Tutorial - Video 2 Update (3ds max, FumeFX, FX Particles)
I just wanted to follow up, as there's been a lot of email so far and I've wanted to try to get Video 2 out before I sit down and start responding. So if I haven't replied to your emails yet, hang on tight I hope to open a bottle of wine, candle light and have an evening of email tonight :)
There'll be a few updates this week as I'm eagerly working on getting all of these videos out! It's been pretty crazy but not as crazy as the response I've received so far!
But I am glad to say Video 2 is about to get published!
The first video we focused heavily on volumetrics and building up a 3D density grid based on procedurals. It's fun to do, and honestly it's something I use a lot for many things (here's a hint, ever thought about making clouds? You can use the exact same result very easily).
This video we dive further into the effect, 'Video 2' you'll take what you've built so far, and layer in other elements to break up the 'uniform shape' that is built so far (as it's obviously just spheres and mostly rotation and phasing for the animation so far). Now with fluids and particles, you'll be able to build more complicated motion and help make the effect feel even more organic through not just having 'one element' as the whole solution to the look.
As I mentioned although we're using FumeFX and 3DS Max you can easily do this in Maya, Houdini, Cinema 4D or any other package. So there's lots you can do with these visual effects tutorials. I am also going to put together a lesson using Video Copilot Optical Flares and 3D positioning in Foundry's Nuke.
Honestly, any effect I create in film is typically dozens of layers built up. I don't just hit sim on one element and call it a day, it's built up over dozens of elements, and rendered out in a way that I have total control over balancing them all out later on. This gives me total control, and the compositor total control. And the best part is, if the director comments and wants changes, a lot of the time it's more about just dialing certain elements back, so there's less reason for me to do any new simulations, and typically just have the compositor adjust certain layers to get the desired look. Most of the time anyway.
This is just video 2. We have 7 videos to get through. Each one we'll be doing more and more ambitious effects, and pushing things further. I'm really excited to see what you can do. So post your work! Either on my Allan McKay public Facebook, or on yours and tag me. Or email me. I just want to see how far you can push this effect and what you can make!
Feel free to switch from blue to orange, make it more of a 'firey sun' (kind of like Spiderman 2 or similar effects. I did a test where I shifted the hue and it looked pretty bad ass! So have fun with that :)
That's it for now, check out video 2 and all of the other videos at www.allanmckay.com/plasma/
And keep me in the loop with how things are going!
.. Now onto Video 3... and email.. and sleep... :)