I alsoooo took the opportunity to compare it with the Automation Blocks from Mamoworld, which we tested in the last issue, and looked at a few other tools in this category. But first, let’s take a look at the working time recording. by Nils Calles

Chronicler – Pr, Ae, Au, An, Me, Ps, Ai, Id, Ic (25 Dollar)

After installation, you open this tool, like all extensions, via the Window – Extensions menu in Premiere and After Effects. All Adobe-specific projects are then logged there in detail. This even includes how long you have been working in a specific timeline in Premiere or in a composition in After Effects. This also applies to Smart Objects in Photoshop, Links in Illustrator or Scenes in Animate. Projects can be organised in folders for a better overview. There is also a search and filter function. The billing function allows you to determine what you can charge the customer. The hourly price and the currency can be set in the settings. The idle time can be used to set the period of inactivity after which the time recording stops so that no idle times are counted. The time recording can be exported as a CSV file so that it can be imported into Excel, for example. And it can probably also be displayed on a website.

However, it is not explained anywhere how this works. The CSV file is also very confusing and it is very difficult to analyse it. In general, the documentation for Chronicler in particular is unfortunately poor. There is a short tutorial and, as for the other extensions, a manual on the Knights of the Editing Table Manuscript website. There is also a forum website and a very lively Discord channel. However, this is not really a substitute for a proper manual. Sir Ivan should make some improvements here.

Excalibur – Pr (120 Dollar)

This probably best-known tool speeds up the editing workflow by extending and simplifying the functionality of keyboard shortcuts. It also includes some functions for which there are no shortcuts in Premiere. Here are some examples:

• paste clip on the same track
• export selected clips
• remove transitions
• Nest individual clips
• add marker to selection
• fill frame (preserves aspect ratio without borders)

Application example Excalibur

I like to use this tool to apply my own effect presets to several clips, for example to blur in titles. To do this, I have given all my presets the prefix NCFX. If I type these letters into the Excalibur window, I immediately get a list of all my presets and can select the appropriate one with the arrow keys and confirm with Enter. You can also put together your own user commands from several commands and assign them to a keyboard shortcut. For example, rendering for YouTube with the sequence name and date as a prefix. The basic functionality is similar to the free FX Console tool from VideoCopilot for After Effects. The tool is called up with a keyboard shortcut (default alt space bar) and the function can then be selected in the search window. To do this, type in the command, whereby the first few letters are usually sufficient. You can then use the down arrow to select the listed functions and the right arrow to select the sub-functions. You can also select several clips in the timeline that are to be scaled by the same factor, for example. With the Export selected clips command, the clips selected in the timeline are transferred to the Adobe Media Encoder with the effects applied, individually with the image section of the timeline in which they are located, and rendered out with the parameters of the selected export preset. This is very effective, for example, to render out selected footage for portals or customers. A similar function is also available in the Automation Blocks Extension presented in the last issue. The only difference here is that the In and Out markers are transferred from the timeline to the clips in the project and these are then transferred to the media encoder queue. On the one hand, the applied effects and scaling are lost. On the other hand, the clips can be output with a match source preset in the original resolution.

Grave Robber – Pr (25 Dollar)

If you have worked a lot with nested clips in Premiere due to the clarity, you would often like to unpack everything again at the end in order to do a little fine-tuning. The Grave Robber can dig this out again. The tool consists of just 2 tiny icons. The shovel for excavating, i.e. unnested. And an undo icon, which only works properly directly after digging. You simply select the nested clips you want to unpack and click on the shovel. You have the content on the timeline. The extension also automatically creates new tracks so that, for example, the graphics above it remain above it.

Now you can swap elements and fine-tune the timing as you wish. The original nested clips naturally remain untouched. They may still be present in other timelines. The tool is also very suitable for using nested sequences as templates. For example, you have produced a complex intro that you want to use more often. You create a nested sequence from it, which you then simply drag into your current timeline. Once the rest of the editing is done, you unpack the intro with Grave Robber and can now easily swap clips and graphics and optimise timings.

Anchor – Pr (25 Dollar)

As the name suggests, this is a tool for moving the anchor point without changing the position of the layer. The alpha channel can also be taken into account. For example, if you want to move a text graphic to the top left-hand corner, switch on the alpha function and click on the anchor point in the top left-hand corner. The extension then automatically finds the top corner of the letter and sets the anchor point there.

Portal (0 dollars): Pr, Ae, Au, An, Me, Ps, Ai, Id, Ic

This tool provides quick access to frequently used folders in the Adobe apps. A separate set for each Adobe software. The folders are simply dragged into the portal window and the extension automatically creates a button that leads to the folder as a quick link. The buttons can be easily configured in terms of colour and labelling.

Arrow (0 Dollar)

An extension that copies the current frame in the Monitor programme to the clipboard so that it can be inserted anywhere. It can also be automatically saved in a specific folder. The tool can also copy PNG with alpha channel. It is also included in Excalibur.

Watchtower Pr/Ae (40 Dollar)

When I create a new project, I always copy my standard folder structure into the project folder. Then I copy all the footage files into the folders provided and open the standard project that I copied with the Premiere folder, rename it and save it under the project name with the date. Then comes the procedure that every editor knows. The footage files have to be imported into the correct bins in the project. This requires a lot of clicking, even though everything is already neatly sorted in the project folder. Watchtower does this work with just a few clicks. All you have to do is show the extension where the project folder is located and everything is imported automatically. And that’s not all. If new footage files are copied into the folder, these are also loaded into the project automatically or by clicking on the Sync button. It also copes with the nested folder structures of some cameras, such as RED or Sony cameras, and only imports the files actually required for editing.

Image sequences are also automatically recognised and immediately imported as a film. Which files are imported and how they are imported can be configured in the settings. You can also configure which folders should be omitted, which is useful for proxy folders, for example. I can even configure Watchtower by ticking the relative path box so that it automatically imports the footage in my standard folder structure without me having to configure it every time. In other words, I copy my standard project folders into a new project folder and then fill it with the new media files. Now I open the project and all the files are imported directly into the appropriate bins. This saves a lot of time.

Compass (0 Dollar)

Unfortunately, the Premiere export always goes to the last selected folder, regardless of the project. This is annoying, especially if you often switch between projects. With Compass, the output locations can be selected on a project-specific basis. This is done separately for media and frame export, as well as for import.

The Game (0 Dollar)

This tool turns Premiere into a kind of game. When the programme starts, there is a medieval start screen with the appropriate greeting and music. There you can select the project type. Standard Game is a normal project, Campaign is a production and Multiplayer is selected for a team project. Fortunately, the medieval atmo sound can be muted with a right-click. Clicking on the Armoury button takes you to a screen where you can install the other extensions. The whole thing is a funny gimmick for the game nerds among the editors, garnished with pithy sayings, but otherwise has no effective use.

Conclusion

Sir Ivan has done a good job. The tools make work a lot easier and save time in Premiere and other Adobe programmes. And Excalibur in particular is getting more and more functions with regular updates. Ivan is welcome to take a seat at my editing table!

Automation Blocks Pr/Ae (Bundle 99,99 Dollar)

As we have already discussed Automation Blocks in the last issue, a comparison is naturally appropriate. While Knights of the Editing Table Tools offers individual tools with predefined functions, Automation Blocks is a construction kit in which some models are already pre-built. Both extensions can perform some functions. But only Automation Blocks allows you to programme your own automations.

Still Exporter PR (29,99 Dollar)

All too often my customers want stills from the films I produce for their website. Of course you can put the still frame export on a keyboard shortcut, but the save dialogue alone takes a lot of time. Wouldn’t it be practical if you could simply export a frame automatically at each marker, where you can also specify the storage location and the name? I contacted Michael Möhl from Mamoworld with this idea, who actually liked it so much that he realised it. You select a sequence. If you have also uploaded the sequence to frame.io, the customer can select images for export using comment tags. These can then be imported into the Premiere sequence. When naming the files, which is opened by clicking on the #, there are lots of options. You can integrate numbering, timecode, name and comment. This also helps with finding and indexing the images. The names are then displayed in a preview. The images are exported as shown in the programme monitor. This also includes effects and overlays. This means that they can also be exported with watermarks, subtitles or timecode burn-in without any problems. PNG, TIF (also with alpha channel), JPG and DPX are available as export formats. The export size depends on the image size of the sequence. A similar function is also available in Excalibur. However, there are no naming options here. The images are automatically numbered and labelled with the sequence name and timecode. In this example, the annotated markers were imported from frame.io and then the frames were exported using the Mamoworld Still Exporter. As you can set the exact type of naming there, the comments are included in the file names. Unfortunately, frame.io always includes the date in the comments. However, this could have been deleted manually from the marker lists before the export in order to have only the remarks. If the export had been made with Excalibur, the file names would contain the sequence name and the time code, which in this case looked like this: OP_MiniaturWunderland_00-06-17-11.jpg

The splash-proof iXM microphone from Yellowtec is a combination of handheld microphone and audio recorder. The device was developed at the suggestion of public broadcasters who wanted a reliable and easy-to-use recording device for interviews.

A standard SD card, as used in DSLR cameras, is inserted at the bottom as a recording medium. It is operated with large buttons, which are also completely silent. Operation is almost self-explanatory. However, the device must first be switched on by pressing the REC and STOP buttons simultaneously. Depending on the size of the memory card, the boot process takes a few seconds – in my case around 24 seconds – but as the internal battery lasts for 18 hours, you can do this in advance. And if the battery is empty, the device automatically switches to the additional battery compartment with three standard AA batteries without interruption or cracking.

When the boot process is complete, this is indicated by the flashing red LED. Then press the REC button and the recording starts. This is indicated by the permanently lit red LED. Press the REC button again to set a marker. In addition, a pre-roll time of up to 30 seconds can be set via the software so that the beginning of an interview cannot be missed.

The device has a 3.5 millimetre yellow line-in socket on the underside, which can also be used to record line signals – but only in mono. You should make sure that the level is set correctly via the software. On delivery, it was far too low for me, so that the sound from the headphone output of my ThinkPad was barely audible. But to check this, there is a 3.5 millimetre headphone socket marked in green right next to it, which can be used to listen to the sound during both recording and playback. Playback and volume are controlled using the buttons on the back of the device. A voice announcement tells you which file is being played. This is very practical and replaces the missing display. The markers can also be started using the control buttons.

The solid metal housing has an edge to prevent the microphone from rolling away so easily. The microphone capsule from Beyerdynamic is screwed on and is available in three characteristics – omnidirectional, cardioid and supercardioid, each with premium electret condenser capsules, which we received with our test set
received with our test set. There is also a slightly cheaper dynamic version of the two cardioids from Yellowtec.

And how does the microphone sound?

The integrated LEA levelling technology ensures distortion-free levelling and the suppression of interference signals. Even if you shout into the microphone and it already sounds distorted on the headphones, the recording itself is distortion-free because the LEA technology is bypassed in the monitoring path to avoid latency problems. The level control is rather slow. Technically, this is realised by two differently levelled preamplifiers, between whose signals the best levelled signal is always written to the memory card, depending on the level. This means that there is no pumping as with automatic levelling or compression from other devices and the volume can be subsequently adjusted in audio software. This creates a homogeneous sound image. Adjustments are only made in the event of extreme level fluctuations anyway. Even with the omnidirectional capsule and strong background noise from a trade fair, speech intelligibility is still very good.

Software

To make further settings, you must first install the software. There is user and admin software. After starting the user software, you should first click on the Help button. The help window will then open, in which you can find out what is possible and how you can connect the iXM Micro in the first place. To do this, you first have to find out which com port the microphone is connected to in the Windows Device Manager. Unfortunately, this is not particularly intuitive and should at least be mentioned in the briefing book supplied. After that, you can also fine-tune the LEA Engine via the software and save the settings in the nine different presets, which you can then call up with the user software.

To get a good comparison, my friend Jan Kalt set up two classics next to the iXM in the recording room of his Schraubfabrik recording studio in Musikpark Mannheim and recorded them. A Neumann U87 and a Shure SMB7. I also plugged in a DJI and a Hollyland Lark MAX wireless microphone. While the two wireless microphones are easy to understand but sound quite mid-range, just like the SMB7, which is at least a little more brilliant, the iXM sounds full and transparent. Not quite as brilliant as the U87, of course, but a little fuller in the bass – but that’s my subjective listening impression. If you want to see for yourself, you can watch the video on my postproduction-tutorials.net website.

Conclusion

The iXM from Yellowtec really is a very good microphone, especially for voice recordings, even in difficult environments. It is optimised to work intuitively in every situation, which is invaluable, especially for non-repeatable events and interviews. However, this also comes at a price. It costs 899 euros with a dynamic capsule and 1099 euros with a premium capsule. You should definitely order a microphone holder, as the microphone is really very thick and does not fit into a standard holder. You shouldn’t skimp on pop protection either, as the supercardioid is particularly sensitive to pop sounds. It is a pity that the microphone cannot be used as an audio interface via USB. Perhaps there will be a firmware update in the future. After all, you can already see the level change in the iXM User software. If you want something a little cheaper, the iXM Podcaster with dynamic cardioid capsule is an alternative for 639 euros. However, you will then have to do without the internal battery and the interchangeable microphone capsules. Otherwise, the functions are the same.

This is also the case with the new camera slider model that YC Onion gave me for this test. It is the 52 cm Chocolate Pro Cheese Motorised Slider with Supporting Stand, the second longest model in the Chocolate series, which also includes 20, 30, 40 and 70 cm models. The “cheese” is a removable motor with a touch display for programming directly on the appliance. there is also control software for Android and iOS that can be used to control many other YC Onion appliances.

The motor can be inserted into the slider from above and is then locked with a small lever. For the power supply, Sony NP rechargeable batteries can be inserted at the side, which supply the slider with power for between 4 and 10 hours, depending on the size and mode. This is also sufficient for longer time-lapse recordings. If it takes even longer, the motor can also be powered via the USB-C socket with a power bank or mains adapter. Programming with the touch display on the motor is intuitive and self-explanatory. First select one of the 3 modes. Video, timelapse or stopmotion. In video mode, you then use the arrow buttons to move to the start point and confirm it. Then select the end point and confirm this too. On the next menu page, you can then set the speed and activate the loop mode. The other two modes work in a similar way.

If you address the motor via the app, it can be completely remote-controlled. Six waypoints are then also available. For timelapse mode, there is also a mini jack socket for camera trigger control. And it is possible to couple the controller with various gimbal models. This allows complex camera movements with pan and tilt functions to be realised. The slider itself can also be “pushed” manually and is made entirely of metal. It has four fold-out feet so that it can be placed stably on the table or floor. Of course, there is a thread on the underside for tripod mounting. With a sturdy stand, the slider can also be moved at an angle or vertically. As the base and tripod plate travel with the slider, the travelling distance almost doubles in relation to the length of the slider. The maximum weight is reduced from 8 kg to 2.5 kg in vertical mode, but for a DSLR camera, such as the GH5 in my case, the force is easily sufficient. The operating noise of the
Motor is very quiet and hardly disturbs interview recordings.

The compact slider is a real asset when shooting with a DSLR camera, but it can also provide a cinematic look when shooting with a mobile phone or Osmo Pocket. The length of 52 cm and the distance of 88 cm due to the travelling base and on a tripod are a good compromise between a mini slider and a long rail slider. Supplied in a compact bag, the device can also be carried in small luggage. And it’s fun to watch the cheese slowly glide over the chocolate. Incidentally, the menu combination presented here costs just under 1000 euros. On my postproduction-tutorials.net page there are some videos on the subject, including the YC Onion Stand.

At this year’s Adobe MAX sneak session, it was clear to see where Adobe’s headquarters are located in Germany. The gigantic background projection presented itself in the white and blue Oktoberfest look and the co-host Co-host, actor and comedian Adam DeVine, was presented with a beer mug and pretzel in true Oktoberfest style. As always, numerous innovative, experimental technologies were presented by Adobe researchers and engineers. Surprisingly, the focus was on artificial intelligence. You can watch the complete show on Youtube(is.gd/youtube_adobe_sneaks). Here is a short summary of the most interesting innovations!

Project Fast Fill

What is called Generative Fill in Photoshop is now also finding its way into the world of video. The removal and addition of objects in videos. In the examples shown, this worked amazingly well and without any noticeable artefacts. We are curious to see when
the tool will be available in After Effects and Premiere.

Project Draw & Delight

There are now many text-to-image generators. Whether DALL-E, Stable Diffusion, Midjourney or Adobe Firefly, they all have the same problem: the results are unpredictable and the image structure can only be roughly influenced. With Draw & Delight, you can influence this not only with prompts, but also with rough doodles. In the example shown, a comparatively high-quality vector graphic illustration was generated from a very amateurish sketch in just a few steps. It starts with an outline drawing, which can then be filled with any colours. Similar to a colouring book. Backgrounds can also be created. And the whole thing can then be edited as a vector graphic in Illustrator.

Project Neo

This online tool is used to generate 3D shapes from simple basic shapes. The workflow is somewhat reminiscent of Substance 3D Modeler. The focus here is on ease of use when creating 3D elements using Boolean operations and object blending. The finished 3D scene can be virtually illuminated, with the “shadow vectors” adapting to the direction of light. At the end, it can be exported as an Illustrator file. The two-dimensional vector elements after import can be further modified in the graphics software.

Project Glyph Ease

Developing your own fonts for special designs used to be a lot of work. One of the difficulties was to ensure a uniform style. In Project Glyph Ease, only three reference letters need to be designed. The AI then uses these to generate the complete font including textures. This even works with hand-drawn designs that have been imported into Illustrator.

Project Scene Change

Changing the background of shots taken with a green screen is old hat. If you include enough tracking marks, this is also possible with a moving camera. But cutting out actors from normal shots without a green screen also works quite well now. Be it with the new version of the now also AI-supported Rotobrush in After Effects or the AI clipping tool from Runway.ml. Scene Change now combines and automates both techniques by converting the background scene into a 3D environment using photogrammetry. The camera data tracked from the foreground is then transferred to the background scene so that the actor can be credibly integrated into the scene. The positions of objects in the Z-axis and the actor are also analysed so that he disappears behind the foreground objects and casts shadows.

Project Poseable

This software facilitates storyboarding and illustration by combining Mixamo with a text-to-image generator. A 3D puppet is brought into the desired pose using the joints of its skeleton
into the desired pose or placed in an armchair using automatic adjustment. The IK system ensures that only natural positions are possible. The camera perspective is then aligned and the prompt for the desired result is entered. However, the pose does not have to be set up manually, but can also be taken from a loaded image. The 3D mannequin models can also be imported from Mixamo into Poseable.

Project Res Up

High-quality upscaling of videos is already familiar from Topaz Video AI (see this issue, page 52) or the AI upscaling of DaVinci Resolve. While DaVinci scores particularly well when upscaling good low-res material, the Topaz tool is also able to correct image errors such as colour noise, blurring and interlace problems to a certain extent. Adobe is now developing its own tool. In the examples shown, Res Up also appears to use comparison images during upscaling and recreate the structures from them. Whether and with which material it can really do this better and/or faster than the other tools remains to be seen. However, the examples shown were impressive.

Project Dub Dub

In this case too, various AI tools such as Descript already exist. It is about lip-synchronised text translation. Dub Dub Dub uses generative AI to automatically synchronise videos or audio clips in more than 70 languages and over 140 dialects. The tone of voice, intonation and acoustics of the original clip are also taken into account. And with the voices from the original video. The intonations in the last example shown were somewhat strange and difficult to understand in the German version of a very fast-paced dialogue with Cary Grant. But impressive for a 1-click automatic solution.

Project See Through

How often have photographers been annoyed by the fact that a pane of glass between them and the object of their desire has unfortunately obscured their view and they have mostly seen their reflection in the photo. Until now, retouching such photos has been difficult or even impossible. With this tool, glass reflections can now be removed and even extracted. In this way, the reflection can even be blended into the image. What the AI achieves in the examples shown borders on witchcraft. To dispel my doubts, I’ll probably have to try it out for myself when the beta phase arrives.

After Effects

Victoria Nece showed us Roto Brush 3 at the IBC, which now works much faster and more effectively with AI support. However, to ensure compatibility with old projects, versions 1 and 2 are still available. The new 3D workspace now also has physically based rendering and environment lights. The workflow with the Advanced 3D Renderer is much smoother than with the Cinema 4D Renderer. However, it is still somewhat difficult to set the lighting conditions so that the render results look really good. This is still easier with the Element 3D plugin. The Glb format works best in the new 3D workflow. Here the textures are imported 1 to 1.

Firefly / Adobe Express

Version 2 of Firefly was also released for Max. In addition to the improved image generation and the higher resolution, it is now also possible to enter negative prompts. You can also influence the style using a library of reference images or even upload your own reference images. And in the photo settings, you can now set the aperture, shutter speed and field of view.

With the Edit menu you can now also use the generative fill and the removal of unwanted elements as in Photoshop, or crop the foreground object. Although the file can then be downloaded as a PNG, the mask that has just been created is not taken into account, but the complete image with background is saved. You can transfer the image directly to the browser version of Adobe Express.
There, however, you must first set the background colour to transparent and then download the cut-out object, this time with the alpha channel.

This is unnecessarily cumbersome and I hope that Adobe will simplify this workflow by the time this article is published. It’s still in the beta stage. Firefly and Express continue to grow together. The web version of Express also features AI image generation, generative fill and background removal. With simple animations in several individually animatable layers and the integration of videos and music, short motion graphics trailers can be created without having to open After Effects. The “Text to template” module is also new. This allows editable templates to be created using text prompts, which can then be easily customised to your own requirements. Design projects can now also be synchronised with Photoshop and Illustrator. For example, Photoshop and Illustrator files can be thrown directly into the browser window. They are then converted by Express into editable templates with layers. With Illustrator files, all vector layers are retained – and the text also remains editable. I have just received the beta update of the mobile version of Express and it is hardly any different from the web version. You can now open files from the mobile version in the web version again and even work in parallel. As you can see, the development of AI integration at Adobe is making huge strides – this helps with brainstorming and makes some time-consuming edits easier.

Illustrator

In the current beta, text to vector graphics is now also possible. This means that even “vector legastics” can generate interesting templates. There is a choice of motif, scene, symbol and pattern in the settings. The generated graphics can also be coloured using the AI-controlled colour selection. the new modelling function also makes it easier to create interactive mock-ups. An image is analysed for its geometric properties and the vector object can then be placed correctly on the surface in terms of perspective.

The image generated with the prompt “SciFi Spaceship Interior with large Monitor” was analysed via the Object>Model>Create menu. The star logo could then be placed on any surface. The preview on the right shows the logo on various mock-ups from the Adobe Stock Library. Live Text Retype Beta can make texts that have already been converted into vectors editable again. The appropriate font is searched for and a suitable one can be selected from a list. In principle, this even works with texts on pixel images. An attempt is also made to reconstruct the background using Generative Fill. Depending on the material, this works more or less well. But it’s still beta. Another new feature is the Smooth tool, which smoothes vector paths automatically or with a slider. In contrast to the simplify tool, peaks are also rounded here.

If you have already read the article in the magazine and are only looking for the code:

DigitalProductionCFX

To stand out on social media, everyone wants Hollywood, of course. That’s why the web is flooded with programmes and templates that supposedly allow you to generate “amazing” videos with just a few clicks. However, the variation options are usually limited and leave little room for creativity. That’s why you quickly realise which “awesome” videos have their origin in a template. If you want to create something really interesting, you have to show a little more “skill”. But you don’t always have to start from scratch.

In DP 01:21 (Inception in After Effects) we already presented some templates by Noel Powell. His latest collection of templates is called “Landscaper” and the name says it all. You can use his Trippy Effects for weird eye-catchers on social media and if you’re looking for interesting title animations that you can’t create with the usual title tools, you’ll be well served with the recently revised Text Effects. The Beasts feature various animated animals, Flags generates quite realistic flags and Glitch helps you shred videos
Videos. If you want to take a look right away: creationeffects.com
The basic structure of Noel’s templates is the same. Everything is packed into an After Effects composition. Here, too, work is carried out using only on-board tools, without the use of external plug-ins. This alone is a lesson in the potential of After Effects, even with the help of scripting.

Landscaper

Neal’s latest template collection is called Landscaper and the name says it all. This template can be used to create animated landscapes. With the help of the 3D layers staggered in the Z-axis, very beautiful parallax effects can be achieved. In addition to the 42 templates that can be modified down to the last detail, there is also a landscape construction kit, as is usual with Creation Effects. Noel has collected countless photos from free image portals and meticulously cut them out. These can be searched in the web browser and then dragged into the project from the local footage library. Noel has produced very clear tutorials to go with them. The included footage library alone, with around 1000 objects consisting of landscapes, mountains, plants and objects, which can of course also be used in other projects, would be worth the purchase. The compositions are very clearly laid out and come with many tips on the workflow. Of course, you shouldn’t expect photorealism. But the templates are well suited for animated illustrations for magazine programmes, backgrounds for virtual studios or video conferences or to spice up PowerPoint presentations.

Flags

What is actually not possible in After Effects, namely animating waving cloths, Noel has managed to do very realistically here with a few tricks. All the parameters of the “waving” can be modified down to the last detail and the flags are truly three-dimensional. There is an extensive collection of flag textures from all countries and of course there is also a pirate flag. The realistic representation is further refined by means of fabric textures. In addition, videos and any other graphic elements can also be used as textures. The appropriate wind and fluttering noises are also included. Due to the many 3D layers, the rendering times are quite high, but even with a lot of expertise in 3D software, such results are difficult to achieve. And the low price of the template of 25 dollars is quickly offset by the labour savings.

Creation Glitch Effects

In DP 03:18 “Creating a glitch title template for Premiere in After Effects” we had a workshop on creating a glitch template. The basis at that time was the extension of a tutorial by Andrew Kramer on Videocopilot.net. In the template, a similar technique was used to some extent, but the topic of glitches is covered here down to the smallest detail. Firstly, there are lots of pre-rendered glitch clips in the footage folder, which are also suitable for keying over in Premiere and are used here in some of the templates. Some of these are actually recorded, but Noel has also created them with the integrated “Glitch Generator”. Here, the fractal noise effect is used to generate glitches in greyscale and colour, which are superimposed in several layers using blending modes. There are also plenty of disturbing sound effects to match.

Creation Title Effects

This somewhat different title generator offers a lot that some expensive plugins cannot. There is something for every taste among the 200 templates. Even if the colour scheme is often a little “American colourful”, everything can be changed to your own taste, including the text, the font and the colours. The headings all have an initial animation. The spectrum ranges from “normal” graphic titles to those that cannot be created with a title programme. These include, for example, texts generated from sand, bubbles or other particles. 3D texts, metal texts with reflections, chalk, chrome, clay, clouds, ice, stone, fire, smoke and much more. For an overview, there is an online video and a PDF showing all 200 title templates.

Creation Trippy Effects

If you want to produce wacky music videos and social media clips, this is the right place for you
exactly the right place. There are not only colourful motion graphics backgrounds, but also very unusual effects. These are particularly suitable for music videos. Colours are played with, videos are melted and covered with jelly. They are also distorted and frozen line by line. However, these spectacular effects, which are created using time remapping and displacement maps, are very computationally intensive.

Conclusion

The tested templates were again a lot of fun. And thanks to Noel’s detailed tutorials, you always learn something new, because he makes no secret of how the templates are built and how they work. What’s more, Noel gives us a 25 per cent discount for our readers on the templates presented.

The code is: DigitalProductionCFX