Creating a dreamy look
by karenin
on
Nov 8, 2006 at 3:32:03 pm
I'm looking for a way to create a slighty soft-focus/etheral/dreamy look in AE 6.5. So far I've experimented a little with radial blur, but I'm looking for any suggestions as to specific techniques/effects. The client doesn't want to rent any filters, so it looks like we're going to have to make it work in post. Thanks for the help.
Re: Creating a dreamy look by Steve Roberts on Nov 8, 2006 at 4:07:45 pm
Duplicate the layer, then blur the upper copy. Change its transfer mode to "screen", or experiment by cycling through the modes by hitting shift+ or shift-. Also, experiment with blurs, opacities, curves and levels applied to the top (or bottom) layer. Maybe add one of the distort filters such as optics compensation.
Re: Creating a dreamy look by mark harvey on Nov 8, 2006 at 4:31:15 pm
Go with Steve's idea, but to this I would add a white solid layer. Apply an oval mask and set the mask to subtract. Add a feather to the mask.
Next, set the white layer's transfer mode to add or screen.
Add the turbulent displacement filter, adjust the properties to taste and animate. This will give you a nice organic mask.
Duplicate the white layer and close visibility of lower of two.
On the top white layer bring the transparency down (maybe around 40-50).
Create a new adjustement layer and add gaussian blur and set to around 15 (adjust to taste). Drop this layer between the two white layers in the timeline.
Set the adjustement layer to use the white layer as a track matte.
For the turbulent displace, you will want to play around with: the amount, the size and the complexity. You will animate the evolution.
