In this episode of Red Giant TV, I’ll shows you how to re-create the Music-to-Light effect (seen last season on Heroes), using Trapcode Particular 2. This is a deep exploration of the extremely powerful Aux System in Particular.

Watch the tutorial on RGTV

I was immediately struck by the incredible textures found all over the island. Not to turn the day into a texture exploration, I snapped a just few decent photos in an attempt to post a collection of textures from the walls of this near century-old San Francisco prison.

I shot more stuff, but you’ll see that turning up elsewhere.

Download the textures here

Dear visitors and loyal fans,

As many of you well know, my current professional career is split between two distinct sides of the same coin. One one side, I mostly spend my days working as a freelance motion designer. This has garnered many memorable experiences of working with tremendously talented people — from my roots, working with the unrelenting post-production and design professionals of Detroit, to Digital Kitchen in Chicago’s cold winter, and on to great studios like Blur Studio here in sunny LA. From National Geographic, to NBC, to TV Land, I’ve seen all the nooks and crannies of the life that a motion designer can see. But I’ve reached a point where adding one more big name isn’t going to improve anything for me, especially my happiness.

On that other side of the coin, I’ve been involved with communities that focus on learning, sharing, connecting and growing as a motion designer and visual effects artist. Graymachine and The Motion Exchange have been very personal endeavors of mine, and I have thoroughly enjoyed learning and growing, side-by-side with you.

When I study the two sides of my career coin, it is now obvious what has always brought me more joy. I’ve learned that happiness is not found along the path of making reality show graphics, sizzle reels, or commercials for sugar water. It is not found in the daily stress of courting new clients, while trying to get existing clients to pay their overdue invoices, while juggling three jobs that are all over budget. It is not found in a job where last minute changes and late nights that keep me from reading my son a bedtime story.

I’ve only been bestowed a small number of gifts in life, among them my wonderful wife and awesome little boy. But, another is my ability to understand the ambiguous, imagine the creative, and bridge the two together. I’m somehow also able to put this process into words for others to understand. But I fear, if I continue to use my talents to create cultural pollution for television, I’ll have little to show as a legacy for myself, nor will I feel like I’ve done much good with my time on this planet. Nearing my 37th year on Earth, it’s time to make a change.
In short, I am largely leaving the world of freelance motion design. I am proud to announce that I will be joining Red Giant Software on a full-time basis. Since this career epiphany hit me last Fall, I had been determined to find a partner that sees eye-to-eye with what I want to accomplish in my career, and support what I value in life. I am so grateful to have been working with this great company for years, and I am humbled to be extended an invitation to join them.
In partnering with RGS, my efforts will be focused on helping you find the right tool or idea for your next job, film or project. And no other company represents this set of artistic set of tools more completely, especially with what we have collectively planned for 2010.  I’m excited to share this new opportunity with you. So, follow me, and I will continue to do what I do here — help others — without the hurried pressure to “get back to work.”

So what does this mean for graymachine?

It means more time to devote to what made graymachine a useful resource for the community in the first place. You’ll see more tutorials, free content, templates and news. But, instead of just seeing it here,  you’ll see it in other places too. You might see some products become exclusive to RGS, and new products mostly be for RGS. But, honestly… how often has something I’ve done NOT centered around Red Giant products?

So, stick around and you’ll see great things. Until then, talk to you soon!

Harry

Introducing Trapcode Particular Presets: Holiday

Red Giant and I got together for a bit of holiday cheer this season. They had an idea to create some festive and useful compositions for the holiday seasons. With time of the essence as the holiday lights are already burning full throttle, I quickly turned around a set of 55 AE CS3 compositions featuring a mix of motion backgrounds, reveals, type compositions, using a number of AE and 3D pre-rendered elements.

Visit Red Giant Software to check out the package

This started as an experiment on my part, and I thought over a week I might have 100 members. But, here it is day #2 and this is approaching 400 members already.

Learn how to use Spline Wrap and Sketch and Toon to create flowing drop shapes. This is actually an old tutorial that held off on publishing until this  job was well in the can.

The long awaited follow up to my old “Grunge Tutorial”. Learn how to use multiple nulls and parenting to simplify an otherwise complex camera move. Then use Particular and some additional effects to dress up the scene.

Download the project here

This is a tutorial showing some trick I’ve been using lately, creating an edge glow effect on 3D surfaces. I first used this on some Cinema 4D renders on the TV Land spot here: graymachine.com/2009/10/tv-land-prime-feels-good/ and really liked the effect.

In the example here, I am using 3D Invigorator, something more people are probably familiar with.

For more info, check out the Video Rock library

Learn how to use Fractal Noise to create a textured fade on a layer in After Effects. Then add some more effects and elements to finish up the title effect.

This was a two minute animation that I worked on at Blur Studio. Over the course of two weeks, a team of 4 of us cranked out the design, illustration and animation for this piece. Myself and freelancer Andrew Hildebrand of subpixel.tv brought the various hand drawn animations to life via After Effects and Cinema 4D.

Light the World with Firefox

“Video Rock” is an awesome new DVD library of pre-rendered QuickTime elements and still images set in a vintage style.

The promo is produced with elements and templates straight out of the library! *

*Except for the awesome whooshy text that I did in Zaxwerks ProAnimator at the beginning.

The DVD or download includes 12 After Effects templates, but the elements are useful for motion designers and editors alike. Use it with any QuickTime compatible application like Final Cut, Premiere, Avid Media Composer and more. It’s also PERFECT for particle systems like Trapcode Particular.

• Over 200 QuickTime and still image elements
• Movie transition and loop points
• Primitives, Sketches, Doodle, Lighting, Background images and more
• PDF gallery
• 12 After Effects CS3 Templates @1920×1080

Questions? Check out the FAQs/Support page

Video Rock DOWNLOAD | Price: $84.99

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Video Rock DVD Hard Copy | Price: $84.99 + S&H

Now watch the a full length copy of lesson 1 in the After Effects Expressions series!  This lesson covers an introduction to expressions and quickly dives into useful examples of how to use them in your workflow.

Targeted at the designer, this series teaches you how to use expressions in every day projects. This series has quickly become the go-to place to efficiently learn After Effects Expressions! Includes all project files and a Quick Reference PDF to aid in learning.

DOWNLOAD ONLY | $49.99 (3 hours)