to create a real effect on its own is quite easy (as opposed to on set which can be dangerous and expensive). so you could green screen some home made effects. if you do some research on creating cheap explosions and bullet hits that you can do infront of a greenscreen. obviously dont do a big fireball that will set the green screen on fire, but it is good for bullet hits. what sort of after effects do you want

thanks but i dont really have the resources for that. I want to create smoke and also like an electic sort of fireball (as in the type superheroes fire from there hands!!) if you get what i mean.

Rob - UK

as far as 3d software goes, im afraid i dont know much (but there definatly is lots out there). when you say you dont have the resources for what is said, do you mean money, because all you need is:

FOR FIREBALL (for detonating electrically from safe distance)

-green paint (bring a sample of the green screen colour to a paint shop and ask for a small pot of paint in that colour) then paint a brick wall outside. you have your green screen

-go to tesco and buy somthing flamable (white spirit, car windscreen cleaner, anything dirt cheap that says flamable on the back.

-a couple of meters of regular 2 pin wire from hombase (or just get loads of old wires from home and join them together

- an old car battery (you can almost get these for free if you ask for an old used one at your local garage)

-fillament from an old hairdryer (the bit that heats up when electrisity is passed through it)

- 2cm of fuse wire (you can get this from a banger or fireworks, or go to your nearest firworks dealer/creators and ask to buy fuse wire, itl be dirt cheap

CREATING SMOKE

-potassium nitrate (can be found at most gardening centres, its a kind of nutrient for plants)

-coffee creamer

-mix 1 part potassium nitrate and 2 parts cofee creamer with a bit or water, and shape into a cookie shape, then bake it in the over for 1 hour at 250 degrees. now light it with a lighter and it will give of smoke for 3 minuets

the cost of all this really doesnt amount to much and its all you need for the fireball.
im no pyrotchnic expert but i love finding cheap ways of film making.
if you are interested in the cheap method of creating firball, give me you email and ill send you pictured instructions on how to do it

its not money, i dont have the space, plus my neighbours wouldnt like it if i was making fire. As i said i need to make a sort of blue lightning effect. I need the freedom and ability to edit the effect so i wana do it virtually, thanks for the help though

Rob - UK

iv had no experience at all with the sort of software your on about, but i am curious to know how easy it would be to learn and get good at it.

yes so am i, has no one else used any of this software.
Also does anyone know if after effects is avalible cheaper for students and how much it is likely to cost

Rob - UK

quote:

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Originally posted by robmanu7
Also does anyone know if after effects is avalible cheaper for students and how much it is likely to cost

Rob - UK

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Check out this web site for that info http://www.adobe.com/uk/products/aftereffects/
Click on the "HELP ME CHOOSE" button.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

thanks CI, but looking at that it is really too much money for me, shame it looks very good. I guess im back to square one now - looking at after effects alternatives?

Rob - UK

Yep. Making movies can get expensive.

In many cases it's sometimes best to make movies
that don't require lots of special efx at first.

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The aim of an argument or discussion should not be victory, but progress.
Joseph Joubert, essayist (1754-1824)

yes i have done this. My films so far have been written with production in mind, so i have delibrately kept it simple, and have had an idea how i will do stuff. but im at the stage where is seems that by changing what i ideally would like to do because of the limitations in software is affecting the story. Im not trying to be over ambitous or write a film with tonnes of special effects (which is why i dont really wana splash out on AE) but i just wana have a few little things in it. This is why im looking for a cheaper (and obviously more basic) alternative to AE.

Rob - UK

quote:

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Originally posted by robmanu7

This is why im looking for a cheaper (and obviously more basic) alternative to AE.

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Unfortunately, After Effects tends to be regarded as the 'cheap and basic' option in movie effects :). I use eyeon Fusion, which is about four times the price (though I got it in a cheap upgrade deal so it didn't cost me much more than AE would have done at the time).

There are cheaper programs than AE, but I haven't really used them, and they tend to be dedicated to one specific type of effect (e.g. green screen, particle effects, etc).