Graphics and Compositing Articles

• Green Screen / Chroma Keying
• Mattes
• Time Remapping
• Titles

• Adobe After Effects Tutorial: A Flock of Particles
  May, 2009
  by Brian Peterson
  Tutorial on how to use After Effects Particle Playground to create animations. Particles can do more than just add sparkle to an effect. You can use them...
• Motion Graphics & Animation Software Buyer's Guide
  April, 2009
  by Tony Bruno
  Computer animation has come a long way. Today, 3D animation software & 2D animation software are being combined to create complex title sequences.
• How to Use Adobe After Effects & Photoshop to Create the Line-Map Animation Effect
  April, 2009
  by Brian Peterson
  Videomaker's tutorial on how to use Adobe After Effects and Photoshop to show your travels by creating a line-moving-through-a-map animation effect.
• Editing Simple Compositing
  January, 2009
  by Morgan Paar
  Everyone loves to be awed by movie magic, and you can bedazzle your audience using our simple compositing tips that reveal the Secret of See Through Layers…
• Tutorial Rotoscoping: fix goofs, change virtual sets, or make your hero fly
  January, 2009
  by Paul Del Vecchio
  How to fix on-set goofs, change virtual sets, or make your action heroes fly through the air amidst gunfire, snowflakes, or magic dust. Rotoscoping is one of…
• Tutorial - Making Realistic Muzzle Flashes
  August, 2008
  by Paul Del Vecchio
  Stop, or I'll Shoot! Have you ever wanted to have a gun in your film? What about a cool action scene with guns blazing, people running, dishes exploding and…
• Tutorial: Burning Down The House
  April, 2008
  by Paul Del Vecchio
  In today's films, it seems everywhere you look you see Visual FX. Visual FX are powerful tools when used correctly, but they are often frowned upon when they're…
• The Craft of Family History Videos: Making Classics Out of Clutter
  December, 2007
  by Jeanne Rawlings
  We treasure our memories, but we can be easily overwhelmed. Fearlessly dive into your archives and uncap your camera lens for the holidays to create a video…
• Timeline: Cookin' with Keyframes
  September, 2007
  by Morgan Paar
  Cookin' with Keyframes
• Video Editing : A Titillating Tickler on Titling
  February, 2007
  by Morgan Paar
  Quick, open your titler, choose a trendy font and color, then type some words and position it on the screen; done. But there is more, much more, to titles than…
• Video Editing : The Ghosts of Edits yet to Be
  October, 2006
  by Bill Davis
  Time to dim the lights and tell ghost stories. Our Editorial Department demonstrates some techniques on putting some spook into your videos.
• Video Editing : Better Composites in 8 Layers
  January, 2006
  by Bill Davis
  Though more of an art than a science, there are a handful of tried and true techniques in compositing that can help convey your message.
• Tools For the Creative Digital Artist
  October, 2005
  by George Furukawa
  Whether you're making movies, or corporate videos, in a virtual production world, having the right video effects are nowadays as important as acquiring that…
• Video Editing : Using Still Photos in Video
  July, 2005
  by Bill Davis
  The Civil War not only changed American history forever, but it changed the future world of video editing.
• Basic Training: The (Alien) Sky's the Limit!
  March, 2005
  by Kyle Cassidy
  Your color creation palette is limited only to the imagination when you understand how to use the simple video filters in your editing software.
• Bringing Pixels to Life
  March, 2005
  by Hal Robertson
  A Guide to Animation Software.
• Video Editing : Tips for Editing Montages
  February, 2005
  by Bill Davis
  When random pictures come together to create a single compelling collection.
• Video Editing: Composites: The Key to Success
  September, 2004
  by Joe McCleskey
  The best way to create effective video composites is to understand video effects.
• Video Editing: What Makes DVDs Go 'Round
  August, 2004
  by Marshal Rosenthal
  Tips for authoring DVD menus.
• Jargon: Computer Video Editing Terms
  June, 2004
  by Charles Fulton
  Computer Video Editing Terms
• Video Editing from Start to Finish, Part 3 of 4
  June, 2004
  by Bill Davis
  A Four Part Videomaker Series. Part 3: Graphic It! Making the effects that are oh so cool!
• Animation Software
  May, 2004
  by Charles Fulton
  Animation software is becoming more inexpensive and widely available.
• DV Chromakeys
  April, 2004
  by Michael Kuhlman
  How to get smooth, clean keys like the pros.
• Editing: Making Moving Titles
  November, 2003
  by Bill Davis
  Create basic motion graphics with your editor's timeline.
• Editing: Layering Video
  September, 2003
  by Bill Davis
  Creating composite effects.
• Editing: Using Stock Footage
  August, 2003
  by Bill Davis
  Stock footage can save you both time and money.
• Secrets of Video Training: We Betray the Instructional Designer's Guild
  July, 2003
  by Jim Stinson
  Developing a training video is a straightforward process--if you know the techniques of professional instructional designers.
• Alphas Made Transparent
  May, 2003
  by Pat Bailey
  An understanding of alpha channels is essential for both beginning and expert video editors.
• Take 5: Five Quick-n-Dirty Composite Effects
  January, 2003
  by Chuck Peters
  Use transitions to create these easy effects on almost any editing system.
• Shooting for Video Graphics
  December, 2002
  by Dr. Robert G. Nulph
  Will your video include graphics and on-screen identifiers? It's important to shoot with your graphics in mind.