Alternative to Adobe After Effects?

[ssalim]

Hi,

I want to add some 'effects' to my movies. Is Adobe After Effects the only software?
What's the alternative? (preferably cheaper)

Thanks.

[edDV]

Show us your story board.

[ssalim]

What's a story board?

[edDV]

Your production plan including the effects you are trying to create.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storyboard
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~ricky/etec/storyboarding.html

A bunch of examples
http://images.google.com/images?client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:eek:fficial&cha...-8&sa=N&tab=wi

http://www.everythingesl.net/downloads/storyboard.pdf

Effects Intro:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special_effects

[guns1inger]

First, and what edDV was possibly trying to point out in part, none of these packages have a 'make special effects" button. For the most part, they don't come with built-in laser beams and explosions, and they generally have quite a learning curve.

That said, from cheap to expensive, some alternatives include

Wax 2 from Debugmode (free)
Jahshaka (free)
Particle Illusion (US$200 - 300)
Effects Lab (US$100 - 1000)
Digital Fusion (US$5000)
Shake
Nuke
Inferno

Effects Lab is probably worth a look, as it has a large library of free effects you can download after purchase for explosions, muzzle flashes etc. It is also a lot more versatile that Particle Illusion, which is really just a glorified particle emitter. The rest get very expensive (and very complex) very quickly. Digital Fusion is a favourite of mine. After Effects has the largest range of plugins and add-ons by far, and Inferno is something you don't buy, you lease time on it (with an operator) - unless you have a huge budget.

[edDV]

The idea is to plan what you want to do and then select the best software to do it. We can point you to something to start if you tell us your goals.

[guns1inger]

Practical, logical, and a foreign method to most people. You are far too sensible, edDV.

[ssalim]

OK, I've heard of Jahsaka or whatever.

Now, all I want is something simple... for example, have some butterflies fly around...
have some flowers drop from above... etc.

Would Jahsaka do it?

[guns1inger]

Particle Illusion would do this easily, and probably already has emitters for it.

But few of these programs are just pick and run. You have to spend some time with them.

[ssalim]

Geez, Particle Illusion is $200-$300 you said.
How about Jahshaka? Is it harder or can't do this?

[ssalim]

I looked at Particle Illusion and Effects Lab.
They are kind of expensive for small stuff that I plan to learn...

Would Jahshaka be able to do this job?

Thanks.

[guns1inger]

Download it a play - it won't cost you anything but time.

WAX2 is also free and worth a look.

With either of these - save often

[edDV]

Effects are a skill like painting. You need to learn how to use the tools if you want to be any good.

Painting by the numbers (e.g. push button canned effects) is one way to go but you have learned nothing and created nothing that thousands of others have by pushing the same button. You are using someone's canned effect.

Is your goal to learn this stuff or play?

When you say "After Effects" one would assume you want to learn something.

[guns1inger]

I have long since stopped believing that anyone who asks a question like

I want to add some 'effects' to my movies. Is Adobe After Effects the only software?

when they have obviously put no effort into research first, are interested in actually learning how software works. They want a quick fix, canned answer. Particle Illusion and the like provide just that. Anything else generally takes too much effort and they bail on the project before it is done.

If they are serious, they will have done some research first, and have some idea about what they really want to achieve, and will ask specific questions. Google really isn't that hard to use.

[ssalim]

My goal is to play.
So then it would be Particle Illusion?

What else?

Thank you for your answer

[lordsmurf]

none of these packages have a 'make special effects" button..

It's on the double-secret menu, right next to the "restore video" button and "turn download into HD-DVD quality" button.