My latest VFX project involved delving deeper into the manipulation of 3d objects in After Effects: In the screenshot below you can see the final piece, which was created by manipulating the “Magnetic North” vector image in 3D space, adding lights and various adjustments along the way:
The final piece seen here was fairly straightforward to create: I created a 3D layer of the logo, and created a “floor” using a 3D solid colour layer. I then added a point light source behind the logo and set it up to cast shadows properly, with another spot light used in front of the logo to soften these shadows. The final stage involved setting up an adjustment layer with a zoom and colour correction effect, as well as a simple circular colour layer, which is set not to cast shadows so the light passes through it.
Overall I think the final product is quite aesthetically pleasing, though I feel I could add a bit more in the way of effects, such as wave forms, to show off my abilities and experiment with the different presets available in After Effects.
Matthew Barrett 