AFTER EFFECTS
3D World Editor Rob Redman shows you how to build the storytelling in your scenes with dramatic rainstorm effects
Adding atmospheric effects to your renders can be something of a challenge, both in terms of your workflow and speed. You can use volumetrics for creating fog and mist, or particles for rain and so on, but that might not always be the best solution.
You can of course add rain this way and there are benefits like true depth in the scene, although this comes at the expense of slower rendering times and a much longer workflow, as well as dealing with bigger file sizes. If the rain is a key component of your narrative then that may be an acceptable price, but in many cases it’s a background element that’s there to give a sense of the environment; subtle and less in need of total realism.
Adobe After Effects can be used for this task in a multitude of different ways, but it has a neat plugin for adding rain rather quickly and with a good level of finish, although it needs a little more than just adding to your plate. For this kind of task it can be worth spending a little extra time tweaking and adding layers for depth, but all in all it’s a fast process and renders quickly. All it takes is a few masks and simple adjustments to the rainfall plugin and you’re golden – unlike your scene’s weather.
Throw in some rain sound effects to add to the atmosphere and you can be done in just a few minutes, so follow along with me over the next couple of pages to discover how you can add some precipitation to your renders quickly and easily.
01 NEW PROJECT SETTINGS
First up you need to get a project going. For this example I’m going 1920x1280 at 24 fps. Keep in mind that if you use a different resolution you may need to adjust your rain size (in the Rainfall effect, not your layer). Once you have a project, create a new comp by hitting Ctrl+’N’. I chose to have it five seconds long, but you can make it any length as needed for your footage. I’m actually using a still image and this is a great tool for adding a little life to a single frame.
02 A
