{"id":89651,"date":"2021-12-10T09:52:21","date_gmt":"2021-12-10T15:52:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=89651"},"modified":"2022-03-30T13:23:10","modified_gmt":"2022-03-30T18:23:10","slug":"add-volumetric-lighting-after-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/add-volumetric-lighting-after-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Add Volumetric Lighting in After Effects Without a 3rd-Party Plugin"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Add realistic volumetric lighting elements to your footage with this easy-to-use technique in After Effects.<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

I find that light rays are the one<\/em> visual element that will enhance any composition. While cinematographers<\/a> almost always capture the effect in-camera, you can also achieve the look in After Effects. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

You can use Red Giant’s Trapcode Shine<\/a> to add realistic volumetric light<\/a> to most scenes quite easily. The plugin itself is only $79 a month, as it’s included in the Red Giant<\/a> complete subscription package. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

However, if you’re on a budget<\/a> and need to trim expenses, that isn’t an ideal surplus cost to incur every month. Instead, you can use this technique in After Effects without a third-party plugin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before we jump into After Effects, let me stress the importance of a visible light source in the shot. The digital version of this effect doesn’t work well if there’s no obvious light source.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Creating a streak of light is easier than you might imagine. It only takes a few simple tweaks with a solid color layer. You may also encounter three initial problems when creating digital light rays in After Effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n