Tilt Shift Effect in After Effects

Introduction

• Sponsored by Storyblocks
• Tutorial on creating tilt shift effect in After Effects
• Multiple examples with different challenges
• Techniques to make footage more cinematic, including chromatic aberration without plugins
• Encourage viewers to like and subscribe

Creating the Tilt Shift Effect

• Main Effect: Camera Lens Blur
  • Apply Camera Lens Blur to footage
  • Default blurs entire image uniformly
  • Utilize the Blur Map section to shape blur with gradients

Steps to Create Depth Map

1. Create a Shape Layer:
   • Use rectangle tool to create a rectangle the size of composition
   • Set fill to linear gradient (white to black)
   • White = out of focus, black = in focus
2. Align Gradient to Scene:
   • Adjust gradient to align with horizon, ensuring focus aligns with subject
   • Use linear gradient to control depth of field (shallow depth creates miniaturized look)

Fine-Tuning Blur

• Adjust blur radius (small adjustments can yield dramatic results)
• Use depth map layer to accurately control focus and blur areas

Example: New York City Shot

• More complex scene with multiple planes
• Need to create accurate depth map for each plane:
  • Draw shapes matching planes using Pen Tool
  • Each shape should have a gradient where
    • White = furthest away, black = closest
  • Duplicate and adjust shapes for all visible planes in the scene

Pre-composing Depth Map

• Pre-compose depth layers to create a complete depth map
• Apply Camera Lens Blur with the new depth map

Additional Techniques

• Vibrance Effect: Add before Camera Lens Blur for enhanced saturation
• Bokeh Control:
  • Adjust iris properties for more natural bokeh effects
  • Modify roundness and aspect ratio for cinematic feel

Generating Depth Maps with Photoshop

• Use Photoshop's Neural Filters to create depth map:
  • Copy frame from After Effects to Photoshop
  • Enable depth blur filter and output depth map
  • Bring depth map back into After Effects for more accurate results

Using Third-Party Tools

• Introduce Depth Scanner plugin for generating depth maps quickly and accurately
• Show examples of generating depth maps in real-time with various shots

Enhancing Cinematic Quality

• Adjust aspect ratio for a more cinematic widescreen look (2.35:1)
• Apply Lumetri Color for color grading
• Use adjustment layers for vignetting and overall image effects

Conclusion

• Review of techniques demonstrated
• Encourage viewers to tag and share their projects
• Reminder to like and subscribe for more tutorials
• Thank Storyblocks and patrons for support
• Sign off with an invitation for comments and questions