From the book
Adding a reflection
The masked image looks convincing, but you can make it look even more realistic by adding a reflection to the monitor.
- Choose Layer > New > Solid.
In the Solid Settings dialog box, name the layer Reflection, click the Make Comp Size button, change the Color to white, and then click OK.
Instead of trying to exactly re-create the shape of the office_mask layer’s mask, it is easier to copy it to the Reflection layer.
- Select the office_mask layer in the Timeline panel, and press the M key to display the Mask Path property for the mask.
- Select Mask 1, and then choose Edit > Copy or press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac OS).
Select the Reflection layer in the Timeline panel, and then choose Edit > Paste or press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac OS).
This time, you want to keep the area inside the mask opaque and make the area outside the mask transparent.
- Select the office_mask layer, and then press U to hide the mask properties.
- Select the Reflection layer in the Timeline panel, and press the M key to reveal the Mask 1 Mask Path property for the layer.
- Deselect the Inverted option. The Reflection layer now obscures the news_promo layer.
- Zoom in to see the screen, and then select the Selection tool (
). In the Composition panel, select the lower-right vertex of the Reflection layer’s mask, and drag it toward the upper-left
corner of the mask.
- Adjust the other vertices and direction handles until your shape resembles the figure on the right.
- With the Reflection layer selected in the Timeline panel, press the F key to display the Mask Feather property for the mask.
Increase the Feather amount to 90, 90 pixels.
This creates an apparent reflection on the monitor, but because of the layers’ stacking order, the reflection spills onto the whole shot.
- Select the Reflection layer in the Timeline panel, and drag it below the office_mask layer.
- With the Reflection layer selected, press T to reveal its Opacity property.
- Reduce the Opacity value to 65% to reduce the intensity of the reflection.
- Press T to hide the Opacity property, and then press F2, or click an empty area in the Timeline panel, to deselect all layers.
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Applying a blending mode
To create unique interactions between layers, you may want to experiment with blending modes. Blending modes control how each layer blends with, or reacts to, layers beneath it. Blending modes for layers in After Effects are identical to blending modes in Adobe Photoshop.
- In the Timeline panel menu, choose Columns > Modes to display the Mode pop-up menu.
Choose Add from the Reflection layer’s Mode pop-up menu.
This creates a hard glare on the monitor screen image and boosts the colors underneath.
- Choose File > Save to save your work.
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