An after effects reel to show some effects I did that would otherwise, hopefully, go unnoticed. There’s another reel coming which is a bit tamer. This one’s not for the faint hearted.

It’s not a tutorial reel on after effects, maybe a little bit. Basically it’s all compositing—masks, color grading, motion tracking, motion blur, blending modes, some kinetic typography, and such—with real life elements in a way that is not too obtrusively an effect; because I could have gone all-out here. Just look at Sneeze or the start of my After Effects Medley and you’ll see what what I’m getting at. Though I’m calling this part Guns & Gore, the gore is actually tamed down to look realistic rather than, well, splatter.

Having watched this you might think, why so meticulous if no one notices? Well, I guess it’s a love for the craft. Mind you, I fully understand Robert Rodriguez’ argument for what you can get away with in his Anatomy of a Shootout. I mention this because I ripped of the name here, and because Rodriguez is awesome in his work and DVD extra’s. I’d love to do an action sequence where I can create such mayhem that all thought of set continuity can fly out the window with some of the cast.

However unobtrusive and quick, I hope the effects laid bare in this clip do resonate in their original content, if not by grossing people out then by subconsciously adding to the feel of the scene. This clip might actually even help the faint of heart get over the gore by ‘spelling it out’, so on second thought maybe they should watch it.

Let it be known that I can’t stand watching the real thing, there is a difference. I remember the olden days where at some point I ended up with some friends putting in a video of Faces of Death. That crap just got etched on my retina. I walked away, it was absolutely horrible. This stuff in contrast is fun and essentially just an effect; I was brought up with a dad ‘spelling out’ to me the waste of ketchup in films, and to me that always created an enjoyable distance to blood and gore in films. Sticking to that thought, I tried to make this clip fun to watch.

Not all effects were used, but they were created for Sam, de film and NNT’s Kappen met Kunstkortingen.

I did several visual effects for this USVA Videocollective production. I don’t have much time these days for being on set, what with two young children these days. Glad to be of some use in postproduction. This is the trailer but you can watch the entire film here at DISEASTER.

This is the accompanying text from the Vimeo site:

A black comedy with fantasy horror elements about an Easter Bunny who returns as a zombie after being shot by a carrot hunter and sprinkled with poison. His family, and especially his hypersensitive son Timmie, try to counter this vengeful freak of nature.
Warning: the makers of this movie had serious fun!
paashaat.nl

Written and directed by Boki Mekel, director of photography and editing Arno Cupédo, make up and special effects by Walter van der Munnik, visual effects by Joep Veldhuis & Frank Boxman, sound and music by Gijs van Veldhuizen & Bouke Mekel,
starring Jean Paul Oeuf, Jérôme Meijer, Maria Magniet and Joe Veldhuis.

In deze fantastische en grondige herinterpretatie van allerhande Paas- en haasmythes staat de ontworteling van een disfunctionerende familie centraal. Groningstalige gedachtenspinsels van een gehandicapte zoon, over het rustieke plattelandsleven met zijn ouders, leiden een oerhard en absurd wraakverhaal in dat in dertig minuten alle kanten opvliegt.
paashaat.nl

Teaser of an upcoming USVA videocollective production. Shot in 2008, and pickups in may 2009. This clip was the first sequence shot for the flick.
Basically, the film was conceived and shot in one weekend, except for the pickups.
Postproduction takes a bit more time when you become a dad twice in a row and start your own company
Runtime will be about 9 minutes.

I used a videocopilot tutorial as basis for the visual effects and motion graphics for the titles, done in After Effects.

There’s also been a trailer out there for a while now which I put together with Joep Veldhuis:

Not a showreel but a medley. Created when I still used a seperate name for the Dutch Market: Strak In Beeld (ie: Tight Shots, or something like that).

These are my explorations and more of After Effects uses in motion graphics and visual effects, ending in a before and after sequence.

Don’t let the thumbnail scare you; the sporadic splatter is totally harmless.

One of two toilet-films that we shot in two small groups at the USVA videocollective in about an hour’s time. Same basic location and making multiple edits was the idea. One horror, one comedy. This one’s not from my group but it’s my edit. After Effects was involved. Another edit of this one – called Sound Attack – can be found here.

The comic toilet flick is called ‘Blowjob’ and can be found here on the site.

I did the score in Garageband and used it for both toilet films. It fit.