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Learn how to work with 360 video in Adobe After Effects using the built-in SkyBox Studio by Mettle. Stylize your 360/VR footage in Adobe After Effects by applying or generating seamless effects — formatted specifically for equirectangular footage — without incurring any unwanted artifacts. In this tutorial I'll show you how to create a 360° Video in After Effects using the plugin SkyBox Studio by Mettle. Everyone can follow along with this tutorial by downloading a free trial of SkyBox Studio plugin. In the first part of this tutorial I'll set up a basic 3D scene in After Effects.
In this video tutorial, we explore how you can improve a 360° footage shot with a consumer-grade camera.
Now that 360° cameras have been out for a few years, there are many more consumer-grade options available. (Some popular models include the GoPro Fusion, Samsung Gear 360, Ricoh Theta V, Kodak Orbit 360.) Most consumer-grade 360° cameras cost a few hundred dollars, whereas professional models can start at a few thousand and increase drastically from there.
The quality of consumer models can be hit or miss, but most will at least output 4K 360° video. Visually, a professional 360° camera will almost always give you better results. However, professional-grade cameras can be a hassle on shoots, requiring lots of finesse. I’ve opted to use consumer 360° cameras on quite a few shoots, and in this tutorial, I want to share some tips that can help visually improve the quality of your 360° footage.
Bitrate
Most consumer-grade 360° cameras film 4K video at around 50-60 mbps. This is relatively low for 4K footage. (For example, think “mushy” tree leaves on drone footage, which is often 50 mbps.) There’s not much you can do to change the bitrate in the camera itself, but here are two tips I recommend: film while stationary and stitch the footage manually.
Filming stationary, on a tripod or monopod, will help preserve the detail of the surroundings during recording. Faster movement and quick scene changes will increase the chance for compression artifacts. Also, by stitching the 360 footage manually in a program like Autopano Video Pro or After Effects, you can control the export bitrate for your final video. This helps ensure that you don’t lose any additional detail.
After Effects 360 Video Stitching
360° Photos
Often, the 360° photo quality on consumer cameras will be far superior to the video quality. For example, the Samsung Gear 360 records 4K video, but it actually takes 8K 360° photos. You can use those photos to create a 360° video, overlaying information graphics, music, etc. This can be a great option for client videos and tour 360° videos, where movement isn’t a major factor. (And quite often it is worth the trade-off for the jump in image detail.)
VR Sharpen and VR Color Gradients
Adobe has integrated many VR effects for 360° video into Premiere Pro and After Effects. Two I highly recommend are the VR Sharpen and VR Color Gradients effects. You can use VR Sharpen to add a little more “bite” to your 360° video, if it’s lacking image detail. I recommend a value between 8-16.
Use the VR Color Gradients effect like color lens gels or filters for your 360° footage. You can easily customize the colors, blending modes, and opacity levels. This effect is great for adding a splash of color to flat footage.
Looking for more video tutorials? Check these out.
Charles Yeager (yeagerfilm.com) shows how to create a 360 video in After Effects with SkyBox Studio. He uses 2D keyed footage of himself and composites it within different 360 scenes created entirely in After Effects. He composites his “2D” self within an Element 3D cityscape, and into different virtual 360 rooms built from flat images. He also replicates a weapon scene from the Matrix in 360.
The creative possibilities are endless, and as Charles says, “It’s a great way to start producing 360 content”. There are lots of 360 production tips throughout the tutorial as well.
How to Make a 360 Video Using 2D Footage | After Effects
Charles shoots himself against a portable greenscreen, using a Panasonic GH4.
Charles shows how to builds a 360 scene in After Effects.
Custom view in After Effects shows the same scene.
The keyed 2D footage is placed on top of an E3D Cityscape, and turned into a 360 scene with SkyBox Studio.
Charles breaks down his technique, using a multi-colored 360 cube/scene.
Duran Duran 360 video is built with 2D assets in Ae, using the same technique.
Charles creates a futuristic 360 scene with simple E3D shapes.
Recreates a weapon scene in 360, from The Matrix 1999.
Adobe 360 Video Editor
Charles Yeager is a Filmmaker & Motion Graphics Artist currently residing in Arkansas. His projects have been recognized by Canon, Video Copilot, Vimeo, Filmmaker IQ, No Film School, Film Convert, BOOM Library & Filminute. See his portfolio at yeagerfilm.com.
Mettle Skybox Suite has joined Adobe.
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Mettle Skybox Suite of plugins will be exclusively available as part of your Creative Cloud membership through deep, native integration with Premiere Pro CC and After Effects CC. Adobe Creative Cloud will offer an end to end experience for crafting rich and compelling VR/360 experiences.
360 Video Girl
Learn more – Adobe and Mettle VR: 360 degrees better