For this assignment, we were tasked with creating a visual effects sequence that challenges viewers’ perception of reality and evokes moments of wonder, disbelief, or cognitive dissonance. We were encouraged to use stock footage, personal footage, or to film new material specifically for the project.
I explored several possible directions for this project during the ideation phase. Early ideas ranged from integrating a video game into the real world to a character interacting with an object that grants vision into unseen worlds. Regardless of the narrative, however, I knew I wanted to push myself to work further with 3D within After Effects. While After Effects’ 3D capabilities are currently fairly rudimentary without expensive third-party plugins, I was interested in seeing how far I could push the software through experimentation and creative problem-solving.
Challenges and Process
My initial concept involved a character encountering an altered, almost magical everyday object. Interacting with it would transport them to a vast, otherworldly space containing an ancient monolith that felt alive. After researching techniques, watching tutorials, and revisiting films featuring surreal alien monoliths (Arrival being a major inspiration), I decided to pivot. Rather than sending the character elsewhere, I took on the challenge of bringing the alien object into our world: an unfamiliar presence arriving on Earth, interacting with a person, levitating them, and ultimately taking or merging with them.
Humans, as it turns out, cannot levitate (sorry to lift the veil, David Blaine), and planning a shoot around that limitation was one of the project’s first major challenges. While I could have used the university’s green screen studio in the Cove, I wanted to maintain consistent outdoor lighting and wardrobe across all shots, and it still didn’t really solve how I would be able to get a shot of myself with my feet dangling mid air.
In a previous critique, a classmate introduced me to DaVinci Resolve’s Magic Mask, and I decided to experiment with integrating Resolve further into my workflow. The levitation sequence is constructed from two separate shots composited: one of my torso and arms reacting as if suspended in midair, and another of my feet dangling from monkey bars at a playground close to my apartment (the things we do as creatives). Both shots were captured under proper lighting conditions. Magic Mask then enabled me to key these elements without a green screen, though I still had to manually reintroduce details (such as snow on my boots) that were lost during the keying process.
Working with 3D models in After Effects introduced additional limitations. While the software allows models to be imported and lit, it provides limited control for directly applying effects to the model itself. Much of the visual treatment had to be achieved through pre-compositions and adjustment layers. When it comes to altering the model in more advanced ways, such as texturing or model manipulation, After Effects is not there yet.
Compositing the alien object convincingly into live‑action footage was initially difficult, particularly when balancing 3D lighting within a fundamentally 2D compositing space, but I believe I was successful. Movement required careful attention: aligning angles, adjusting speed and scale, and maintaining consistent lighting to sell the illusion. Some shots were handheld and contained significant camera movement and rotation, which I addressed (sometimes imperfectly) using After Effects’ tracking tools. By analyzing the footage, applying tracking data to a null object, and parenting the 3D model to it, I was able to anchor the object more convincingly within the scene. I then attempted further stabilization within DaVinci Resolve where necessary.
Additional effects played a key role in grounding the object in reality. Smoke trails helped integrate the model as it moved through clouds or rapidly through the air, while light bursts and lens flares emphasized its smooth, reflective surface as it caught the light of the environment. I also emulated camera focus using fast box blurs on adjustment layers (applied to both the footage and the 3D object) to match or create shifts in focus, enhancing depth by blurring foreground or background elements accordingly.
Music was equally important in shaping the final piece. A dramatic, suspenseful score reinforced the sense of mystery and scale surrounding the alien monolith, guiding the emotional tone and amplifying the sense of awe I intended the sequence to convey.
Reflection
Through this project, I gained a clearer understanding of both the possibilities and constraints of creating visual effects within After Effects. Working within certain technical limitations required me to be more intentional in my planning and more creative in my execution. I was also reminded of the importance of subtlety - small details in lighting, motion, focus, and sound ultimately do far more to sell an effect working together than any single dramatic element can do on its own.
Most importantly, this project reinforced my interest in visual effects as a problem-solving process. Each challenge became an opportunity to experiment, adapt, and refine my workflow. “Departure” represents not only an exploration of the unknown within the narrative but also my own process of pushing beyond what I initially believed was possible with the tools available to me.
