… for Apple Motion

Tip #1424: Lights Can Help 2D Video

Larry Jordan – LarryJordan.com

Motion lights can be colored and shaped to resemble actual lights, not simply colors.

One of the most powerful, but little known, features in Apple Motion are its lights. These can benefit video clips in ways you might not expect.

For example, look at this shot from the film “Route 30, Too!”, directed by John Putch. The top image was the actual shot.

The bottom image applies a dark blue ambient light to change the time to late evening, while an amber spotlight creates the illusion of a porch light illuminating the hair and body of the actor.

The ability to use lights to create lighting shapes and colors that resemble bare bulbs, or spot lights, or lighting fixtures give us much more creative flexibility with key scenes than we could get with Final Cut alone.

Here’s a webinar that covers this in more detail.