More Realistic Digital Fire Hands

First off, since everyone keeps mentioning it, the shadow on the wall of my arm is a real shadow projected from a lamp sitting on the ground, not a shadow that I put there which would have taken an unnecessary amount of time to include.
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If you have ever tracked fire to a moving source before and got frustrated because it looked like crap, well it's because the entire fire "video card element" was tracked, meaning that the bottom and top of the fire would move all at once, instantly giving it away that it was fake.

When fire "burns" it burns from down to up, with no regard for the source after it has started combusting. It is the same principle as water coming out of a hose, but instead of buoyantly floating upwards, it falls downwards from gravity, and as long as there is not motion from the source, the path of travel will always be straight (not including other forces like wind, etc).

So I set out to try and emulate that by distorting and morphing video elements of fire as a workaround version to legitimate simulation from a 3D plugin such as FumeFX.
With the help of lots of null objects and expressions, I was able to use the puppet tool to distort the fire as a direct result of tracking what is "burning".

The effect obviously breaks down if I move my hand too much, and the distortion itself isn't exactly what I would call a "super accurate" representation of what fire would do, but it at least RESEMBLES the behavior. I ALSO threw on a displacement map for the "heat wave" effect at the last minute. It didn't need it, but I felt it gave it a little bit of punch.

PS!! If you have seen the Freddiew video where Freddie's hands are on fire and he's showing it off to the guys, that's real. As in that's real fire, not some crazy hyper real tracking and rendering. He coated his hand in a gel that protected his hand from burning. That why it obviously looks way better than this, but using what is out there, this is a really cool trick to do the best you can.

TL:DR - I think I may make a tutorial on how to do it, it's actually not very hard. Would you want a tutorial?
*UPDATE* - I DID make the tutorial!!! It is finished and ready to go, I'm just waiting for the information on when it will be uploaded to https://ae.tutsplus.com

Category:

Film & Animation

Tags:

• Fire hand
• realistic
• representation
• wrenthereaper
• freddiew
• after
• effects
• arson
• motion tracking
• fire hand tutorial
• special effects
• ILM
• Digital Domain
• elemental kombat
• the duel
• talonfx
• aetutsplus
• aetuts+

[jimmynerdbomb37]

Dude awesome shirt where did you get it?

[wrenthereaper]

@jimmynerdbomb37 Thanks! I yeah I love it. It's online somewhere, search for Halo Emile shirt

[zezimine2]

I'd just like to say I think the shadow is a bit off, since the light source is on the hand and not in front of the hand the shadow would not be cast onto the wall but downwards possibly a bit on the wall.

But no matter! Still an awesome effect that I could not have the patience to do, nor to figure out myself! Props to you mate! :D

[wrenthereaper]

@zezimine2 You didn't read the description did you... but thank you.

[Jayronimo123]

@phantombest1220 It was from action essentials 2...read the description and watch the tutorial.

[phantombest1220]

that's no digital fire, that's just a keyed real fire stock footage( I think it's come from Action Essentials 2), I was kinda dissappointed. I really wanna create a realistic fire using digital software, man!

[wrenthereaper]

@windy5883 I have good lights dude. I just didn't feel like using them. This is an effects test man, not a full blown video.

[windy5883]

@wrenthereaper Or invest in better lighting for your next video.

[mandiocaralada]

fantastic. I've been waint for something like this for years.