VFX Tip: AI Photoshop Generative Fill + After Effects

Combine After Effects with the Lockdown plugin and Photoshop’s AI Generative Fill to create stunning VFX Shots

This tutorial from aescripts is specifically designed for VFX artists, offering valuable insights into the new remarkable AI Generative Fill feature inside the new beta version of Photoshop. In the tutorial you’ll see how to generate VFX assets with Photoshop and composite them into live action footage in After Effects using the Lockdown plugin. Here’s a summary of the process:

“Let’s explore how this feature can be utilized to add a lighthouse to a given shot. The process begins with tracking the shot and identifying two points at the top of the hill. Since the lighthouse will appear above the hill, expansion points are created to align with the track points. For detailed instructions, artists are encouraged to refer to any Lockdown tutorial for further guidance.

The next step involves employing the lockdown technique. Whatever is placed within the stabilized pre-comp, such as a simple lighthouse sketch, will be accurately tracked onto the original shot. By sending this stabilized frame to Photoshop and removing the content in the bottom layer, a still frame of the footage is generated.

Adjusting the opacity to maximum ensures its complete visibility in Photoshop. A new solid layer is created, and utilizing the Paint Link feature, the frame is sent to Photoshop. The background layer is selected, and a selection is made in the desired area for the lighthouse. Opting for a traditional New England Style Lighthouse, the lighthouse and parts of the ground that appear satisfactory are selected while the excess is deleted. The PSD is updated with the changes made using Paint Link. Finally, all unnecessary layers in the stabilized pre-comp are disabled, seamlessly integrating the lighthouse into the shot.”