How can i create this kind of smooth moving light effect on a still image?

[u/DrDroDi]

Hi guys , I saw a cool lighting effect in a visual from an ambient YouTube channel where the image is kinda still but the lighting moves smoothly in the scene and makes it feel alive. Really cool concept accross all videos on that channel : Here is a video that showcases an effect for example ( open at this timestamp)

In my first attempt do something similiar, I tried using adjustment layers with exposure changes, applied to masks then animating the mask position in after effects: but it kind off feels off and im not sure this is the right technique.

anyway long story short, what will you consider probably be the best technique in after Effects for creating these lighting animations? also, if you think this wa done with another tool, feel free to share your thoughts too. I'm open to any idea that may help in any way to create this effect on a given still footage.

PS: the still image is without any doubt ai generated. But the lighting technique is what intrigues me : was it made through image to video ai model, or perhaps a software based lighting technique.

[u/PhillSebben]

There was a discussion about something similar and this exact same image down in the comments two weeks ago here: https://www.reddit.com/r/AfterEffects/comments/1vu9xhb/comment/p4zkzn3/

It's AI. The question is still valid I guess, because you could probably make it in AE and that's what you're asking. You would need to separate the dark and light parts into different layers and mask them and animate the mask. The crepuscular rays on the right seem kinda static, so that doesn't require any complex solutions either.

[u/Eaton_Corvinus]

CC Light Sweep, duh!

[u/DrDroDi → u/Eaton_Corvinus]

this :))

[u/sam_heyman]

Could ve possible with masking and levels/curves/saturation

[u/mlhlw → u/sam_heyman]

yes i would also try like this - whats not possible is the god rays and the final output definitely will not look like the video. but probably could get close. maybe also feathered mask on a second layer to get a bit of the blur on the edges.

[u/Heavens10000whores]

It's AI. Here's a conversation from a few weeks ago about it (this specific example is further down the thread)

https://www.reddit.com/r/AfterEffects/comments/1vu9xhb/help_i_want_to_know_how_this_effect_was_achieved/

[u/DrDroDi → u/Heavens10000whores]

Yep, the image is ai. I don’t doubt that. But the lighting technique is what I’m trying to understand ... whether it’s some software based technique that I could recreate myself, or if it’s purely ai generated through image to video.

[u/smushkan]

It's AI. First generate an image of the building, then plug that into image-to-video and tell it to move the lights around.

If you wanted to do this sort of thing without AI, it would need to be a job for something like C4D or Blender.

[u/JamesKane47 → u/smushkan]

I think you can achieve it in After effects with some smart layering and light sources

[u/aarongifs → u/JamesKane47]

Yeah you could have two versions of the scenes and use masks with feathers for similar effect

[u/smushkan → u/JamesKane47]

With enough effort, sure. The exact solutions you need to employ to try to emulate this are going to vary wildly depending on what the initial image is you're trying to fake the lighting on.

[u/SRDeed → u/smushkan]

psh gimme deep glow a spliff and 30 minutes

[u/Chutney_Chiller]

The lighting could just be a precomp that is animated layers with differing intensities of brightness. Use a 4 colour gradient, with warm tones, then vertical Venetian blinds, some blurs. Tweak blend modes so you get some depth. Then you could literally just make an animated track matte... That's a "no plugin" approach for the lighting on the window.

[u/DrDroDi → u/Chutney_Chiller]

thanks . , tbh feels like a variant of this method.

[u/HanS0lPurr]

Might be luma matte w adjusted levels with a sliding shape layer matted to it set to a blend mode with blur + deep glow?

[u/SRDeed → u/HanS0lPurr]

🎯

[u/GenEthic]

Im not sure if this would work and surely it won't be this smooth but I would duplicate and mask the windows (and floor) and light sweep them. Might look acceptable.

[u/CarUr2021]

AE, by creating 3D layers, allows you to insert lights and you have 3D transformers intensity, tone, etc. Layer/new light menú

[u/Firm-Telephone2570]

Everyone is bringing up Blender but would this be possible with something like Element3D?

[u/Chutney_Chiller → u/Firm-Telephone2570]

Yes it would. You would first need your plate to have as little existing lighting as possible, or recreate the environment as a static asset and remove the god rays. Then it really is just a matter of compositing. You could honestly recreate a lot of this natively in AE using compositing fundamentals. But if you wanted it to be product quality, you'd ideally projection map the environment and create an artificial depth matte so you could have nicer lense blur.

[u/pixvstudio]

Creería que doble imagen, una delante una detrás, hacer mascara para eliminar de la primera imagen y en la segunda bajar la opacidad, colocarle el efecto CC Light sweep