How to Achieve Professional Studio Lighting with Knoll Unmult in After Effects CS6 29
Knoll Unmult: A Powerful Tool for Studio Lighting in After Effects
If you are looking for a way to add professional studio lighting effects to your After Effects projects, you might want to check out Knoll Unmult. Knoll Unmult is a plug-in created by Photoshop co-creator John Knoll that allows you to control the color balance and exposure of your footage, as well as create realistic light flares, glows, and other effects. In this article, we will explain what Knoll Unmult is, how to install and use it in After Effects CS6 29, and how to create stunning effects with it.
knoll unmult after effects cs6 29
What is Knoll Unmult and why do you need it?
Knoll Unmult is a plug-in that can replace or enhance the traditional key light or light that gives room lighting in your footage. It can also provide the harsh direct lighting found in studio lamps, or increase the softness in your footage. Knoll Unmult works by extracting the luminance of your footage and creating an alpha channel based on it. This means that you can easily remove black backgrounds from stock footage, or composite different layers together without losing the original lighting.
The history and features of Knoll Unmult
Knoll Unmult was first released in 1998 as a free plug-in for After Effects. It was developed by John Knoll, who is also the co-creator of Photoshop and the visual effects supervisor for many Hollywood movies. Knoll Unmult was inspired by his work on Star Wars, where he had to deal with a lot of footage shot against black backgrounds. He wanted to create a tool that would make it easier to composite such footage without losing the original lighting information.
Since then, Knoll Unmult has been updated several times, with the latest version being part of the Red Giant Universe, Red Giant Complete, and Maxon One subscriptions. The current version of Knoll Unmult has several features, such as:
A simple user interface with only four parameters: Mix, Gamma, Threshold, and Invert.
A fast and accurate algorithm that preserves the color and contrast of your footage.
A compatibility with various formats, including 8-bit, 16-bit, and 32-bit floating point.
A support for both Windows and Mac platforms.
The benefits and applications of Knoll Unmult
Knoll Unmult can help you achieve various effects that would otherwise be difficult or time-consuming to create in After Effects. Some of the benefits and applications of Knoll Unmult are:
You can easily remove black backgrounds from stock footage or pre-rendered elements, such as fire, smoke, sparks, etc. This way, you can composite them over your footage without creating unwanted edges or halos.
You can create realistic light flares and glows by applying Knoll Unmult to a solid layer with a lens flare effect or a gradient ramp effect. You can then adjust the parameters of Knoll Unmult to control the intensity, color, and shape of the flare or glow.
You can enhance the color and contrast of your footage by applying Knoll Unmult to an adjustment layer with a curves effect or a levels effect. You can then tweak the parameters of Knoll Unmult to create different looks, such as warm, cool, vintage, etc.
How to install and use Knoll Unmult in After Effects CS6 29
If you want to use Knoll Unmult in your After Effects projects, you need to install it first. Here are the steps to install and use Knoll Unmult in After Effects CS6 29:
The installation process and requirements
To install Knoll Unmult, you need to have one of the following subscriptions:
Red Giant Universe: This is a collection of over 90 video effects and transitions that you can use in various editing and compositing software, including After Effects. You can get a free trial or a paid subscription from the Red Giant website.
Red Giant Complete: This is a bundle of all the Red Giant products, including Universe, Trapcode Suite, Magic Bullet Suite, VFX Suite, and Shooter Suite. You can get a free trial or a paid subscription from the Red Giant website.
Maxon One: This is a bundle of all the Maxon products, including Cinema 4D, Redshift, Red Giant Complete, and Cineversity. You can get a free trial or a paid subscription from the Maxon website.
Once you have one of these subscriptions, you can download and install Knoll Unmult from the Red Giant Application Manager, which is a tool that helps you manage your Red Giant products. You can download the Red Giant Application Manager from the Red Giant website. After installing it, you need to sign in with your Red Giant account and activate your subscription. Then, you can find Knoll Unmult under the Universe category and click on the Install button.
After installing Knoll Unmult, you need to restart After Effects if it was already open. Then, you can find Knoll Unmult under the Effects menu, in the Universe Utilities sub-menu.
The user interface and parameters
Knoll Unmult has a very simple user interface with only four parameters that you can adjust. These are:
Mix: This controls how much of the original footage is mixed with the alpha channel created by Knoll Unmult. A value of 0% means that only the alpha channel is visible, while a value of 100% means that only the original footage is visible. You can use this parameter to fine-tune the transparency of your footage.
Gamma: This controls how bright or dark the alpha channel is. A higher value means that more pixels are considered as transparent, while a lower value means that more pixels are considered as opaque. You can use this parameter to adjust the contrast of your footage.
Threshold: This controls how sensitive the alpha channel is to the luminance of your footage. A higher value means that only the brightest pixels are considered as transparent, while a lower value means that even darker pixels are considered as transparent. You can use this parameter to remove unwanted noise or artifacts from your footage.
Invert: This reverses the alpha channel created by Knoll Unmult. This means that instead of removing black backgrounds, it removes white backgrounds. You can use this parameter to create different effects with your footage.
The workflow and tips
To use Knoll Unmult in your After Effects projects, you need to follow these steps:
Import your footage into After Effects and create a new composition.
Drag your footage to the timeline and apply Knoll Unmult to it.
Adjust the parameters of Knoll Unmult until you get the desired result.
Add other effects or layers to your composition as needed.
Render and export your final video.
Here are some tips to help you get the most out of Knoll Unmult:
If you want to preview how your footage looks without Knoll Unmult, you can toggle it on and off by clicking on the fx button next to its name in the Effect Controls panel.
If you want to reset the parameters of Knoll Unmult to their default values, you can double-click on its name in the Effect Controls panel.
If you want to copy the settings of Knoll Unmult from one layer to another, you can select the layer with Knoll Unmult applied, press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) to copy it, then select another layer and press Ctrl+V (Windows) or Command+V (Mac) to paste it.
If you want to save your settings of Knoll Unmult as a preset, you can click on the Animation menu, then choose Save Animation Preset. You can then name and save your preset in a folder of your choice. You can then apply your preset to any layer by clicking on the Effects and Presets panel, then dragging and dropping your preset to the layer.
How to create stunning effects with Knoll Unmult in After Effects CS6 29
Now that you know how to install and use Knoll Unmult in After Effects CS6 29, let's see how you can create some stunning effects with it. Here are three examples of what you can do with Knoll Unmult:
How to remove black backgrounds from stock footage
One of the most common uses of Knoll Unmult is to remove black backgrounds from stock footage or pre-rendered elements, such as fire, smoke, sparks, etc. This way, you can composite them over your footage without creating unwanted edges or halos. Here are the steps to do this:
Import your footage and your stock footage into After Effects and create a new composition.
Drag your footage to the timeline and place it below your stock footage.
Apply Knoll Unmult to your stock footage and adjust the parameters until you get a clean alpha channel.
Add a blending mode to your stock footage, such as Screen or Add, to blend it with your footage.
Add other effects or layers to your composition as needed.
Render and export your final video.
Here is an example of how you can use Knoll Unmult to remove black backgrounds from stock footage:
Stock footage with black background
Stock footage with Knoll Unmult applied
Stock footage composited over footage
How to create realistic light flares and glows
Another use of Knoll Unmult is to create realistic light flares and glows by applying it to a solid layer with a lens flare effect or a gradient ramp effect. You can then adjust the parameters of Knoll Unmult to control the intensity, color, and shape of the flare or glow. Here are the steps to do this:
Create a new solid layer and make it black.
Apply a lens flare effect or a gradient ramp effect to the solid layer and adjust the settings until you get the desired look.
Apply Knoll Unmult to the solid layer and adjust the parameters until you get a clean alpha channel.
Add a blending mode to the solid layer, such as Screen or Add, to blend it with your footage.
Add other effects or layers to your composition as needed.
Render and export your final video.
Here is an example of how you can use Knoll Unmult to create realistic light flares and glows:
Solid layer with lens flare effect
Solid layer with Knoll Unmult applied
Solid layer composited over footage
How to enhance the color and contrast of your footage
A third use of Knoll Unmult is to enhance the color and contrast of your footage by applying it to an adjustment layer with a curves effect or a levels effect. You can then tweak the parameters of Knoll Unmult to create different looks, such as warm, cool, vintage, etc. Here are the steps to do this:
Create a new adjustment layer and place it above your footage.
Apply a curves effect or a levels effect to the adjustment layer and adjust the settings until you get the desired look.
Apply Knoll Unmult to the adjustment layer and adjust the parameters until you get a clean alpha channel.Add a blending mode to the adjustment layer, such as Overlay or Soft Light, to blend it with your footage.
Add other effects or layers to your composition as needed.
Render and export your final video.
Here is an example of how you can use Knoll Unmult to enhance the color and contrast of your footage:
Original footage
Adjustment layer with curves effect
Adjustment layer with Knoll Unmult applied
Adjustment layer composited over footage
Conclusion and FAQs
In this article, we have shown you what Knoll Unmult is, how to install and use it in After Effects CS6 29, and how to create stunning effects with it. Knoll Unmult is a powerful tool that can help you control the color balance and exposure of your footage, as well as create realistic light flares, glows, and other effects. It can also help you remove black or white backgrounds from stock footage or pre-rendered elements, making it easier to composite them over your footage. Knoll Unmult is part of the Red Giant Universe, Red Giant Complete, and Maxon One subscriptions, which you can get from the Red Giant or Maxon websites. We hope you have enjoyed this article and learned something new. If you have any questions or feedback, please feel free to leave a comment below.
Five unique FAQs with answers
Q: Can I use Knoll Unmult with other versions of After Effects?
A: Yes, you can use Knoll Unmult with any version of After Effects from CS5.5 to CC 2021. However, some features or settings may vary depending on the version you are using.
Q: Can I use Knoll Unmult with other software besides After Effects?
A: Yes, you can use Knoll Unmult with other software that supports Red Giant Universe plug-ins, such as Premiere Pro, Final Cut Pro X, DaVinci Resolve, Motion, and more. However, some features or settings may vary depending on the software you are using.
Q: How can I get more presets or tutorials for Knoll Unmult?
A: You can get more presets or tutorials for Knoll Unmult from the Red Giant website, where you can find a library of user-generated presets and a collection of video tutorials. You can also check out the Red Giant YouTube channel, where you can find more tips and tricks for using Knoll Unmult and other Red Giant products.
Q: How can I troubleshoot any issues or errors with Knoll Unmult?
A: If you encounter any issues or errors with Knoll Unmult, you can try the following steps:
Make sure you have the latest version of Knoll Unmult installed and activated.
Make sure you have the latest version of After Effects or other software you are using.
Make sure your system meets the minimum requirements for running Knoll Unmult and After Effects or other software.
Clear your cache and preferences in After Effects or other software.
Contact the Red Giant support team for further assistance.
Q: How can I share my feedback or suggestions for Knoll Unmult? A: If you have any feedback or suggestions for Knoll Unmult, you can share them with the Red Giant team by filling out this form. You can also join the Red Giant community on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or Reddit, where you can connect with other users and creators.
dcd2dc6462