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e1ker
e1ker
Participant
November 23, 2018
Answered

Noise Effect is extremely calm

  • November 23, 2018
  • 1 reply
  • 404 views

I'm using After Effects for a school project and since my laptop isn't too powerful I'm previewing with a quarter of the resolution. I'm using the noise effect for the entirety of the video and while previewing it looked well, but now that I added an element that must be hidden in the noise I checked with full resolution to see how it looked like. To my surprise, the noise effect is not as strong as I thought even when I crank it up to 100%. Is there a way to make it more noticeable? Can you make it go above 100%? Or is rendering the final video at a quarter of the resolution the only option I have to make the noise look like I need it to?

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Correct answer Andrew Yoole

Noise is pixel-based, so it changes depending on the resolution it is being rendered at.  When you preview at quarter-res you're seeing single noise pixels applied to the space occupied by 16 pixels (4x4).  At half res it's 2x2.  When you render at full res you see every pixel with its own noise pixel.

To replicate quarter-resolution noise at full resolution, create a neutral grey solid, apply the noise effect to taste, then precompose.  In your main comp, scale the precomp layer to 400% and adjust the blending mode to effect your content appropriately.  If you only want the noise to affect certain layers, you will need to precompose these as well.

The issue you may have with this method is that After Effects will antialias the scaled layer, so it will appear much softer/blurrier than at quarter res.  If you switch the layer quality to Draft it will stop this antialiasing, but you'll either need to pre-render the layer or render using "Current Settings" to have this happen in the final render.

Also, try experimenting with Fractal Noise, which is far more variable and diverse if you want blocky, grungy noise.

1 reply

Andrew Yoole
Andrew YooleCorrect answer
Inspiring
November 23, 2018

Noise is pixel-based, so it changes depending on the resolution it is being rendered at.  When you preview at quarter-res you're seeing single noise pixels applied to the space occupied by 16 pixels (4x4).  At half res it's 2x2.  When you render at full res you see every pixel with its own noise pixel.

To replicate quarter-resolution noise at full resolution, create a neutral grey solid, apply the noise effect to taste, then precompose.  In your main comp, scale the precomp layer to 400% and adjust the blending mode to effect your content appropriately.  If you only want the noise to affect certain layers, you will need to precompose these as well.

The issue you may have with this method is that After Effects will antialias the scaled layer, so it will appear much softer/blurrier than at quarter res.  If you switch the layer quality to Draft it will stop this antialiasing, but you'll either need to pre-render the layer or render using "Current Settings" to have this happen in the final render.

Also, try experimenting with Fractal Noise, which is far more variable and diverse if you want blocky, grungy noise.

    e1ker
    e1kerAuthor
    Participant
    November 23, 2018

    Thanks a lot! I'll try this and share my results later in this thread.

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