Star Wars Laser CGI???

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Aiden26

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So I was wondering what Star Wars did for its lasers in Episodes 2 and 3? Many people all over the internet have made tutorials how how to make a laser and stuff but none of it looks good as the ones used in Star Wars. So my question is what did Geroge Lucas do for the Lasers and is it possible for someone like me to pull it off?
 
I know they used Autodesk Maya for creature, world, and character modeling. As for the film editing software I'm not sure what they used. It is very doable with the right software, I suggest Adobe After Effects. I'm not very knowledgeable with the program, but with the very basic understanding I had I was able to make some very realistic effects. I'm sure it could be something as easy as creating a white, rounded rectangle, applying a Gaussian blur and adding a glow effect, then apply a motion blur to the animation. This should be a simple way to create a decent laser. The hard way, I imagine, would be using particle effects and many filters.
 
I know they used Autodesk Maya for creature, world, and character modeling. As for the film editing software I'm not sure what they used. It is very doable with the right software, I suggest Adobe After Effects. I'm not very knowledgeable with the program, but with the very basic understanding I had I was able to make some very realistic effects. I'm sure it could be something as easy as creating a white, rounded rectangle, applying a Gaussian blur and adding a glow effect, then apply a motion blur to the animation. This should be a simple way to create a decent laser. The hard way, I imagine, would be using particle effects and many filters.

A thought I had about this was thickness for the white part of the laser. I notices in Star Wars the laser is very skinny and long. But in other peoples videos, there shorter and fatter. So theirs a theory I can test.
 
I would make the rectangle long and skinny with a large glow (the glow, in my opinion, should be about 75-80% of the visual). Let me know how that works out for you.
 
I would make the rectangle long and skinny with a large glow (the glow, in my opinion, should be about 75-80% of the visual). Let me know how that works out for you.

One thing I forgot to ask. Do you think slow motion with the lasers be possible? Its frame by frame stuff so it would sound pretty hard.
 
All you would have to do for the laser animation is make 2 key frames, at the beginning and end of the animation, making sure the key frames are animating the scale and position of the laser. Then, slow motion would be as easy as pulling the last key frames further down the timeline, making the laser appear to be going slower. Maybe exaggerate the motion blur a little bit as well.
 
All you would have to do for the laser animation is make 2 key frames, at the beginning and end of the animation, making sure the key frames are animating the scale and position of the laser. Then, slow motion would be as easy as pulling the last key frames further down the timeline, making the laser appear to be going slower. Maybe exaggerate the motion blur a little bit as well.

Thanks for the help! I keep forgetting about questions lol. So how would the round muzzle flash like thing work? Whould you just make a glowing circle then have it shrink then form into the laser?
 
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