How to create a RGB Split in After Effects

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If you have CS3 or previous click here to see differences to CS4.

Introduction

In this tutorial you will learn how to create a RGB split in After Effects. The effect is used in commercials, tv and film.

Here are links to videos where the effect is used:
Gamer movie trailer
Dirt 2 game trailer

Quick steps

1. Insert image and pre-compose
2. Add ’set channel’ effect to layer and change ’set red to source’, ’set blue to source’ and ’set green to source’ to off.
3. Duplicate three times and rename the layers, r, g and b
4. On the r layer ’set red to source’ to red
5. On the g layer ’set green to source’ to green
6. On the b layer ’set blue to source’ to blue
7. Change transfer modes to add on all layers
8. Add a ‘Separate XYZ Position’ and add a slide control to the r layer
9. Alt click on stopwatch of x position in ‘Separate XYZ Position’ and enter expression

wiggle(10,effect("Slider Control")("Slider"))

10. Animate (keyframe) slider control
11. Pre-compose all layers and scale up to cut off edges

More

Improvements you could make:

• Add a RGB split to video, images or text
• Add sound effect to RGB split
• Use different layers to split instead of blue and red
• Use y position aswell as x to wiggle
• Change wiggle expression numbers to increase and decrease split

Downloads

Zip file of After Effects project file (CS4 aep, 16KB)

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