In this tutorial, I show how I add damage elements to a shot to create the appearance of smashed windows in After Effects.
This is part of the series where I’m turning a clean shot into a burning building scene. In this step, we’re focusing on breaking the windows, matching them into the shot, and adding a bit of depth behind the glass to help sell the effect.
In this tutorial I cover:
- Masking out the windows
- Replacing them with broken glass elements
- Using corner pin to match perspective
- Adding blur to help the elements sit naturally in the scene
- Matching colour using Levels
- Creating mattes so we can layer elements behind the glass
This is all groundwork for the later stages where we’ll start adding fire, smoke, lighting, and final compositing touches.
As always, the idea behind these tutorials is to keep things quick and practical so you can get the information you need and get on with your day.
Subscribe for More
I’m uploading new tutorials whenever I get spare time. If you’re into motion design, VFX, or just want quick answers without the waffle, hit subscribe and follow the journey: