Hello everyone!
Today I want to talk about creating anime-style compositing effects using Shoost. While Shoost automatically applies some screen effects, you can achieve much better results by manually adding additional effects on top of that.
Example Scene Introduction
Let me walk you through the process using this scene.
First, I'm applying Screen Effects Normal in Shoost to this base state.
I have the auto color feature turned off. The change might be subtle and hard to notice, but compared to the original state with no effects, I think you can see that the overall atmosphere has improved somewhat.
Now, let's manually add more screen effects on top of this.
Adding Screen Effects with Light Source Awareness
This time, I'll be incorporating "flare" and "para" effects that are commonly used in anime compositing.
Since there are street lights in the background, I'll assume there are also street lights near the character as I work. With the light source positioned in the upper right of the screen, I'll add flare and para effects to create a gradation from upper right to lower left. The idea is that areas get darker as they move away from the light source.
Here's what I added ↓
Based on the light source position, I added "flare" effects to represent light near the source, and "para" shadow gradations that get darker as they move away from the light source.
Comparing the results, I think adding flare and para creates more depth and dimensionality overall. Flare and para expressions are really important for creating the atmospheric quality of a scene.
As a side note, "para" is a term unique to the anime industry, derived from the use of "paraffin paper" during the film shooting era.
Specific Setup Method in Shoost
Now let me explain how I accomplished this in Shoost.
The method is simple - I use additional layers to load gradient images.
I prepare simple black and white images like these, then adjust their size and position while changing blend modes for placement.
Specifically:
Flare images are placed using "Add" or "Screen" blend modes
Para images are placed using "Multiply" blend mode
Gradient images are applied across the entire screen using "Soft Light" for subtle overlay adjustments
While you could prepare pre-made shaped images to overlay, I prefer using versatile images that can be adjusted within Shoost so I can fine-tune them. You can add color by combining them with Color Correction and other effects.
This kind of work can be challenging when you're not used to it, but as you get more comfortable, it really expands your creative possibilities, so I encourage you to give it a try!
Summary
Today I covered methods for manually adding screen effects. By adding screen effects with consideration of the light source position, you can fine-tune the atmosphere more precisely, so if you're interested, please give it a try!
Since preparing these effect images every time can be quite tedious, I'm considering adding a feature to Shoost that would allow creating gradient materials directly within the software. It's currently in development, so I'm working hard to include it in the next update!