Create Realistic Rain Animation in Adobe After Effects

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Realistic Rain Animation:

Step 1: Creating a New Composition

1. Open Adobe After Effects and create a new composition.
2. Rename it to “Rain Animation” or any preferred name.
3. Set the resolution to 1920×1080 pixels, frame rate to 30 frames per second, and duration to 10 or 20 seconds.

Step 2: Importing and Merging Footage

1. Go to the File Menu and import the required videos: Footage 1 (Clouds) and Footage 2 (Wheatfield).
2. Merge the two footage together for this tutorial.

Step 3: Adjusting Cloud Footage

1. Drag the cloud footage to the composition.
2. If the clouds move too fast, right-click the cloud footage layer, go to Time, and select Time Stretch.
3. Set the stretch factor to 225% to extend the duration to 37 seconds.

Step 4: Smoothing Cloud Movement

1. Right-click on the clouds footage layer, go to Frame Blending, and choose Pixel Motion.

Step 5: Applying Mask and Feather

1. Drag the field footage above the clouds footage.
2. Select the Pen Tool from the toolbar and create a mask on the field footage.
3. Select the field footage layer and press F to open Mask Feather.
4. Set the feather amount to 10 pixels.

Step 6: Adjusting Scale and Position

1. Select the clouds footage layer and press S to open the scale properties.
2. Change the scale value to 125%.
3. Use the Move Tool to slightly drag the footage downward.

Step 7: Creating Lightning

1. Select the Ellipse Tool from the toolbar.
2. Set the fill to solid white color and stroke to none.
3. Hold the Shift and Alt keys, then create a circle on the screen.
4. Center the anchor point.
5. Go to Effects and Presets, search for Gaussian Blur, and apply it to the shape layer.
6. Change the blurriness value to 300 and set blur dimensions to Horizontal and Vertical.

Step 8: Animating Lightning

1. Select the shape layer and press T to open Opacity.
2. Add a keyframe and set the opacity to 0%.
3. Move forward about 10 frames, and set the opacity to 100%.
4. Move forward another 10 frames, and set the opacity back to 0%.

Step 9: Duplicating and Timing Keyframes

1. Go to the Edit menu, select Split Layer, and delete the top layer.
2. Duplicate the shape layer by pressing Control D.
3. Drag the duplicated layer for 2 seconds and change the circle position.
4. Repeat this process 5 to 10 times.

Step 10: Pre-composing Lightning Layers

1. Select all shape layers, right-click, and choose Pre-compose.
2. Rename it to “Lightning” and change the blending mode to Overlay.

Creating Rain Effect:

Step 12: Applying the Rain Effect

1. Go to Layer Menu > New > Select Solid.
2. Rename it to “Rain.”
3. Go to Effects and Presets, search for CC Rainfall, and apply it to the solid layer.
4. Change blending mode from Normal to Screen.

Rain Effect Settings:

1. Adjust Drop from 5000 to 2000.
2. Set Wind to 1000.
3. Change Variation % to 35.

Congratulations! Your Realistic Rain Animation in After Effects is Complete!