Realistic Eye Replacement VFX | After Effects Tutorial

Realistic Eye Replacement VFX | After Effects Tutorial

December 22, 2022
DAVID LUGO
Tutorials

In this tutorial, we will learn how to create a realistic eye replacement using VFX in Adobe After Effects.

The face is a picture of the mind with the eyes as its interpreter. - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Eyes convey a wealth of emotion and narrative depth, making them a focal point in many cinematic moments. Eye replacement might sound like something that is only used in movies with huge budgets for special effects, but the truth is, this skill can come in handy for a lot of different projects.

Whether you're working on a low-budget indie film or simply trying to change the color of an actor's eye in post-production, learning how to do realistic eye replacement will give you a valuable post-production tool.

In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a realistic eye replacement using VFX assets from our Eye Textures collection in Adobe After Effects.

Want to follow along?

This After Effects tutorial covers:

  • How to track eyeballs in Mocha for AE
  • How to composite elements from the Eye Textures collection to live eyeball.
  • How to add fake reflections to create a more realistic result.

Step-by-Step Guide on How to Add Eye Textures in After Effects:

1. Prepare Footage and Track the Eye:

  • Import your footage into After Effects.
  • Use Mocha (free version) to track the eye movement, creating an elliptical mask around the cornea.

2. Adjust Mask and Track:

  • Refine the mask in Mocha to fit the cornea and prevent drift during tracking.

3. Apply the Eye Texture:

  • Import an ActionVFX Eye Texture, scale it down, and convert it to a 3D layer.
  • Position it over the tracked eye and feather the edges for a natural blend.

4. Color Correction:

  • Use Hue/Saturation and Levels to match the eye texture's color and contrast with the footage.

5. Add Reflection:

  • Create a reflection using a panoramic image with the CC Sphere effect.
  • Adjust the reflection's intensity and blend it using the Screen mode.

6. Composite and Add Shadows:

  • Use a track matte to blend the eye texture and reflection within the eye socket.
  • Add shadows with a feathered mask to enhance depth.

7. Final Refinements:

  • Pre-compose the eye texture for easy updates.
  • For a second eye, repeat the process with a different tracking point.

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