How to Add Lightsaber Effects to a Video

Preparing the Light Saber

• 1

  Extend the toy light saber and add the yellow tape around different points on the light blade of the light saber. This will help when you are adding effects later.

• 2

  Set your camera on the tripod.

• 3

  Lock down your tripod so it doesn't shake or move and film your scene.

AfterEffects and the Jedi Weapon

• 4

  Open up AfterEffects. Go to "File>Import>File" and import your footage. Go to "Layer>New>Solid." In "Color" choose a white solid by double clicking on the color swatch. Press "Make Comp Size" and click "OK." Make sure this clip is on top of the footage.

• 5

  Select the white solid layer and press "T" on your keyboard. Drop the opacity to "35%." Select the "Pen Tool" from the "Tool Panel." Make a mask around the blade by clicking on the outlining points of the blade.

• 6

  Type "U" twice to reveal "Mask Path." Click on the "Stop Watch" icon next to this. Select the "Selection Tool" in the "Tool Panel." Move the "Time Indicator" up a frame and move each of the pen tool marks to where the blade has moved. Keep doing this for the length of the clip.

• 7

  Duplicate it three times by holding down "cmd + d" on Mac or "ctrl +d" on PC. Select all the duplicate layers and go to "Layer>Pre-compose." Then click "OK."

• 8

  Select the first white solid within this composition and type "UU." Twirl down the mask drop-down menu and change the "Mask Feather" of the first layer to "5%," the next one to "15%," the third to "30%" and the last to "60%."

  Go back to the regular composition. Go to "Effects>Color Correction>Hue/Saturation." Turn on "Colorize." Change "Colorize Saturation" to 100 and "Colorize Lightness" to -33.

Light Saber in Photoshop

• 9

  Open up Photoshop. Go to "File>Open." Find your footage and press "OK."

  Go to "Window>Animation." Go to "Layers>Layer" and press "OK."

• 10

  Select the "Brush Tool" from the "Tool box" and paint a stroke. Twirl down the drop-down menu next to the paint layer. Click on the "Position" stopwatch to add a key frame. Move further in time and move the stroke accordingly.

• 11

  Twirl down the drop-down menu next to the paint layer. Click on the "Position" stopwatch to add a key frame. Move further in time and move the stroke accordingly. Go to "Layer>Layer Style>Outer Glow." Enter "6%" for the "Spread " and "133 px" for the "Size."

GarageBand and Light Saber Sound

• 12

  Open up GarageBand. Drag the footage with the effects into GarageBand.

• 13

  Click on the "Loop Browser" at the bottom right to add sound effects or music.

• 14

  Press the "Record" button to add sound effects of your own.