Glow animation can completely transform a video! Although it may appear advanced, there are some simple step-by-step methods to achieving these amazing glow effects. This tutorial from YouTuber and filmmakerMcFilmin explores how to use DaVinci Resolve to draw neon scribble glow effects in three different ways. Check it out to learn how to create something new!
First Technique
Right click the video clip in your timeline and select “New Fusion Clip.” Navigate to your Fusion tab. Hit Shift + Space, type in “Background,” and select it. Hit Shift + Space again, type in “Paint,” and select it. Hit Shift + Space again, type in “Soft Glow,” and select it.
Select your MediaIn and click “Merge.” Then pipe in the Soft Glow to your Merge node.
Select your Background. Bring the Alpha slider down to zero. Organize your nodes by stacking them on top of one another.
Find the spot where you want to start your animation. Click on the Paint node and zoom in using Ctrl and your mouse wheel. Adjust the size of your paintbrush (under the Brush Controls) as needed (also ensure that Multistroke is selected). Start drawing your first line. You can change the color of the line (we chose green) by selecting your Soft Glow node and adjusting your color channels.
Select your Paint node. Go over a frame by using your right arrow on your keyboard. Paint another line. Continue to paint lines frame by frame to start creating your animation.
To add different colors to the paint effect, create a new Merge node. (To help with organization, rename your Merge nodes by color so you know which one is which.) Right click into the blank space and add all your nodes from before.
Select your second Paint node. Under the Brush Controls, decrease the brush size. Select your second Soft Glow node and change it to a different color (we chose purple here). Draw your second line frame by frame like you did with the first.
Second Technique
Right click the video clip in your timeline and select “New Fusion Clip.” Ensure that your playhead is at the beginning of the clip. Navigate to your Fusion tab. Hit Shift + Space, type in “Planar Tracker,” and select it. Go to your Nodes Inspector tab and change the Motion Type to Translation, Rotation. Leave all the other settings as they are.
Select Click Append in the top left of your screen. Draw around the area of your footage you wish to track. Under Pattern on the right hand side of your screen, select ‘Track to the End” to let it analyze itself.
Bring your playhead back to the start and click “Create Planar Transform” on the right. This creates a new node. Delete your Planar Tracker node. Hit Shift + Space, type in “Background,” and select it. Hit Shift + Space again, type in “Paint,” and select it. Hit Shift + Space again, type in “Soft Glow,” and select it. Add a Merge node.
Select your Background node and bring the Alpha slider down to zero. Select the Paint node and adjust the brush size as needed. Select “Stroke” (instead of “Multistroke” like we did in the first technique). Start painting your outlines and change the color if desired.
To make your outline track along with your video clip, move your Planar Transform node in between your Soft Glow and Merge nodes, holding Shift to connect the two. Your outline should move along with your video now.
To turn off the animation, place your playhead where the tracking stops and select Keyframes in the top right. Select “Paint” from the list and drag the end back to your playhead marking where the animation ends.
Third Technique
This technique can be accomplished in any editing software, not just DaVinci Resolve. Download the freeGlow FX Sample Pack from theCinePacks website. This free pack includes four pre-animated designs (there’s also afull version of glow effects for purchase that contains many more elements).
Drag your chosen glow animation above your video footage. Select the animation clip and navigate to the Inspector tab at the top right of the screen. Change the Composite Mode to “Screen.”
Under Transform, resize and reposition the animation as needed. Use your keyframes to add movement to the glow animation as desired.
To change the colors of the animation, navigate to the Color tab at the bottom of the screen and change to Monochrome under the RGB Mixer. Right click and add a new corrector node, then start adjusting the color mixers to achieve the color you want.
Add more of these glow animation clips throughout your footage as desired, duplicating them as needed to adjust their duration.
Download More Free Packs from the CinePacks Website
We have many otherfree packs of awesome video effects and transitions on our CinePacks website! Tutorials are provided for many of these effects so you can learn how to master them quickly. We also have a wide selection of full packs that are guaranteed to enhance your next video project. Browse our website and check us out onFacebook andInstagram to learn more!