After Effects Shadow Catcher: NEW Feature Overview

Normally, both the object and its shadow would appear in the scene. But with a shadow catcher, only the shadow is visible. The object stays hidden.

After Effects has three cool new features that help 3D objects blend naturally into real-life videos:

• Embedded 3D Animations: You can now bring animated 3D models into After Effects. If you create a 3D character or object in another animation software, you can easily import it to After Effects.
• Ultra-Realistic Shadows and Color Shadows: The new After Effects shadow catcher tool allows 3D objects to cast realistic shadows, helping them fit perfectly into live-action videos.
• Depth Mapping for 3D Models: This feature helps place 3D objects correctly in a scene by adding depth, making them look like they belong there.

I am a freelance video editor, and I was editing a video ad for a small business. They gave me a video of a table and asked me to add a 3D-rendered coffee mug on top of it. But there was a problem - the mug looked fake because it had no shadow. It seemed like it was floating above the table instead of sitting on it.

I needed to make the mug look real by adding a shadow that matched the table and the lighting in the video. To do this, I tested the shadow catcher tool in After Effects free version.

Here’s what I did:

1. Added the mug to the scene. First, I imported the video of the table into After Effects. Then, I placed the 3D mug on top of it using a 3D rendering plugin. I turned on the 3D Layer option so the mug could interact with light in the scene.
2. Created a shadow-catching layer. To make the mug cast a shadow, I added a gray layer right under it. This layer acted like an invisible surface that could catch the shadow.
3. Added a light source. To match the lighting in the real video, I used a Spotlight from After Effects effects library. I adjusted its position and angle so the shadow would look natural, just like the table’s real shadows.
4. Capturing the shadow. I turned on the Cast Shadows option for the mug and set the gray layer to Accept Shadows. Then, I played around with the shadow settings until it looked just right.
5. Isolating the shadow. Using Set Matte and Shift Channels, I made the gray layer invisible so only the shadow remained. I then placed it over the original video and adjusted it to blend naturally with the table.

After using the shadow catcher technique in this free Adobe software, the mug finally looked like it belonged in the scene. The shadow made it look realistic and grounded. My client was happy, and the ad got great feedback for looking so professional.

I tested different free rendering software, and I have to say, After Effects did the best job. My colleagues from the FixThePhoto team, Vadym Antypenko and Ann Young, helped me with the comparison. Here are the key takeaways:

Before you begin, make sure you're using the latest After Effects version. If you’ve never used After Effects before, you’ll need to download it from Adobe’s official website. Once installed, take some time to explore its tools and features so you can get familiar with how everything works.

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Set Up Your Scene

First, add the background video and place the 3D object or text you want to use into your composition. Make sure the lighting in your scene matches the lighting in the video so the shadows look real.

Step 2: Add a Solid Layer

Next, create a solid layer where the shadows will go. To do this, go to Layer > New > Solid. Pick a color, usually gray or white, so the shadows are easy to see and edit. Place this solid layer under your 3D object in the timeline.

Step 3: Enable Shadows in 3D Layers

Now, click on the 3D Layer box for both your object and the solid layer (you'll see a small cube next to the layer name).

Add a light to your scene by going to Layer > New > Light and choose a Spotlight. This will help cast shadows in a certain direction.

Step 4: Adjust Shadow Settings

Click on the Light Options for the spotlight layer and enable Cast Shadows.

You can then adjust the Shadow Darkness and Shadow Diffusion to make the shadows lighter or softer, depending on what looks best.

Step 5: Apply Shadow Catcher Technique

To make sure only the shadow shows, you need to make the solid layer invisible except for the shadows. First, add the Shift Channels effect to the solid layer and change the setting from "Take Alpha From" to "Full On." Then, add the Set Matte effect and use the shadow layer to mask everything except the shadow.

Step 6: Composite the Shadow

Finally, put the shadow catcher layer over the background footage and change its blending mode (use Multiply to make it blend naturally). Adjust the opacity to make the shadow fit perfectly with the scene.

After testing the shadow catcher in After Effects, the experts at FixThePhoto shared some helpful tips to make your shadows look realistic, even if you don’t use third-party 3D modeling software. Here’s what you need to know: