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Streaks of light from a lens flare effect on a black background
Lens flare design element

CREATION LENS FLARES
For Adobe After Effects

Lens flare element

FREE

DOWNLOAD

Updated July 2023! (still free)

• Now in 4K

• Single-layer lens flares

• Cleaner, compact controls

• Completely rebuilt / better functionality

Creation Lens Flares – FREE Tool for After Effects!
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Lens flare design element

What is it?

With Creation Lens Flares, anyone with Adobe After Effects can make realistic lens flare effects - without the use of  expensive plugins! Included in this free template are 50 pre-designed, customizable lens fares. Or, easily build your own custom lens flare. The controls make it easy to customize every property of the lens flares.

 

You're no longer stuck with the limited and outdated lens flare effects built into After Effects. Creation Lens Flares has you covered for exporting still images for your graphic designs, compositing flares over the lights in your footage, or for enhancing your motion graphics.

Creation Lens Flares is FREE!

lens flare effect composited on the sun, rising behind the earth
Rainbow ring lens flare effect on a sci-fi image with a robot

Create and customize unique lens flares for your footage or motion designs!

Soft rainbow bubble lens flare reflections with a star-shaped light glare

Features

  • 50 Lens Flare Presets – A diverse collection of finished lens flare designs that are ready to animate and composite. Slider controls allow for easy customization, so you can animate the brightness, colors, shape, position, and more.

  • Build Your Own – 18 lens flare elements that you can simply copy and paste to build your own unique lens flare. Customize each individual elements with slider controls.

  • Effects Library – A collection of optional, custom effects that you can add to lens flare elements to change their look or behavior.

  • Evolution (Expression Library) – Evolution gives you more control. Copy and paste these expressions to "program" any property (such as scale or brightness) to change automatically as the lens flare moves.

  • Lens Textures – Dust, scratches, smudges, and fingerprints to give your lens flare an extra sense of realism.

Lens flare design element
lens-flare-after-effects-8.jpg
Creation Lens Flares main tutorial. Learn how to add lens flares to your videos in After Effects.

This updated tutorial tells you everything you need to know to use the presets or create your own lens flares. If you'd like additional information, you can try the old tutorials (found below).

A bright lens flare reflection on a black background, made with Creation Lens Flares for After Effects
Rays of light and lens flare composited over an old film projector
Anamorphic lens flare streaks of light over a sci-fi city
Lens flare design on black
Colorful light flare effects for video, on a black background
A red laser lens flare reflection coming from a predator drone animation
Camera flash lens flare effects for video
A sun lens flare effects made in After Effects, applied to footage of city skyscrapers

Optional Videos

These are the original tutorials for the old version of the template. The main tutorial (above) explains everything you need to know to use the template, but if you'd like more information, you can try any of the videos below. Note that some information may be out-of-date. 

Watch the video overview of "Creation Lens Flares" for After Effects

A general overview of the Creation Lens Flares template and its main features.

9min 50sec

Learn how to make custom lens flares in After Effects with this "Creation Lens Flares" tutorial

This video goes through the process of creating a lens flare from scratch

6min 10sec

This After Effects tutorial goes over the "Elements" in Creation Lens Flares

A look at “Light Source Elements” - reflections that are attached to the light source by default

9min 15sec

Part 2 of this After Effects tutorial goes over the "Elements" in Creation Lens Flares

A look at “Basic Reflections” - reflections that are detached from the light source by default.

9min 20sec

This tutorial explains the "Expression Library" to add Evolution to your lens flare

See how you can "program" automatic, motion-triggered changes into your lens flare.

6min 50sec

Learn about the optional effects you can add to your lens flares in "Creation Lens Flares" for After Effects

See how to make lens flare elements look and move in different ways using the Effects Library.

6min 23sec

Learn how to add "Lens Textures" to lens flares in "Creation Lens Flares" for Adobe After Effects

A brief look at lens textures, which can add realism to your lens flare (light leaks no longer included).

2min 30sec

This video shares tips for using Creation Lens Flares in After Effects.

Tips and tricks to get cool results, including the anamorphic streak feature.

6min 0sec

Learn to motion track the lights in your footage so you can attach a lens flare to it.

See how to make your lens flare follow the light source in your footage (parts may be out-of-date).

11min 30sec

Troubleshooting tips for using Creation Lens Flares, from Creation Effects

Stuff happens. This video can help you identify problems and set things right (parts may be out-of-date).

9min 20sec

Blue lens flare effect on dark background
lens flare effect

Need to Know

This product costs nothing! To download, click the "Add To Cart" button at the top, then click "Checkout". Enjoy the effects!

  • This template is compatible with Adobe After Effects, versions CS5 and all later versions. Works on both PCs and Macs. No plugins required.

  • All comps are HD, 1920x1080 (4K update coming soon).

  • You may notice references in the videos to "light leak effects" in this template. These effects have been removed, but you can purchase them on the Light Leaks page.

  • Music and footage placeholders in preview video are not included.

  • Instructions can be found in the video tutorials (above) and inside the template.

  • This template has been "universalized", so it will work in After Effects running in any language.

The Creation Lens Flares template is not a plugin, so there is nothing to install. Rather, it's an Adobe After Effects project file, commonly known as a "template" because most of the work is already done and the user needs only to make their own customizations. This template is compatible with version CS5 as well as all later versions of After Effects.

Creation Lens Flares contains copyrighted intellectual property. The animations you create with this product are 100% yours and can be used for commercial purposes, but the sharing or online posting of project files with or for anyone other than a client is prohibited. See the Terms and Conditions for more details.

Positive and/or negative feedback is appreciated. Use the contact page to send me a message.

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