Drop shadow effect, Radial shadow effect – Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 User Manual
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USING ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CS4
Effects and transitions
Last updated 11/6/2011
Drop Shadow effect
The Drop Shadow effect adds a shadow that appears behind the clip. The shape of the Drop Shadow is determined by
the clip’s alpha channel.
When you add a drop shadow to a clip, a soft-edged outline of the clip’s alpha channel appears behind it, as if a shadow
is cast on the background or underlying objects.
Unlike most other effects, Drop Shadow can create a shadow outside the bounds of the clip (the dimensions of the
clip’s source).
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
To render the shadow without the image, select Shadow Only.
Note: Because Drop Shadow works best when it’s the last effect rendered, apply this effect after applying all other effects.
You can create a more realistic-looking shadow on animated clips by applying and animating the Motion or Basic 3D
effect prior to applying Drop Shadow instead of animating the Fixed Motion effect because Fixed effects are rendered after
Standard effects.
Radial Shadow effect
The Radial Shadow effect creates a shadow from a point light source over the clip it’s applied to, rather than from an
infinite light source (as with the Drop Shadow effect). The shadow is cast from the alpha channel of the source clip,
allowing the color of that clip to influence the color of the shadow as light passes through semitransparent areas.
Original (left), and with effect applied (right)
Shadow Color
The color of the shadow.
Note: The colors of the clip may override the Shadow Color if you choose Glass Edges from the Render control menu. See
the Render and Color Influence controls for more information.
Opacity
The opacity of the shadow.
Light Source
The location of the point light source.
Copy and paste position keyframes from another effect (for example, Lens Flare) to quickly create a shadow that
matches the other effect’s light source.
Projection Distance
The distance from the clip to the surface on which the shadow falls. The shadow appears larger as
this value increases.
Softness
The softness of the shadow’s edges.