This is a wonderful tutorial that was made by my friend Kyle Castellanet! Thanks Kyle! (video by Suan)
Cloning is a real simple process. The whole purpose of it is to have more than one of yourself, either to make a comedy or just to clone yourself, you can do whatever you want with it. After Effects specializes in video effects, so I will write this as if it was a video, but you can use a still picture if you want.
- Film your shot on a tripod, making sure it doesn’t move. Switch your actors around so that the clone is in a different position than the original, and film him for the same amount of time as the first shot. Then remove your actors and film a blank background for the same amount of time as your footage before, unless you plan on making it a picture
- Open After Effects and create a new Composition by going to Composition, New. Make sure it is the same amount of time as your video clips
- Import your footage that you are going to alter by going to File, Import, and double click on the file. Once imported, drag your footage down into the blank box next to the time line. Make sure your blank background is the bottom layer
- Create a new mask over the area where your clone will be by going to the tool bar and clicking on the Pen Tool (it looks like a knife) Make sure to select your footage next to the time line box on the bottom. Then just click on the area
- Go to the video footage box, clicking on the triangle next to the name, then click on the Triangle next to the Masks, Triangle for Mask 1, then change the mode from Add to Subtract
- If your clone moves a lot, click the stopwatch for mask shape and alter it through time. To do this, move forward in the time line by pressing Page Up, and click on the points and move them
- The same process goes for invisibility or decapitation, except don't film the extra clip with more actors, just film the blank background
A Note on moving cameras: If you want your camera to pan across a field with clones, you’re going to need to be able to copy the exact same motion again without the actors in the different positions.
There you go! You have finished! Well done!