I'm new to AE and need a gaping gunshot wound for one scene and a simple bullet hole in someone's head for another. How can I do this?

Ask and ye shall receive... I asked the same question a few days ago. First, watch this fabulous DV Challenge movie from our very own Phillip Jackson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0V3pYVmUrc

-OR-

Here's the DV Info DVC 8 thread (scroll down to Tuesday's entries and choose which of Phillip Jackson's Telezombies version you'd prefer to see)

http://www.dvinfo.net/conf/showthread.php?t=93375

Now, visit these two websites for the software that gives you what you are looking for:

http://www.videocopilot.net/action.html AND

http://www.detonationfilms.com/free_stuff.htm

After seeing Phillip Jackson's movie and reading about Action Movie Essentials in the thread....I bought it...

Tried it for the first time today on an old clip....pretty nice...and fun too. Seemed to work well with Vegas even though I really didn't know what I was doing....LOL

Here's the 25 second clip I did....
It's not a gun shot, but close....

http://www.baatfam.net/DLYH1.wmv

Price was very fair also...

Bob T.

I bought it last night. $67.00 with shipping. Can't wait to try it.

HAHHAHHAHAH! I saw your clip! WAY COOL, MAN!

thanks for the info Hugh! As soon as I can afford it, I'm buying that software!

btw anyone having really slow download times on the Detonation Website?

I did with some of the downloads.

If you watch Andrew Kramer's tutorials, there's one that explains why the blood is such a bright red, and how to adjust it for your situation.

Otherwise, if you want realism, you could try blowing your brains out. Although, I wouldn't recommend this method, except as a last resort. LOL.

This is awesome thanks so much for posting this! This will be very helpful in my next project!

I bought it last night. $67.00 with shipping. Can't wait to try it.

HAHHAHHAHAH! I saw your clip! WAY COOL, MAN!

Hugh....did you have a chance to try it out?
We made another short clip Monday....shot and edited in an hour or two....
Considering how new I am to this stuff, (I've only been fooling around with video editing for a year or so), I thought the effects came out pretty darn good....

Its Not Polite To Point (http://www.baatfam.net/INNTP_Rev2.wmv)

I think I'm going to order his Riot Gear disc also...

Bob T.

Here is another fun one we did a while back:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vKi_QluxoXQ