The Voodoo VJ loops reward features a twisted creature with beat-synced animations and fitting symbols:
Available On Patreon
Voodoo boast six VJ loops of the creature in two styles, plus four symbol loops—all with transparent backgrounds for flexible mixing.
The bonus Resolume project has the loops applied with various effects to add alternative styles and arranged into columns for easy mixing.
Voodoo is available for superfans on Patreon throughout October 2024.
Creation Process
Halloween is the perfect time for something twisted and eerie. I had saved a creature from Unreal Engine’s marketplace for this kind of project. To animate it, I used various Motion Capture animations from the same marketplace. Many of the animations had imperfections—like hands clipping through the body or crooked fingers—so I fixed them by following a Rokoko tutorial that teaches how to convert the animations into keyframes using the Mannequin Control Rig. By creating an additive layer, I was able to tweak the limb positions precisely and fix all the motion capture issues.
I carefully chose moments in the animations that loop seamlessly, adjusting the speed and making sure the timing (either 8 or 16 seconds) fit 120 BPM. This was essential for creating loops that sit-on-the-beat for live performances.
The creature’s body is covered in symbolic tattoos, and I wanted them to emit a soft, eerie light. I modified the material in Unreal Engine by duplicating the creature’s body texture. By using a levels node, I darkened the body and brightened the tattoos, then plugged this modified texture into the emissive channel of the material. Adding a multiply node gave me control over the emissiveness, so I could fine-tune how bright the tattoos glowed.
For the backgrounds, I wanted something abstract but fitting. I took inspiration from the creature’s tattoos, particularly the circular designs on its shoulder, and ran those designs through Midjourney to create more variations of circular symbols. I planed to take the images into Runway or Kling and see what animation they could create , but then a happy accident occurred when I mistakenly hit the “Variations” button instead of the “Upscale” button in Midjourney, generating four slightly different versions of the original image. When I quickly scrolled through them, I realized the slight changes had a stop-motion animation effect, which matched perfectly with the grungy, eerie aesthetic I was aiming for.
Excited by this discovery, I repeated the process to create 8 variations of the same symbol. In After Effects, I imported them as an image sequence, slowed the sequence down so that each image would appear for 3 frames, and used a ram preview to see the stop-motion effect in action. It gave the symbols a jerky, unsettling motion. I keyed out the black background to make the symbols transparent, added a glow effect, colored them red with a tint, and applied Twitch for a more erratic feel. This became one of the core symbol loops.
To add complexity, I created another variation where the inner and outer rings of the symbols rotated in opposite directions. Using masking, I separated the circles and pre-composed them into individual layers, each with its own rotation animation.
Resolume Arena Project
Throughout the process, I tested the loops in Resolume to ensure they would mix well live. For example, I fine-tuned the levels and glow effects in After Effects so that the visuals would respond well to Resolume’s built-in effects, like Colorize.
One trick I used in Resolume was layering the creature’s normal loop with its emissive version on top. By animating the opacity envelope of the emissive loop, I made the creature’s glowing tattoos flash in sync with the beat. I created several compositions by layering the creature’s animations over different symbol backgrounds, generating a variety of looks and moods.
This project is exclusively for superfans and is meant to provide a solid foundation for your live mixes. Hopefully, it sparks your own twisted creativity as you use these elements to craft something truly unique!
What's Next?
I’ve got more creature animations in the works! Planning to release them in the next reward, just in time for Halloween. Stay tuned!
Let me know if you have any feedback or insights via email at [email protected] or DM me on Patreon / Facebook / Instagram.
Join as a superfan to support the creation of more VJ loops and tutorials, and to keep adding fresh visuals to your performance to amaze your crowds.
