Avengers Disintegration Effects: How to Make People Disappear

Liza Brown

Mar 27, 2024• Proven solutions

Marvel’s villains and superheroes have made us sit on the edges of our seats, so many times in the last couple of decades that it is nearly impossible to count. Doctor Strange, the X-men franchise or all the sequels of the Avengers are equally impressive movies, partially because of the jaw-dropping visual effects that look incredibly realistic, especially when viewed in 3D. The Avengers: Infinity War that premiered a little over a year ago was no exception, as the movie had the recognizable aesthetic of the Avengers universe, but it also contained a scene in which the supervillain Thanos vanishes into the thin air. So, in this article, we are going to show you how you can create this effect in Filmora.

Making People in Your Videos Disappear Like Avengers

There are a couple of things you need to do before you start a new project in Filmora in order to make the effect work. The most important thing is to have the footage of the same scene with and without an actor in the shot. Moreover, having a complex background can make it somewhat difficult to sell the effect, which is why it is better to shoot a video in front of a monochrome background that contains only a few visual elements.

You won’t be able to make characters disappear from a shot like Thanos using only the Filmora’s built-in effects. However, you can fix this by installing the Martial Arts pack that is available for free on Filmora’s website. The pack contains 46 elements that are inspired by kung fu movies as well as 7 transitions, and you just have to log in to your Filmora account and hit the Download button. All transitions and elements from the pack are going to be automatically added to the Wondershare’s video editor immediately after the installation process is completed.

If you've subscribed the Filmstock. you can also download the elemental packs such as Fire, Air, Earth, Energy, Liquid, Sparks, or Water packs from Filmstock as well. Learn more about How to add Elemental Visual Effects to Video

Now that you have everything you need to make the characters in your videos disappear like Thanos, you should start a new project and add the footage to Filmora’s Media Panel. Place the video clip in which an actor is present in the shot and the one that contains only the background of that same shot next to each other on a video track in the editor’s timeline. Head over to the Transitions tab and locate the Erase transition by typing its name into the search bar. Drag and drop the transition at the location on the timeline where the first clip ends and the second one begins and then adjust the transition’s duration by dragging one of its ends to the left or to the right. Keep in mind that transition shouldn’t be too long, because it won’t look convincing.

Click on the Elements tab and search for Petals overlays from the Martial Arts pack. There are several different options available as you can choose between a number of variations of pink and gold petals. Add the overlay you like to most to the timeline and position it so that it starts shortly after the Erase transition. Double-click on the Petals overlay to bring up the Editing window and then click on the Color tab so that you can eliminate the color from the overlay. Reduce the Tint, Temperature, Contrast, Saturation and Brightness values all the way down to zero, so that the petals turn black and start resembling ash. Scroll down to the 3D LUT menu and select the B&W Film option, and click on the OK button to confirm the changes you’ve just made.

Right-click on the Petals overlay and select the Speed and Duration option in order to increase the speed at which the petals in your shot are moving. Lock the video track that contains the video clips you’re working with so that they cannot be moved place the playhead at the exact location where the Erase transition begins and click on the Preview Window. Reposition the Petals overlay so that the ash starts appearing at the same moment when a character starts disappearing. There is no limit to how many Petals overlays you can use to create this effect, but you must maintain the illusion of realism throughout the effect. Optionally, you can also add a few sound effects like the gust of wind or rustling leaves and combine them with some menacing music.

A Few Tricks That Will Help You Sell The Disappearance of the Characters from the Shot

The footage you use to create the disappearing effect has to be perfect in order for the effect to work. As we already explained this effect is created by placing two clips, one with and one without an actor next to each other. However, even the tiniest of discrepancies can break the illusion and ruin the effect.

Don’t Change the Camera Position – The trick is to convince the viewer that there was no cut between the two clips, so simply record a shot with an actor within the frame, then turn off the camera and record the exact same shot without an actor.

Don’t Change The Light – Avoid doing anything that will make two shots look even slightly different. This includes keeping the same light values in both shots.

Beware of the Continuity Errors – All objects in the foreground and the background have to remain in identical positions in both shots. If you have a half-full glass of water on a table in the first shot, make sure that the object, filled with the same amount of liquid remains at the same position in the second shot.

Bonus: More about the Martial Arts Visual Effects [Totally Free to Use in Filmora]

Conclusion

Replicating the disappearing effect from the Avengers: Infinity War is by no means a complicated process. However, you must have the footage and the video editing tools to create this effect on your own. Being creative and trying out different options can help you sell the effect, but you should also keep in mind that making the disappearing effect look realistic is your priority. Was this article helpful? Leave a comment and share your opinions with us.

Liza Brown

Liza Brown is a writer and a lover of all things video.

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