Introduction

The Friendly Ghost Effect, despite the specificity of its name, is more of an all-purpose supernatural effect than it is simply a "ghost maker." It's a technique that can be used (with minor variations) to produce the "incredible vanishing boy" (or girl)you've probably seen this effect in old science fiction or horror films as the main character holds his hand up to his face and stares in disbelief at his own disintegrating flesh...

The effect can also be used to create a "visitor from another dimension" by reducing and increasing opacity over time using keyframes to show the visitor gradually becoming more solid looking as they enter our dimension. (Keyframes are explained in detail in Chapter 1: The Retro Title Effect.) Once you have mastered this technique, you'll no doubt invent some of your own applications for this supernatural effect.

In addition to the opacity controls used to produce the Friendly Ghost Effect, believe it or not Premiere Elements provides an additional effect called, literally, "Ghosting." This effect creates a residual copy of the actor's movements in the clip and adds an eerie look to an already other-worldly scene. While the addition of the "Ghosting" effect works perfectly in the context of the Friendly Ghost Effect, it wouldn't apply to the "vanishing boy," or the "visitor from another dimension" scenarios.

Have fun with this one: It's an easy-to-do effect that's a huge hit with the kids. It's an effect that can be used over and over again in your own horror movies or horror comedies and spoofs ("horror- dies?").