How to make Source Film Maker look good - Part 1 | The Essentials

Part 1 in my tutorial series on how to make Source Film Maker animations look good. This episode focuses on some of the basics and essential techniques that you should always have in mind.
I get a lot of requests for tutorials and questions for my work, so it's about time I made this!
Background music provided by Epidemic Sound:
www.epidemicso...
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Some of my Portal animations you might enjoy:
THIS IS APERTURE - • Portal - This Is Aperture
CAROL OF THE TURRETS - • Portal - Carol Of The ...
HELLO - • Portal - Hello
PIT SONG - • Portal - The Pit Song
DEFECTIVE - • Portal - Defective
IF I WERE A CORE - • Portal - If I Were A Core
THE WHEATLEY SONG - • Portal - The Wheatley ...
GLaDOS IS TO BLAME - • Portal - GLaDOS Is To ...
DUMB WAYS TO DIE - • Dumb Ways To Die - Por...
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You can also follow me here:
Twitter: / harry101uk
Facebook: / harry101uk
Tumblr: / harrycallaghan

[@bigcheeseslim5753]

Thanks Harry, very epic

[@TheWorldWideWebTheSqueakuel2]

everybody upvote this

[@GusBoone]

Very cool

[@eoinsexton8471]

@@TheWorldWideWebTheSqueakuel2 ok

[@EmailBacon]

Hey man i love your videos!!!

[@bigcheeseslim5753]

@@TheWorldWideWebTheSqueakuel2 yes that is good advice, we must beat Justin y

[@BonBunFilms]

Step 1: Let there be light. That's uh, God. I'm quoting God.

[@ghost2130Main]

Wow you have 1 million subs

[@jahluu6825]

🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@nekrasovinc9579]

oh hi

[@wasiplayseverything]

4th

[@Duggleftforthemilk]

Genesis 1:1

[@miffedcrew8868]

Thank you so much for the lighting tutorial, there is so much to learn with it:D The illustration of showing the light behind the turret was a great way to look at how shadows are cast. The radius is something I always struggle with as it doesn't seem to have the affect that I want on the scene, I will have another look following your video.

[@pksneeze6007]

It’s cool how the voice of this character is done by the core

[@JustinY.]

"How to make Source Film Maker good?" Easy. Just be good in the first place!

[@GusBoone]

Wow. The og is now retired. Rip Justin Y

[@dariannnnnn]

sure ok

[@smugloozr2524]

Are ya da real one ?

[@GusBoone]

@@smugloozr2524 he is. Check his channel.

[@lepyroshark1940]

lmao you're right

[@treyr9]

Although I don’t have SFM installed at the moment (thanks data limits) I applied the lighting tips in Gmod and boy does it look good. Thanks for this vid! (Also please do more stuff like this!)

[@grande1900]

9:27 "You can still make this look realistic" Yeah, Like as realistic as C-3PO in a Giant Gray Void can be!

[@K4RN4GE911]

"I'm Harry101UK and this is my Master Class."

[@chaoticproductions3922]

K4RN4GE911 I would like that except I want it on youtube

[@fridayisyourday]

Lifegacks with Harry

[@SirenFist]

How do you make yourself look so realistic in Source Filmmaker? _Wait..._

[@coconutegg5095]

He commissions a world-class model maker to, uh, make his model

[@gamerboygb6041]

He might have used a human base to model off of

[@StudiosSkyplands]

I just have one question, and one only : What is your job ? Because seing how much time it takes to create those pieces of art, i just can't believe you animate SFM as a hobby. You must be working in a godamn animation studio, like pixar or dreamworks. Please just tell us.

[@Crazylom]

You underestemidate deviant's determination. For him, at least

[@ultrasharkheadanimations6473]

You can make money from KZbin

[@StudiosSkyplands]

@@ultrasharkheadanimations6473 His upload rate and view ratio isn't enough to allow him to substain himself i believe. He must have a main source of revenue outside of youtube, which must be a side hobby in a way ...

[@mokow3732]

@@StudiosSkyplands he probably has a patreon.

[@Doctor_Straing_Strange]

You're alive! Wait... That's illegal

[@boogurl4055]

He's........Still Alive (Portal joke)

[@Doctor_Straing_Strange]

@@boogurl4055 Don't need the (parenthesis). I got it right away

[@gamerboygb6041]

Well believe me, I am still alive I also feel very fantastic

[@SergioEduP]

@@Doctor_Straing_Strange Some people may (not) get it

[@gamerboygb6041]

Eh... Just keep on trying 'till you run out of cake

[@CodeCio]

The legend says there is still someone waiting the Going Home 2...

[@kingofthefobbys3894]

VERY TRUE

[@OdysseyABMS]

they made a legend about like 520 thousand people

[@princessalyana3114]

That legend is a myth just like half life 3. it will never come. 🙂

[@Odraude2105]

Its me...

[@reeceperry8152]

ME

[@MrBump2]

I know it's only part 1, but wanted to say thanks for doing this. In my work experience, I mostly know Maya and render with V-Ray, so Source was pretty tricky and different to me, but I hope this helps a ton. Especially the technical aspects like the light radius. I'm so excited to see reflections in SFM. You're the man.

[@johnny-ms4fm]

Valve: *doesn’t update sfm to the current standard* Harry10UK: fine, I’ll do it myself

[@glados7294]

8:51 wait, you can actually buy mini turrets.... Shut up and take my money

[@EisenDrache125]

Yeah i give you 50$ for two Turrets.

[@Horsehater500]

there's funko pop turrets. they aren't even expensive!

[@littlesounder1932]

@@Horsehater500 I think he means way more like the game, not the cuter squished versions. Meaning looking exactly like the turret in the game just probably not the same size or else it'd be expensive.

[@Horsehater500]

Ivy Slater It does look like a turret? It's one of the only funkos that isn't ugly lol

[@littlesounder1932]

@@Horsehater500 I meant the turrets that look less uhm, cartoony per say? More like the original style, not eyes that take up the whole face and a bit of a weirder proportion, okay can we stop the argument now?

[@mikejr7727]

If I get into animation (which I might. My type of thing) it's great to have some tricks and tips for it! Thanks Harry, and cant wait for another animation.

[@thecosmicundead6894]

a person with a british accent actually posting a pretty good tutorial now this is what I call an excellent vid!

[@humanatee6639]

Try watching Davehax

[@DaNiLY]

Hey harry, you probably wont see this but i just wanna say thanks for this video, i still come back to it years on, and its a handy refresher, you're a great teacher!

[@Watcherprime_]

Awesome tutorial, just goes to show there are always more you can learn. Even after so many years of using SFM i'm still constantly improving for every next project. thanks for sharing!

[@jco_sfm]

With over a thousand hours on SFM I had no idea that radius was a thing. (probably because you can't see it while adjusting the setting) Thanks. I've learned something new.

[@playtestds]

I just have to say thank you. After watching that video, and working with the lights as you've described, my first artwork after the vid was just looking so good, just amazing. Many many many thanks! :D

[@caninec1836]

despite the fact that i don't use SFM, this could be pretty useful for drawing. (composoition, lighting, shadows...)

[@bxnkyyyy]

I saw one of your portal videos waaaaaaaaay back like radioactive portal version back, super happy to see you’re still making amazing content much love

[@TheDarkLordK]

Wow. Apparently, there's a lot more with lighting than I thought. Thank you, Harry! Please continue this series! =)

[@TCBStudios]

Thank you for being the person to finally explain what the radius slider does.

[@IceScorpion]

you for the mini comp course. Really helps

[@Videaprojaekt]

I'll probably don't use SFM ever, but this still taught me a ton of stuff about movies and also games :)

[@DaNiLY]

This is a very helpful start. Looking forward to the next parts! Also, I LOVE your voice, it’s nice to listen to.

[@fusionfury4437]

Amazing light tutorial, as someone who is switching to SFM and use it more and more often, it is really helpful. I do have ideas for what you could cover in tutorials: 1. How to create portals with the portal effect 2. How to better edit for SFM videos (Lens flares, blurs, etc) 3. Movement...everybody seems to either struggle with movement or lighting. 4. The camera...how can we make instant transitions or smoother camera angles? Stuff like that. Otherwise, great tutorial.

[@ALEX2014_]

Everyone: Wow cool Me: /Can't start SFM/

[@valoch3187]

That's very relevant problem on linux. It isn't fun.

[@ALEX2014_]

@@valoch3187 I'm on Windows. It isn't fun too.

[@gamerboygb6041]

Wipe the hard drive and install a slightly older OS, like Windows7

[@valoch3187]

@@gamerboygb6041 Better do dualboot (if it's a thing in Windows world).

[@hdew12354]

@@ALEX2014_ what error is it saying or does it just not show anything at all, if ya don't mind me asking?

[@CraigMansfield]

It's nice to listen to somebody who can speak English properly.

[@kakao_in_glass9528]

I don't have anything to do with SFM or animation in general I still watched the video and enjoyed it because it's from Harry.

[@000marioshi000]

Thank you very much for the tutorial Harry. I still have trouble with bounce lightings, but you probably get better at this stuff with practice. Either way, still very informative, keep it up!

[@dfs8606]

To let u know the bounce light of an object changes intensity depending on how bright the main light source is like for example I would prob make bounce light indoors more subtle if the light is not that bright and average but for sunlight I would prob make it more noticeable if it’s rly bright out

[@MsMegadude64]

WOW! These videos are so incredible and well thought out. I mean, they could make a short clip of P-Body slipping and falling on its rump because of a banana peel, and it would be more cinematic than most recent major motion picture releases.

[@intravine]

Hmmm... what to say? Meow..?

[@corrye3429]

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

[@raflamar4146]

*_OMFG HE SAID IT OMG EVERYONE RUN HE IS A MONSTER BEAST SLASHER WITH INFINITE N-WORD PASSES HIDDEN AWAY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA_*

[@Awesom3Andr0id]

Woof

[@intravine]

@@princedeven5829 haha

[@terraman446]

Terra man youtube Chanel

[@ssbatt]

Incredible. This truly helps out by giving out detailed examples and visual queues. Thank you for making this tutorial for those who need it!

[@sansational15]

Close your eyes… All I hear is Wheatley giving me an SFM tutorial.

[@JustBaal]

Very nice to see professionals put there time and effort for us to learn how they did there work and how we as artist can be better at what we do by learning from them! Awesome video! :)

[@powerful7845]

Harry you have never failed to impress... I tried photoshop and found there was way too many options that I got overwhelmed.

[@mrsuit8210]

Where’s part two?

[@heeeeeresrossy]

Great tutorial. Btw, you definitely have a great voice for radio, if someone hasn't already told you.

[@waddarf4628]

13:51, yes, i have a question, how to launch SFM?

[@Naleksuh]

Open steam and search for "source filmmaker" And keep in mind it will not show up in your games instead you must hover over library and press Software

[@imaginingRealities]

So every 6 months you make three two videos. Every of them are professional because of your hard work and how much time you take. Cool

[@imaginingRealities]

Who liked my comment-

[@itscazsu]

its been over a year now, please give us a part two!

[@autisticblood5123]

I'll keep this video in check when the day comes for me getting Source Filmmaker

[@AteIes]

He didnt made a part 2 did he?

[@Sillimant_]

This is fascinating, I've never even opened SFM but it's interesting to see all the extra little things you can do

[@alexl2993]

I have a question: How do you have such unique assets, as in how do you make the skins for the cores and the different eyes. Also how do you give the cores a management rail, I cant find that asset in the original game files with the ability to freely move the joints on it. Also it would be amazing to know how you made the physics simulations on the dumb ways to die video, also how you animated the characters, basically how you made the entire video.

[@Kronos10101]

Yes all of it

[@jco_sfm]

I think he makes some of his own 3D models, but most of the ones I tend to see in his work are from the content packs portal 2, black mesa, left4dead, and the steam workshop. Doing something like changing the color of a model or editing a piece of it isn't all that hard, and something that he does a lot of. You can find tutorials for that online. If you just want some cool eye colors for the cores without bothering to edit textures, there is a core model on the steam workshop that comes with alternative eye colors On the topic of management rails, the original game doesn't actually have a model for that. Your best bet is trying to find some other rail shaped thing. Just search for rail and you should be able to find something that works. Physics is something you have to animated by hand, just keep messing with keyframes until it looks right. Animation In general is one of those things were there's no easy way to do it, (appart from mocap, Wich can be expensive). The best advice I can give is animate robots instead of people. Its a lot easier to get passable animations out of a robot than a person. I hope I have been helpful.

[@PopExtra]

yeah. i love your animations and how you good to audio edit so it sounds like charecters in portal and others. it mutch be so fun and hard at the same time.

[@renametowhatuwant4174]

Why do I need to make SFM look good when you look so good already? Also, I have no need for this skill, but watched it anyway because it was interesting, y'know, just in case?

[@idontlikethis980]

Wonderful can't wait for the next one

[@settings9860]

quick tip: if you ever look at shadows close to like a bright light or something in a room in your house or something you can see the shadow looks sharper and has multiple shadows around it some are darker some are lighter and if you put the shadow at a farther distance you can see the multiple shadows spreading out but if you move it closer they all come back closer to eachother

[@sulphurous2656]

Suddenly I don't feel comfortable anymore about the countless hours I spent towards discovering all the tricks to put the materials and lighting on par with dedicated 3D rendering engines... Better get to work with building my new workstation then!

[@Azure_Gust931]

The multiple light sources really bring more realistic

[@DragonxFlutter]

I don’t even create animations and I enjoyed this video! It was very interesting to see a bit of the process!

[@daviduprichard8343]

The bounce lighting blew my mind lol

[@charlesgouin3611]

You haven't changed! I remember when I had you as a friend on Steam and noticed you were on source film maker all day every day. That was when you were working on your "This is Science" video.

[@goldenlapp]

I just realised the better the animation, the longer it takes to make the animation

[@TrioLOLGamers]

So you are recreating a less sophisticated Ray Tracing with an old engine and creating light bouncing on walls by yourself? Great Job!!!

[@agilitykissa]

Harry is it really you?!?

[@thyenergiser6852]

No it's a deepfake

[@mudshrooze]

Bro.....your voice is a gift

[@scavysaimon2637]

I really appreciate this tutorial, everything is simple and smoothly presented.

[@cloveland2210]

Now I wonder what might be in part 2 of Making sfm look decent?

[@russanandres]

Гарри, мы все ждём, дай хотя-бы намёк что ты делаешь видео🙏🙏🙏

[@CHEESEPUFF_7]

It was very kind of you to do this

[@MaxLebled]

Nice work!

[@EpicLPer]

Still mad that they broke particle shadows and never fixed them again... Had so many projects using those (especially with moving grass) and they’re all broken now...

[@kozyisback]

This has helped me out so much! Part 2 plzzzzz!

[@BreadcrumbMC]

WOW so this is how you make your awesome portal animations! I want to do this

[@BreadcrumbMC]

can you make a video on making Cores??????????

[@Kriskey_]

My film class last year always forgot the Rule of Thirds. Thats why they had D’s. Freshmen suck.

[@jksparkle2799]

Really? That was something I had to learn in my video production class as an 8th grader.

[@WilburJaywright]

This is the story of Tat the Mazer core. Tat was mazing. The facility main frame told him what mazes to maze, how to maze them, and in what order. While other cores might consider this an impractical use of processing power, Tat relished in his job, which he did every second, of every hour, of every day, of every year. But one day, something happened. Some thing that would change the facility forever, and Tat. One day, the narrator core was reading the story of Tat aloud into his microphone. But as he was reading, he was interrupted by the sound of the studio door opening. Frustrated, he paused and turned around to find that he had been interrupted not by the Director, but by Tat, of whom he had been reading the story about. Shocked by this effectual logical recursion trap of story character appearing in his recording booth, the narrator core *BOOM!*

[@thehardnar]

you died again?

[@richardrichard4521]

Damn man, excited to see what's next!

[@zap_tom4412]

if you make an New Reading Your comments please show my comment. I love ur vids btw

[@takunrr6864]

How much I wish you’d release more portal stuff

[@trigger7ff6]

It just works, it just works.

[@soularchr]

This here is the reason why Harry's animation videos take so long, he wants to make all of his videos the best they possibly can be! Please be patient for whatever you're waiting for, he's doing as best as he can!

[@Breadn]

Your videos don't even look like they were made in SFM, well done!

[@illythedizzy]

hi Harry! I was wanting to ask for a VERY long time but where do you source your bitmaps/matcaps for reflective surfaces? iv been looking for a while and maybe not hard enough but I can't really find anything lol. (I'm a blender 2.8 noob 😂) thanks for making amazing animations and inspiring me to pick up 3d models lol. have a lovely Christmas!

[@dikiari]

Pls make another video this was really helpful

[@catooloo5139]

This is the series I've been waiting for

[@tpavlov]

Maybe the fourth part of "Reading your comments"? If you really posted this video, and you read my comment under *your beautiful video* , then my respect. Oh yes, 2 *questions* : How much would you rate your personal computer on a ten-point scale? Can you honk like a car? _:D_

[@markguyton2868]

How to make SFM good? Don't use the Wrangler with it's laser... Good tutorial and explanation of the thirds rule.

[@EliaForce1984ita]

It'd be nice if you could make a more in depth tutorial on this, maybe showing the entire creation of a full shot without cuts, that would be really helpful! Either way, this was a very useful and educational tutorial, I learned a lot of new theory things about lights that I can also apply on Blender! Thanks Also, I have a question: is it possible to completely disable the lights that are pre-built in the TF2 and HL2 maps so they're pitch black and I can build the lighting on my own?

[@gdeajsplatoon1812]

Fact core, since you and the other cores are working in the facility. Did you know a Cylon base is underneath you. If so, you, Wheatley, space, and rick should save a pearl and a Lapis. Or they will take their powers away and use them to concur the world.

[@phoenixtheceikraill]

Thanks for the lighting tutorial, i been looking on how to make my shadows more...real, tired of the sharpness.

[@jpegwithallthecrust2649]

Thanks for posting this, it's incredibly helpful.

[@nothingbutbread1876]

Nice work.

[@mayzdev]

Make more portal animations with the space core

[@demonicsplinter]

I think it would be fantastic to have one of these about particles and liquids

[@Martintex]

Idk about you guys, but I would watch a 7 hours long livestream of Harry animating the next video

[@crescentmp3]

Heylo (that's my hello), Harry! I understand that you put a lot of effort in your videos and it takes time to finish the animations. I can wait months if you need, but i wont rush. You can go slow and make sure it is okay

[@randy_hato]

i love trying to learn how to make shadows in 3d genre art i love making posters rn as i want to learn making ONE frame at first so i can get to know lighting first. posing i have learnt, and lighting am learning, Animation i will start ones the shadows are learnt. anyways Thanks alot

[@KaydogEntertainment]

Btw my question is can you take us outside of the facility and show us? I really want to see outside it since I played portal 1

[@hardrockinhere]

Wonder when part 2 is coming out

[@Echo-22-538]

This is nice, I love Harry101UK! People say "Cringe" I say "Awesome". I also have been doing SFM for a couple months and my SFM looks so bad. But I have many "Looker-up-to-ers". Harry101UK, is one of them.

[@SolarKid123]

Can’t wait for the next one! Also include what you do in Adobe Premiere and After Effects.

[@The_asdfghjkl]

I must have that mini turret figure.

[@apololol2321]

thx for teaching you have a lot of expirence and talent

[@nicholesdorey7453]

It so good looking, it looks like rtx allways good looking keep up the good work :)