--- title: "Long Shadow" url: "https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/long-shadow.html" description: "Universe Long Shadow adds a shadow to any text (or other object) you select. The shadow extends off the edges of the composition in whatever distance or …" --- # Long Shadow Universe ## LONG SHADOW ![av-club-main](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Long-Shadow_universe.jpg) Universe Long Shadow adds a shadow to any text (or other object) you select. The shadow extends off the edges of the composition in whatever distance or angle you prefer. --- #### Getting Started ![Premiere_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/premiere-pro_universe.png) ![AfterEffects_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/after-effects_universe.png) ![FinalCutPro_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/final-cut-pro-x_universe.png) ![Motion_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/motion_universe.png) ![Vegas_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/sony-vegas-pro_universe.png) ![Resolve_icon](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/resolve_universe.png) ![Image: avidmedia_universe.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/avidmedia_universe.png) - In Premiere, After Effects, Final Cut Pro, Motion, Sony Vegas Pro, and Hit Film, drag the **uni.Long Shadow** effect onto your clip. - In Resolve, you'll need to follow a few extra steps: - Have your text on a video track above your footage's video track.\ ![keyed](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/keyed-760x177_universe.png) - Create a Compound Clip from your text, select it, and head into the *Color* view of Resolve's interface. - Within the *Node* window of Resolve, sever the default link between the text's node and the output. - Add a new *Corrector* node and *Alpha* output within the Node interface. - Create links from the Text's RGB and Alpha outputs to the newly created Corrector Node's RGB and alpha inputs. - Then create links from the Corrector node's RGB and Alpha outputs to the final outputs for RGB and alpha, respectively. - With your Corrector node selected, key out the black background from your text, and click *Invert* to flip the key around. - Right-click in the Node interface and select *Use OFX Alpha.* - Apply Long Shadow to your Text node --- ### Presets Fifteen handy, preconfigured presets come ready to help you implement the shadow look you want in seconds. Find these via the blue **Open Dashboard...** button or the **Choose a Preset...** button below it. ![Image: Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_presets.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_presets.png) As with all other Universe tools, you can modify or create a Long Shadow look and then save it under its own name by pressing the **Save Preset...** button. --- ### Modifying the Effect - **Angle** controls the angle at which the shadow extends from the source. - **Length** controls how far the shadow extends from the source. - **Color** lets you adjust the shadow's tint by using a color swatch or eyedropper tool. - **Shadow Opacity** adjusts the shadow's translucency. - **Expansion** grows the shadow outward from itself, including the source. The following example shows Expansion at 0 (the default, left) and at 5 (right).\ ![Image: Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Expansion.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Expansion.png) - **Source Crop** will limit the source to which the shadow has been applied to from the left (Crop 1) or right (Crop 2). Check the **Enable Crop** box to turn on the feature, then adjust the two crop point locations as desired. This illustration shows how we used the two crop points to constrain our shadow effect to only the central four letters.\ ![Image: Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Crop.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Crop.png) - **Mask** controls allow you to add and adjust (using standard position, shadow, and width controls) a mask for the shadow. Turn the feature on by checking Enable Mask, then check **Show Mask** if you need to alter the mask's orientation. As you can see in our first example image (left), default values may make the mask too large to gauge its dimensions and position. In such cases, we recommend beginning with lowering **Feather Size** to a very low value to sharpen the mask's edges. We kept the mask Shape as a rectangle (the other option is **Ellipse**) and used the positioning, dimension, and angle controls to mask the word NOSE. The Invert checkbox let us mask everything *except* NOSE.\ ![Image: Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Mask.png](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/Resources/Images/Uni_Stylize_LongShadow_Mask.png) - **Composite Over Source**adds the shadow to the source. Disabling this will hide the source, leaving only the shadow. *Fun Fact:* Why "The Shadow Nose"? Because we're here to talk about a shadow effect, noses very often cast shadows, and we can't resist a lame dad joke. If you're familiar with U.S. popular entertainment from the days before TV, then you already know what evil lurks in the hearts of men. And if you don't know, maybe [read this](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow). --- ### Get Inspired! Long Shadow is great on its own, but simple shadows can be just the beginning! Watch the following two-minute video to see what happens when we combine Long Shadow with [Universe Turbulence Noise](https://help.maxon.net/rg/en-us/Content/html/turbulence-noise.html.md).