I recently came across an After Effects plugin named PixSort which creates a very cool and glitchy pixel drifting effect for videos and images. It was PC only at the time I found it, but I sent a quick tweet out to the plugin’s creator and he messaged me a day later saying he ported it. Whoa!
I’m still getting the hang of After Effects in general, but here’s my first experiment with PixelSort and one of my one tracks (which is a new song I wrote using my BitRanger synth).
What is “Pixel Sorting”?
Pixel Sorting is an algorithmic method of creating glitch art. The effect seems to grab pixel areas of a certain brightness or color, and drag them across the rest of the image. One of my favorite tools for creating pixel sorted glitch images is Pixel Drifter, which also allows you to export frames of the sorting as it happens, which makes for cool animations.
Should I get PixSort?
If you like glitch art and have After Effects, I’d highly recommend this effect. Not bad for just $15.
