Timely, Daniel Broadway uses old-school point tracking to bear the various particle beam styles that are inspired throughout the Star Trek franchise history. Starting with the TNG style suing the After Effects Beam Effect, and modifies it to create something a little more realistic.
This tutorial shows how to replicate the particle weapon effect of phasers, seen in the popular science fiction franchise, Star Trek
Daniel uses the Dancing Dissolve layer blending style to create the particle look that is often associated with the Star Trek Beams, and provides some great tips for creating glows in After Effects and why the standard Glow Effect would not work well in this case. Check out the tutorial for Creating the Old and New Star Trek Phaser Effects on a Live Action Plate with After Effects here.