After Effects | COMD 411 01 | Spring 2011: February 2011

Week 6: Feb 24, 2011

TYPE—PART 2

review: editable text from photoshop and illustrator
character and paragraph tools
animating text manually

create a text guide
animate back to front (set end keyframes first)

animating text paths

select the text layer
create a mask
use mask as path

using text animators

text attribute options
text animator envelopes
animating the offset: animator > range selector
advanced options: "based on" (characters, words, lines)

Student Work: Project #3

Student Work: Project #2

Geometric Shapes

John B: http://vimeo.com/20319391
Jacob B: http://vimeo.com/20328041
Anna F: http://vimeo.com/20319857
Nora G: http://vimeo.com/20317845
Mike G: http://vimeo.com/20318526
Chris P: http://vimeo.com/20315398
Sarah S: http://vimeo.com/20317472

Inspiration 02.17.11: Creative uses of masks

You can use masks to create animations of morphing shapes. As you watch Jane Aaron's "Set in Motion", think of how you could animate mask paths on color solids to mimic the effect of the stop motion lines traveling across the environment.

Jane Aaron - Set in Motion (1987)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0efertdbm2I

Project #4: A Ten Letter Word

Due date: February 24, 2011

Animation:
Select a 10 letter word (e.g. greasewood) and music of your choice. In 30 seconds, spell out the word letter by letter and then bring on the entire word. You can create letters using either After Effects or importing them from another program.

Note: Because of the time constraint, I would suggest for you to animate the 10 individual letters quickly and spend more time bringing in the full word.

Specs:
1280x720, square pixels, 29.97 fps, h264 compression

Inspiration 02.17.11-03.03.11: Typography

Interview with Kyle Cooper
http://vimeo.com/9020112

Non-Digital/Natural Materials:
Jesse Zanzinger: Refraction—The Alphabet
http://vimeo.com/17509873
Ed Aclerman and Collin Morton: Primiti Too Taa
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KcrTzPAUqic&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Telling a Story:
Matthew Rogers: Stephen Fry Kinetic Typography—Language
http://vimeo.com/15412319
Curious Pictures: Nike—The Girl Effect
http://www.vimeo.com/13554052

Complex Type Animation:
Sebastian Lange: Flickermood 2.0
http://vimeo.com/3302330
Sehsucht: Mercedes-Benz Bas Child
http://vimeo.com/7522026

Visit these sites for good text animation references:
The Art of the Title Sequence:
http://www.artofthetitle.com/
Forget the Film, Watch the Titles:
http://www.watchthetitles.com/
IFC: 50 best title sequences of all tiems
http://www.ifc.com/news/2011/02/the-50-greatest-opening-title.php?page=11Passion Pictures (typography):
http://www.passion-pictures.com/flash.html#page=k11

Week 5: Feb 17, 2011

PRE-COMPING AND NESTING:

how to pre-comp
why pre-comp
nesting comps

References:
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/preston_bryan/precomp.php
* Ignore the sections about "Applying Effects" and "Rendering for Avid" as we didn't cover the first and won't go into the second.

SOLIDS:

creating a solid layer

layer > new > solid or "Command + Y"

editing solid layer settings

layer > solid settings or "Shift + Command + Y"

MASKS:

creating a mask

select a layer
use a pen tool or any of the geometry tools (rectangle, ellipse, etc) to apply a path

mask states

add, subtract, intersect, lighten, darken, difference

mask transforms

path, feather, opacity expansion

animating mask paths

References:
http://www.adobepress.com/articles/article.asp?p=1661078

TYPE—PART 1:

importing text: Convert to Editable Text

Photoshop file: import into AE, place in comp, right-click > Convert to Editable Text
Illustrator file: export as psd file, import into AE, place in comp, right-click > Convert to Editable Text

creating text in AE: type tool ("Command + T")

References:
http://help.adobe.com/en_US/aftereffects/cs/using/WSB0C11C4A-7F82-4fdf-81DD-3E39B052541Aa.html

Project #3: Deconstructing Logos

Due date: Feb 17, 2011

Animation:
Create three animations of 7 to 10 seconds each, in which you build up and then take apart a logo or symbol of your choice. You can choose to focus on one logo and create three different animations or use three different logos. Make sure the shape you choose is complex enough for an interesting animation.

Your logos MUST be a layered illustrator vector file.

Specs:

1280x720, square pixels, 29.97 fps, h264 compression

Hints:

Don't forget to turn on continuous rasterization when you animate (see image below).
Place your logo elements on SEPARATE LAYERS and not simply sub-layers (see image below). After Effects does not recognize sub-layers and will import your file as flat.
Import your file as a "Composition—retain layer size".

Continuously Rasterize

ai layers vs. sublayers

Inspiration 02.10.11: Deconstructing Logos

Chermayeff & Geismar
Logomotion Detail 1: http://vimeo.com/10388543
Library of Congress: http://vimeo.com/10262031
Amnesty International: http://vimeo.com/10259987

Clim: Atzucac Films

http://vimeo.com/4811769

Big Spaceship: Pretty Loaded

www.prettyloaded.com

- This website features an archive of flash animation for web-site loaders. Some of the examples can give you inspiration into your logo assignment. Sit through a few to get some ideas, keeping in mind our motion lessons.

2010 Motion Graphics Design Census

Check out the latest statistics about the field of motion graphics—from work hours to salary, education background, age, etc...

http://motiongraphicdesigncensus.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/01/2010_MGDC_RESULTS.pdf

Week 4: Feb 10, 2011

MOTION (continued):

keyframes (continued)

rove across time

parenting

to layers
to null objects

using illustrator paths as motion paths:

Open Adobe Illustrator and from Edit>Preferences>Files & Clipboard menu turn on AICB with Preserve Paths selected

auto orient
motion blur
title/action safe

WORKING WITH FOOTAGE:

importing/working with photoshop layers
working with illustrator layers: continuous rasterization

Inspiration 02.03.11: Geometric Shapes

Use these animations as inspiration for your "Geometric Shapes" project. Pay attention to the mood, rhythm, motion and scene changes.

Tim Finn: CMYoKay

http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi3333134361/

Frater Films: Youth Music Box

http://vimeo.com/6248465

Studio AKA: BUPA Fell Better campaign

http://www.studioaka.co.uk/#/work-bupafeelbettercampaign

Janet Perlaman: Sorry Film Not Ready

http://vimeo.com/17849456

Frater Films: Oxfam Swap It

http://vimeo.com/2979309

Project #2: Geometric Shapes

Due date: February 10, 2011

Chose a soundtrack with good rhythm and create a 30 second animation using geometric shapes.

Assets:
The shapes can be created in Illustrator or Photoshop. Keep your design tasteful but as simple as possible—the aim is to practice animation skills.

Animation:
You can use any transform attributes we covered: position, rotation, scale, opacity. Use the "ancor point" transform to change the center of your object when needed (for example, when you want to scale your object from the base as opposed to the center).

Use a variety of shapes and/or scenes—don't have the entire 30 seconds be two circles spinning around on a screen. Whatever you do, make sure it goes with the music.

Specs:

Format: 1280 x 720 @ 29.97 fps
Render: quicktime with h264 compression or mpeg4. Make sure to render with audio!

Reference: (also posted in the inspiration section)
* Some of these videos may contain animation a bit fancier than what we covered. Focus on the mood, the speed and ponder how you could achieve similar results could be achieved using the transform attributes.

Tim Finn: CMYoKay
http://www.imdb.com/video/wab/vi3333134361/
Frater Films: Youth Music Box
http://vimeo.com/6248465
Studio AKA: BUPA Fell Better campaign
http://www.studioaka.co.uk/#/work-bupafeelbettercampaign
Janet Perlaman: Sorry Film Not Ready
http://vimeo.com/17849456
Frater Films: Oxfam Swap It
http://vimeo.com/2979309