WalkCycle
I started this animation by creating a rough sketch of the character in my sketchbook. Then from that, I created the character in illustrator by experimenting with shapes, styles and proportions.
After I finished my character I separated everything into generic layers ex: right leg, left leg, head etc. Then I decided to create a brick-like background for the character to which I added an isometric stone tiled floor to, for some 3 dimensionality. Then I topped it off with two lights on the wall. Then I grouped the whole background into one layer.
After that, I went back to the skeleton character and divided its layers further ex: right hand, right arm, right palm etc. Then I created a new 1920 * 1080 composition in after effects and imported the illustrator file along with a walk cycle video as a guide. Here I animated the rotation and position of the character's body parts starting from the limbs.
Once the character animation was done I animated the light in a different composition by linking all the bigger light rays to the smaller ones and then animating that one. Then I added two of that composition into a new one containing the background and placed the lights. Then I put 3 of that last composition into a new one where I animated the position of the background to make it look as if it is moving.
The next step was to match the character with the background's speed and loop the whole animation. I struggled a bit to do this part. But I managed to do this by shortening the background's speed till both it and the character's frame matched the ones at the start.
Some mistakes that I had done along the process are, I had switched names for two of my assets which confused me for a bit but then I fixed them. I also had to go back and separate the light into individual layers and reimport the illustrator file to add in these new layers, since after effects only updates existing layers and does not show new ones, which is a bit inconvenient. I also had to adjust the length of several compositions while working since I had to start certain duplicates earlier than the rest.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/EB5L0275ag4
Principles of animation used: Timing & motion, Arcs (within the skeleton's body movement), slow in slow out and appeal.
The character sketch:
Initials Exercise
For this exercise, I first separated all the individual parts needing to be animated, into separate layers. Then I created the strokes, to be used as masks, in separate layers. Once that was done I imported the illustrator file into after effects. There I animated the corner piece and the initials in two separate compositions, by using masking and trim paths. Then I inserted them both into another composition where I adjusted their placement.
This exercise was quite easy to follow through but I found difficulty in matching the two strokes used for the initials. I solved this issue by playing with the stroke size and giving the strokes a rounded cap.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/qPiDAJ3dO-Y
Principles of animation used: Staging (the initials are the first and last to be animated), appeal and timing.
The strokes which were used as masks:
Butterfly Exercise
Hello
I started this animation by writing down the word hello in illustrator, using the pencil tool and then adjusting it with the direct selection tool. Once satisfied with my design, I imported the .ai file into after effects, added trim paths and animated the end path. Then I gave the key points some easy ease using the hotkey F9.
Then I decided to take it a step further to add some more interest. For this, I precomposed the composition and replicated it 3 more times. Then I gave them different colours by playing around with the change colour tool and gave them different starting times. For this animation, I also experimented with different backgrounds which I decided to not include in the reel for simplicity and continuity. In that version, I also looped the animation by pre-composing the animation, replicating it 3 times, trimming all the compositions' endpoints, sequencing the layers through keyframe assistant and reversing the 2nd and 4th compositions.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/-9uiOiAa8Q0
Link to the older version (using a background): https://youtu.be/4mBaTBnegKI
Principles of animation used: slow in slow out and follow through (through the use of the different colours).
Rotating Planets Exercises
For this animation, I created 3 circles, different in shape and colour and gave them different positions. Then I moved the earth's anchor point to the middle of the sun and did the same with the moon anchoring it to the earth. thus was done, because the rotation will be done according to the location of the anchor point. Then I linked the moon to the earth and animated the moon and the earth's rotation. Something which I found a bit tedious was having to adjust the element's size and position to make sure they have good spacing between each other while not leaving too much or too little room from the composition's border.
3D Planet Rotation
I started off this animation by creating two circles representing the earth and the moon. Then I moved the moon to its position through its anchor point to keep the moon's anchor point in the middle of the earth so it can rotate around it. Once that was done, I animated the moon's position as well as its scale so it will look larger when it is closer to the viewer. Lastly, I split the earth's layer into two using the hotkeys Shift + Ctrl +D and then positioned the last part of the earth's layer underneath the moon's (creating a sandwich with the moon in the middle). This was done to allow the moon to go behind the earth when it is rotating.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/5c1VvZ75Inw
Principles of animation used: slow in slow out, secondary action (being the moon to the earth in the first one).
The earth's layer split into two with the moon's layer in the middle
Dividing Blobs
This animation was done to test out the 'reflect' function mentioned in the first point of my class notes. I started this animation by creating two circles with different colours and linked both of them to a null object. then I animated one's position and reflected that action to the other circle. I did this by opening the non-animated circle's code panel by pressing atl, linking its position to the position of the animated circle and then adding *-1 at the end of its code.
Once that was done I animated the circle's opacity, duplicated the keyframes and added the loop out in the coding of both the opacity and the position of both layers. Then I precomposed this animation made a duplicate of it and changed the duplicate's starting time. I did this to increase the number of circles shown within a loop.
To give the circles the merging effect I added in an adjustment later on top of them which has a fast box blur and a levels effect where I played around with their settings to get my desired effect.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/UxxROzXRL_c
The effects used to create the blob-like effect
Rotating Hexagon
For this animation, I created 6 solids, switched on the 3D layer feature, rotated all their Y rotation to 90 degrees and formed them in a shape of a hexagon. Then I duplicated these solids and moved their duplicates behind them. This was done by using the top 3D view for clarity. Afterwards, I added in a camera, animated its position to go through the hexagon tunnel and animated its rotation. After that, I inserted the Dividing Blobs animation into after effects and replaced the solids with this video by selecting all the pannels then dragging and dropping the video on the solids while pressing the alt button.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/VLp8nmxPnSI
Principles of animation used: appeal (through the colour used)
The 3D top view used to animate the camera going in the hexagon tunnel
Box Exercises
Box exercise 1
Box 1 Animation link: https://youtu.be/UE6gXcrkeic
The cube in action
Box exercise 2
In this animation, I created two squares next to each other and moved their position through their anchor to touch each other's edges while keeping their anchor points on top of each other. Then, I scaled one square's side towards its anchor point and animated it being scaled back up while the other one is scaled down. After that, I used the corner pin tool to animate the height of the corners at the edge decreasing and increasing for more depth. Then finally, I used the hue/saturation effect to change the colours of the shrinking side of the cube to a darker hue while the other side gets lighter.
Box 2 Animation link: https://youtu.be/qGXWvRlroeU
The effects used for this animation
Box exercise 3
In this animation, I first created and positioned all my squares. Then I placed all the anchor points to their folding edges and linked all of them together, with the square at the centre linked to a null. After that, I enabled the 3D feature and animated their rotation to 90 degrees forming a 3D cube. Then I finally animated the null's position and orientation to make the whole cube rotate while being animated. Different 3D views were used for this animation to see properly what was going on.
Box 3 Animation link: https://youtu.be/qPSeIIYCBuY
stopwatches used for this animation
Box exercise 4
To start off this animation, I created a square and moved its anchor point to the bottom right edge. Then I rotated it to the right by 90 degrees. There I added a null, linked the cube to it and then did the same rotation on it. Then I repeated this process one more time. After that, I went back to the start of the animation and added some other rotations to add some anticipation and added CC Bend It to bend the corners of this part of the animation for some extra appeal.
Box 4 Animation link: https://youtu.be/InjLedX_j2g
The square with its anchor to the bottom right
Principles of animation used: solid drawing (boxes 1, 2 & 3), timing and motion (box 1 since it is smaller in size it moves faster due to it being lighter in weight and size), arcs (boxes 3 & 4), anticipation (box 4) and exaggeration (box 4).
Mcdonalds Test
Principles of animation used: secondary action (through the use of the shadow).
The assets prepared in illustrator
Creating The Reel
For the reel, I exported and imported the exercises as .wav files and put them in a new composition. There I put them in order and adjusted their length and speed by using time stretch. I did this to match the pace and length of a few clips, such as the first box exercises, which as a result have a rhythmic pattern. Here I also added some texture to the animation by adding an adjustment layer on top of all the animations and then adding some effects to it. These effects include Fractal Noise, where I played around with its brightness and contrast, Noise, Colour Balance (HLS) and Venetian Blinds. This was done to create a more grungy/vintage look to the animation.
Animation link: https://youtu.be/qIrMsv4j_Vw
Effects used on the adjustment layer
Class Notes:
- To link the two object's speeds but in reverse: open coding add *-1 at the end of the code.
- Alt-drag and drop to replace assets but keep the same attributes like position, scale etc.
