DIGITAL PHOTOGRAPHY AND IMAGING - WEEK 10

WEEK 10 (15/6/2023)

15th June 2023 (Week 10)

Lim Jia Zhen / 0349294
Digital Photography and Imaging / Bachelor of Mass Communication (Hons) in Advertising and Brand Management
Project 3 / After Effects Exercise

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Lectures: Intro to After Effects

Adobe After Effects is a 2.5D animation software used for animation, visual effects, and motion picture compositing. It is used in film, TV, and web video creation. This software is used in the post-production phase, and has hundreds of effects that can be used to manipulate imagery. This allows you to combine layers of video and images into the same scene.

Adobe After Effects takes a different approach for creating movement. Motion graphics animation works by manipulating vector and rasterized art to create and tell a story. You can integrate physical based media as well through photographs and videography.

Compositing Layers in Photoshop

Basically Photoshop is a platform to compositing the layers. All the layers need to be arrange and rename accordingly so that it will be organise and easy to be animated in After Effects. 

Compositing Layers in After Effects

Adobe After Effects is a digital visual effects, motion graphics, and compositing application. We can import elements such as images, video, vector and more into After Effects. 

All the layer elements need to be organised and synchronised to the external software platforms such as Photoshop & Illustrator. After Effects files does not embed its media, it links to it.

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Tutorial

Mr Fauzi showed us an AFTER EFFECT LIVE DEMO and advanced keyframes  during Tutorial class. 

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Practical 

In this exercise, we are required to download and animate the image below using Adobe After Effects.

Figure 1.1 PSD Image

Work-in-progress:

Firstly. I imported the image to Adobe After Effects then I selected the typewriter and placed the position keyframes on the time ruler so the typewriter could enter the frame by rising from the bottom.

Figure 1.2 Typewriter Position

Then I created a mask layer for the fencer. I selected the fencer and placed the mask path keyframes on the time ruler so the fencer could appear in the frame from from bottom to top.

Figure 1.3 Fencer Mask Path Position

Next, I selected the shark and placed the position keyframes on the time ruler, then I drag the shark out of the frame diagonally, so the shark could enter the frame diagonally.

Figure 1.4 Shark Position

Then I created a mask layer for the projector. I selected the projector and placed the mask path keyframes on the time ruler so the projector could appear in the frame from from bottom to top.

Figure 1.5 Projector Mask Path Position

Then I added another layer called "MOVE". This is to control all the other layers and make them move, shake, rotate, etc. So I added the Position keyframes to the time ruler and make all the layers move up and down, because I want to make the outcome look like the image is shaking.

Figure 1.6 Move

To make the animation look more interesting, I then added the Rotation keyframes to each of the object layers' time ruler so all the objects could rotate. I also added motion blur to all the objects.

Figure 1.7 Rotate

Lastly, I added the Scale keyframes to the MOVE layer time ruler so all the other layers have a zoom in and zoom out effect for the ending.

Figure 1.8 Zoom In, Zoom Out

Final Animation

Figure 1.9 Final Animation