Timeline

The timeline workshop required us to place the 25 frames we collated from an existing piece of kinetic type onto a timeline outlining the duration of the video. In the first task we were required to place the frames we collected at regular intervals onto a timeline. The kinetic type example I used was 1:15 / 75 seconds (cropped from 1:17 / 77 seconds due to irrelevant frames towards the end of the piece - it simply consisted of creators name etc). We initially had to split the timeline into 10 regular intervals (of 7.5 sec) and again into 25 intervals - although the initial frame was at 3 sec - at 3 second intervals.

10 intervals:  0:075 - 0:15 - 0:22:50 - 0:30 - 0:37:50 - 0:45 - 0:52:50 - 1:00 - 1:07:50 - 1:15

25 intervals:  0:03 - 0:06 - 0:09 - 0:12 - 0:15 - 0:18 - 0:21 - 0:24 - 0:27 - 0:30 - 0:33 - 0:36 - 0:39 - 0:42 - 0:45 - 0:48 - 0:51 - 0:54 - 0:57 - 1:00 - 1:03 - 1:06 - 1:09 - 1:12 - 1:15

After effects Workshop 2

Summary of last week

3 main panes - Project, Composition & Timeline

• Spatial arrangement: When working in After Effects, you can arrange elements spatially within the frame (composition window)
• Temporal arrangement: The timeline is used to create a temporal arrangement - what happens at a particular moment in time as your animation plays.
• Pixels are used as the dimensions of the frame - this is specified by the chosen preset
• When using the PAL specification, we have 25 frames per second (25 still images for every second of video)
• The duration will be set to 5 seconds as specified in the brief

StoryBoarding

In this workshop, we were first required to draw a range of letterforms in reference to our chosen words. Our inspiration is to be drew from our source imagery and research. Although we were allowed to incorporate directional arrows in order to indicate movement, the letterforms had to be self explanatory. For the word, 'float',  I decided to primarily use the letter 'o' due to its associations with bubbles and clouds which 'float'.

The letter 'S' has certain rounded characteristics which the word 'spin' can be applied to. I experimented with cursive additions to give the impression the letterform was 'spinning'. I based one design on a spinning potters wheel and another on a tornado. 'Turn or cause to turn or whirl around quickly' /  'A rapid turning or whirling motion'

We were required to devise 5 concepts and create 5 different storyboards / design ideas for each of these. The first was based on an unravelling piece of spinning yarn / wool. The first consists of the word 'Spin' in a subtle, cursive font which slowly unravels until it becomes a straight piece of string. I looked at reversing this aswell as experimenting with orientation, scale and depth of field.

I then looked into 'spinning' cursive characteristics - either the word forms these cursive details or loses them. I experimented with various formations and how detailed these flourishes are.

A literal interpretation to the word 'spin' is for the word to rotate. I experimented with the rotation of the word itself or individual letterforms. I looked primarily at rotation through space in order to make the movement more 'exciting' as opposed to stationery letterforms.

The following was based on a more abstract idea of having a tornado / twister forming or being formed by the word or letterforms. The first consists of the word 'spin', sat a small scale in the centre of the frame. An oncoming tornado causes the letterforms to spin out of control. However, as we are required to solely use type, this would need to be removed for the final outcomes. I also looked at the lines of a tornado forming the letterforms and vice versa.

These are more general ideas I devised. The second is an out of control cursive typeface retracting its cursive characteristics to form a more legible word. The first is a spinning yarn entering the frame from behind the viewer, forming the word 'spin' and leaving the frame.

Spin

Words

• Turn
• Rotation
• Whirl
• Movement
• Skid
• Revolve
• Twist
• Gyration
• Revolution
• Motion
• Reel
• Bias
• Round
• Wheel
• Around
• Axis
• Swivel
• Pivot
• Angle
• Circle
• Position
• Kinetic
• Force

Meanings/interpretations

• Turn or cause to turn or whirl around quickly
• A rapid turning or whirling motion
• Revolve quickly and repeatedly around one's own axis
• Draw out (wool, cotton, or other material) and convert it into threads, either by hand or with machinery
• A form of propaganda, achieved through providing an interpretation of an event or campaign to persuade public opinion in favor or against a certain organization or public figure
• To provide an interpretation of
• To form (a web or cocoon, for example)
• Give a sensation of dizziness
• A fundamental property/characteristic of elementary particles
• To shape or manufacture by a twirling or rotating process
• A state of mental confusion
• A short drive in a vehicle
• Autorotation of an aerodynamically stalled aeroplane
• The process of forming metal over a mandrel while rotating on a lathe
• Lose control especially in a skid
• An uncontrolled fast revolving descent of an aircraft, resulting from a stall
• Revolving motion imparted to a ball in a game such as baseball, cricket, tennis, or billiards
• To fish with a light rod, lure, and line and a reel with a stationary spool.
• spin dry To rotate (clothes) in a washing machine in order to extract surplus water
• A sudden downward trend in prices, values, etc
• Stream in jets, of liquids
• Prolong or extend

Situations

• Tornado / twister
• Car drifting out of control
• Catherine wheel on bonfire night
• Dizziness
• A spider forming its web
• Spinning yarn
• Feeling dizzy
• Clothes spinning in a washing machine
• A ball spinning on a roulette wheel
• Walking through a revolving door
• Spinning clay on a potters wheel
• A wind turbine producing energy
• A coin spinning on a table
• A cars wheel beginning to move
• A childs spinning top
• Playing a vinyl record
• The earth spinning on its axis
• Spin the bottle
• A ballerina doing a pirouette
• Pin the tail on the donkey
• Confusion
• A gun cylinder
• Drawing patterns with a spirograph
• Drilling a hole

Float

Words

• Hover
• Suspend
• Drift
• Dream
• Cloud
• Buoyant
• Glide
• Hang
• Sail
• Skim
• Slide
• Suggest
• Waft
• Suspend
• Levitate
• Bob
• Slide
• Aimless
• Air
• Gravity
• Sail
• Slip
• Propose
• Cloud
• Dream
• Movement
• Support
• Light
• Weight

Meanings/interpretations

• To remain suspended within or on the surface of a fluid without sinking.
• Rest or move on or near the surface of a liquid without sinking: "she relaxed, floating gently in the water".
• To move from place to place, especially at random.
• To be suspended in or move through space as if supported by a liquid.
• To flood (land), as for irrigation.
• Suggest, put forward, come up with, submit, moot, propose, advance, test the popularity of; informal run something up the flagpole (to see who salutes). they have just floated that idea
• To move easily or lightly
• Public float, the free float of a public company is an estimate of number of shares of a stock held in public hands 
• Fishing float, a bite indicator used in angling 
• Fishing net float, small floats attached along one side of the net so that it hangs vertically in the water 
• Glass float, a type of large float used to keep fishing nets or droplines afloat 
• A fluid-level indicator used in process engineering and plumbing 
• Money supply, duplicate money present in the banking system during an electronic transaction 
• Parade, a decorated vehicle or platform, animal- or man-drawn or motorized, used in a festive parade 
• Float (project management), project time management device 
• The air filled structures on a pontoon boat or floatplane 
• A form of two-wheeled horse-drawn cart with a low loadbed. 
• A carbonated soft drink with a scoop of ice cream in it
• Float or horse float, also known as a horse trailer 
• A Cascading Style Sheets (CSS) attribute
• A single precision binary floating-point computer numbering format
• The volume of a company's shares available for active trading in the auction market
• A finishing tool for smoothing wet concrete surfaces 
• A term used in paleontology to describe bits of fossil bone with no scientific value
• A milk float is a battery electric vehicle (BEV), specifically designed for the delivery of fresh milk.
• Float someone's boat     appeal to or excite someone

Situations

• Oil floating on water
• Hot air balloon floating in the air
• Ball floating on water
• Clouds 
• Macy's Thanksgiving parade
• Milk float
• Lying on a pool float
• Helium balloons at a party
• Swimming
• Hovercraft
• Flooding land for irrigation
• Dreaming
• Proposing an idea
• Jumping out of an aeroplane
• Hang gliding
• Parachuting
• An astronaut in zero gravity
• Using a fishing float to catch fish
• A buoy bobbing in water
• A water skier gliding on the water
• Levitating illusion

Workshop - After Effects

Similar to Final Cut but with more focus on graphical elements

Active window is highlighted by yellow outline

Project window - Where imported elements are located
Composition - Visual of what you are working on
Timeline - Layers, timeline etc

Under 'Window', more options/panels are available. You can also change the workspace (the default is standard). The 'Effects & Presets' panel appears small but contains a lot of important information. There are unique, specialist effects which are used solely in After Effects.

As opposed to creating a new project, After Effects works with compositions. You can create a new composition by going to 'Composition > New Composition. Naming these is essential.

The first option box is 'Preset' which provides a range of different options. We will be working with PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square Pixel as PAL is most commonly used in Europe whereas NTSC is used in America. Is it important to choose the right one as they each have different frame rates. Our equipment works at a frame rate of 25 (per second) which is why we work with PAL.

A duration should be set though this can always change. The background colour can be changed using the standard colour picker. As we are designing for screen, we will use RGB. Black represents 'nothing' as it is the absence of light. Alternatively, with CMYK, white represents 'nothing' as this cannot be achieved through the CMYK inks. You can go back to the settings by going to 'Composition > Composition Settings'.

You can create a new layer by going to 'Layer > New'. There are many options which are native to After Effects. In this case, we chose 'Solid'. Numerical values (indicated by yellow, underlined text) indicates we can change them. It is very useful for wanting specific values.

The red shape represents the duration of that particular layer. You can change the amount of time this occupies by dragging the shape edges to a determined length of time. The current frame/time indicator can be dragged to view the graphic at various intervals. I then added a new layer (3rd image) and altered the timeline so it appeared after the blue square was revealed and then hidden.

Altering the duration:

                                                                                 Two layers starting at different times:

You can play the graphic/video by pressing the space bar for a simple media playback. There is also a RAM preview for complex animations/videos which can be accessed under the 'Preview' window in the right hand side.

If the animation is beginning to stutter or buffer, you can alter the quality by selecting a different option in the drop down menu in the composition window.

In the timeline, you can alter the increments of measurements by dragging the top yellow slider. You can change from seconds to frames in order to be more accurate.

                                           Every layer has its own 'Transform' options. I duplicated my layers several times.

The anchor point affects the rotation and sizing. Position changes the placement of the object/layer and so on - there are hundreds of possiblities. Here I have increased the size of each pair of shapes by 50%.

You can add key frames at certain points . The keyframe will be created wherever your current frame/time indicator is located. You can add a keyframe by clicking the stopwatch icon located next to each layer name on the left-hand side. Here I have added a keyframe for the first blue square at 0% opacity. A yellow circle appears on the timeline to indicate this keyframe has been added. I will then add another keyframe at the end of the allotted space of time and change this opacity to 30% The software will then automatically fill in the 'blanks' inbetween to gradually go from a 0% opacity to a 30% opacity.

A keyframe is similar to pressing record. It logs this information and any additional changes you make at a different time will affect how the shape transforms. The keyframe can be changed simply by dragging it to a different location. You can also duplicate keyframes.

I repeated this and altered the size and opacity.

Bezier curves

• Uses 2 or more coordinates to form a path
• These are used in position and movement
• You can convert an anchor point under the Pen tool option in the top navigation
• You can also add or remove anchor points

Keyboard shortcuts (use without cmd)

When a layer is selected...

• P = Position
• S = Scale
• A = Anchor point
• T = Opacity/Transparency
• R = Rotation
• ... and so on

cmd + A = Highlight all layers (This is useful when multiple layers need to stay grouped together)

• I = Time indicator jumps to the the 'in' (starting point)
• O = Time indicator jumps to the 'out' (end point)

These are useful for exact in and out points. When manually creating key points, it doesn't automatically adjust to the end of the layer. These options are useful for precise timing.

• B = Begin point, changed to wherever the time indicator is on the timeline
• N = Changes end point to where the layers end
• U = Shows all animated properties

Exporting an animation/video

Composition > Add to Render Queue. 

When you select 'Lossless' under the Output Module, the following dialogue box appears. By default, the default option is set to 'Animation' which is a very high quality video which the computer may struggle to play. H.264 is therefore selected as this is useful simply for experimentation and playing on the web.

The 'Output to' also needs to be changed. Name appropriately and save to the User Work folder to avoid slow rendering speeds. As an example, Avatar took 40 minutes to render 1 second of film.

Silent Movie

Silent Movie

Select a word from the randomiser

Produce a minimum of 5 x five second animated sequence that explore the visual communication of this word through the use of letterform only.

Background

Software will not save a bad idea. An application of fundamental design principles, appropriate research and development methods and the ability to evaluate the communication of ideas are what you need.

Designing for Digital Media is all about organisation. Once you have worked out what you want to do there is a range of systematic approaches that can be used to develop your ideas. Working to restrictions is essential. You will become aware of what you can and can't do with the time and technology available. Live with it and learn to think creatively around the problems that you encounter.


Mandatory Requirements

• The word that you have chosen (or the letters included in those words) must be used in each of your resolutions.
• Your resolution must be produced using Adobe After Effects and be delivered as a QuickTime Movie
• You should work to an aspect ratio of 16:9
• You can only use black, white and one other colour (the colour can alter for each resolution)

Deliverables

5 x 5 second animated sequences

5 x 15 frame post production storyboards

Test pieces/sequences, design sheets and test storyboards appropriate to your resolution