Reading Discussion Forum Review

This week, our reading assignment comes from Lev Manovich's two part essay on Motion Graphics. Manovich identifies After Effects as a crucial tool that changed the way that motion graphcis are created. We will watch some music videos based on this week's reading assignment:

• Tonight She Comes - The Cars
• Plaid - Itsu
• Don't Panic - Coldplay
• Go! - Common
• Good is Good - Sheryl Crow

 

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Homework and Tutorial Notes

• Keyframe Interpolation
• Changing speed or rate over time
• Changing space over time
• Curve VS. Linear
• Easing
• Motion Path with Pen Tool or Selection Tool
• Add or Remove Keyframes from Motion Path
• Adjust Curve Handles for Motion Path
• Move entire Motion Path with all keyframes selected
• With Option Key, Scale Motion Path in Time
• Keyframe Assistnat
• Graph Editor
• Value Graph VS. Speed Graph
• Alter "personality" of animation by adjusting Speed curves
• Redistribute Tweens over time
• Anticipation
• More In Next Class (Time Remapping, Anchor Point, Parenting, Looping)
• Look Ahead: Chapter 4 Focuses on Type

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Working with AE Type Layers and Dynamic Type Animation

For this in class exercise you will work independently. We will introduce some process concepts and begin working in class today and then continue and finish the assignment during the following class session. Our work will begin with our Motion Graphics workflow:

sketching -> storyboarding -> building assets -> animating -> rendering

The exercise will be focused on expressive use of typographic characters. The guidelines below will outline the expectations for what is included in the exercise. Following that, there will be a loose list of process stages. During class there will be demonstrations to help clarify how to approach each stage of the exercise, but to save space, a lot of that will not be included on here on the website.

Dynamic Type Exercise Requirements:

• Subject: 4 Letter Word, Choose from supplied list, use only letters that make up that word as type
• Color: black type on white ground or white type on black ground ( B & W only )
• Sequence: Demonstrate meaning of word through sequence of actions
• Transformations ( Transform Don't Deform ):
• Scale
• Position
• Opacity
• Rotation
• Duration: appx 10-20 seconds

List of 4-Letter Words:

The list of words were selected from the playable 4-Letter Words in Scrabble:

auto, burn, crab, dart, edgy, flop, grab, howl, into, jump, kick, lure, make, nest, ouch, peek, quiz, roar, slip, tilt, user, void, wake, xray, yuck, zonk

Composition today should start with the a default size of 1920 x 1080. Because we will be working on another short animation project, a default profile works well. We aren't going to use any video assets in this exercise so we can use 24 Frame Per Second - a standard animation format.

 

 

Animation Paths with Pen Tool

• Method - Path Mask for Type
• With layer selected, draw using Pen Tool to make a vector path
• Under the Text Property for that layer, look for Path Options
• Under Path Options, Select the Mask you created
• Then adjust and keyframe First Margin to animate along path

 

Animating Typography or Text is an important aspect of Motion Graphics. A good place to begin would be by experimenting using the entire word and then later with individual letters. In some cases, a group of letters can be animated as individual letters and used as a group or pre-composition used in another comp.

Our exercise will consist of working with four lettered words. We should be focused on the timing of our actions and animations as a way to visually express something about the word. In my example "FADE" - the sequence uses opacity transformations to let the letters fade in and out of each other. It isn't the most complex example, but it does leave a lot of room for experimenting and refining the timing of transitions.

For your 4-letter word exercise, you will want to include only the letters of the word and compositional space in black and white. The limitations are meant to allow you to focus on specific actions and how to use them effectively and expressively. Remember, in our last exercise often times the sequence that a lot of people were trying to explore was too complex for the limited visual space and duration we are working with. Explore how you can use the video frame and length of the sequence to your advantage.

Transform Don't Deform!

 

We will have time for informal in-progress feedback while you are working. That means that as you refine your project, you may want to get a few others sitting in your area to take a look, or ask the instructor for assistance. Previewing as you build a project is one way to continue developing the timing and pace of your sequence.

 

 

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488 Individual Project Critique and Feedback

During our work session today, students in 488 will have the opportunity to have a version of thier project reviewed. Please prepare a and render a version of the work that you have completed. The instructor will meet with you individually and give you feedback and notes on your project. There is one week left for you to complete the work, and this individual critique should help you to be in a good position for that deadline with corrections and refinements.

 

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