Return-Path: Received: from host6.canaca.com ([66.49.160.142] verified) by media-motion.tv (CommuniGate Pro SMTP 4.2.10) with ESMTP-TLS id 4685861 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 14 Apr 2012 17:54:55 +0200 Received: from 207-195-100-23.regn.static.sasknet.sk.ca ([207.195.100.23] helo=[192.168.1.38]) by host6.canaca.com with esmtpa (Exim 4.69) (envelope-from ) id 1SJ5K9-0006uj-Em for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 14 Apr 2012 11:55:42 -0400 From: Jack Tunnicliffe Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1257) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_506FA858-18D3-43B0-87B2-8E3DAAE72B5E" Subject: Re: [AE] Fun with AE CS6 Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 09:55:39 -0600 In-Reply-To: To: "After Effects Mail List" References: Message-Id: X-Mailer: Apple Mail (2.1257) X-AntiAbuse: This header was added to track abuse, please include it with any abuse report X-AntiAbuse: Primary Hostname - host6.canaca.com X-AntiAbuse: Original Domain - media-motion.tv X-AntiAbuse: Originator/Caller UID/GID - [47 12] / [47 12] X-AntiAbuse: Sender Address Domain - javapost.ca X-Source: X-Source-Args: X-Source-Dir: --Apple-Mail=_506FA858-18D3-43B0-87B2-8E3DAAE72B5E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Of course, I can elaborate. First of all I built a large map of India. = It's over 10,000 x 10,000 pixels. I wanted something with texture and my = own color palette so I used the biggest piece of antique paper I could = find from BigStock and a vector map to get the correct boundaries and = major cities. Transfer modes in Photoshop gave the map the texture I was = looking for. This map is used throughout the series to chart the = location of the two paddlers, so I imported it with all layers, probably = 50 or 60, all at full scale.=20 The final composition is HD 1920x1080 and I have the map composition = placed in that comp with a camera. The camera zooms in to Dehli and the = red line appears for their route. The route is accomplished with a mask = following the river. The rivers are all blue layers below the earth = surface layers. This way a slight drop shadow can be applied to the map = surface to fall into the water giving the map more depth or 3D effect. I = always find maps so 2 dimensional so I look for ways to create depth.=20 Here's another view of the map as it's used in the body of the program, = showing the route the paddlers take. I hope I don't destroy the first = link by posting this one: http://web.me.com/java008/Around_the_Bend/Around_Bend_Route_map.html I used the pen tool to draw a mask that follows the river routes, then I = applied stroke, a standard AE effect, made the color red, the brush size = large enough to fill the widest parts of the rivers. Soften the brush so = it's not a really hard edge on the stroke and adjust the start and end = points to animate to match the timing of the camera as it travels across = the country.=20 For the opening we built the little paddle boat in CS6 using simple = shapes. I actually started with an zero to create the outer shape of = boat and used the pen tool to get the correct shape based on a photo of = the real boat. Other elements, the inside dividers, oars, paddlers were = all built the same way, using simple shapes. There is very little detail = on the paddlers because we knew we'd be using very fast moving passing = shots. We elected to add a couple of defining features from the footage = of the show, one guy with shaggy black hair and the other wearing a = cowboy hat.=20 Once the boat was complete and the paddling action was timed to the = music I tried dropping it into the scene as a composition and this would = have worked, except I had already defined the lighting for the map and = when I dropped it in the lighting didn't look the best on the boat so I = pre-rendered the boat at the angles I would use in the final, mostly a = top view, but also an approach by the paddlers to drop the words for the = title of the show. For the top view we just rendered out an overhead = view with the characters rowing away but no movement of the boat. Later = I placed the boat in the river on the map and had the boat follow the = river on an AE mask layer.=20 As far as compositing the intro is concerned I pulled interesting stills = from footage supplied for the two hosts. I decided to do them as = snapshots. The quickest way to give the images a border was to use Red = Giant's Image Lounge, one of my favorite, go to plug ins. Once the = photos all popped on for each character over the background I exported a = tiff of the last frame before the boat enters. I then applied Monsters = Imageflow to the tiff file. This is a simulation plug in and allows you = to distort the image using a wind generator. I then placed a layer of = Psunami water inside river that the camera is looking at. It only needs = to be slightly larger than the camera viewing area because the zoom back = to the next scene is fast with motion blur and the psunami water can be = faded out fast.=20 When the boat passes through I synchronize the Monsters clip flow with = the timing of the boat so it appears like it drags the image across the = frame, revealing the psunami water beneath. I then used Monsters 3D = puddle to create a random splashing of water on the Psunami surface. By = the way I pre-rendered my psunami water in the background while working = on this effect. Lloyd Alvarez's BG Render script is fantastic for this. = Almost like having two computers. By the time it was rendered I was = ready to place the water. In viewing the first pass of the boat I noticed that there was no trail = in the water from the boat. There should be a little wake so I used CC = smear setting a two and from a consistent distant apart, with the size = of the smear equal to the width of the boat. I then moved the two and = from positioners across the frame at the same speed as the boat to drag = the water like a wake.=20 When this was done it all looked to clean and shiny. This is the part I = like the best is degrading it all. That's where I go to my Sapphire = filters for another pass after the opening has been rendered out. At = this point I used a recipe of Sapphire Shake to make the image a little = less stable, a bit more like 8mm film going through a camera gate, Then = I applied a very light layer of Sapphire film damage with some grain and = very little dust or hair or stains. Within this plugin I added a little = flicker, then added a Sapphire vignette around the edge of everything, = even though I was happy with the lighting I wanted it to have more of a = lens effect when in close on the map.=20 Jack Tunnicliffe Java Post Production www.javapost.ca On Apr 14, 2012, at 4:22 AM, Diener Jonathan wrote: > Very nice work, Jack. Can you elaborate on the methods involved in = the "rowing through the photos" transitions? Clever and well done. >=20 > Jon Diener > Video Post >=20 > On Apr 13, 2012, at 10:16 PM, Jack Tunnicliffe = wrote: >=20 >> I created a new opening for a travel show which features two guys who = travel down the Ganges River in India from New Delhi all the way across = to Dahka in Bangladesh. They did the trip in a inflatable raft and their = adventures are both funny, tragic and amazing. Anyway I created this 20 = second opening all in CS6 and it may contain the first animated = characters created in After Effects, albeit rather Legoman looking. = Check it out.=20 >>=20 >> = http://web.me.com/java008/Around_the_Bend/Around_Bend_Opening_white_grunge= .html >>=20 >> Jack Tunnicliffe >> Java Post Production >> www.javapost.ca >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 --Apple-Mail=_506FA858-18D3-43B0-87B2-8E3DAAE72B5E Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii Of = course, I can elaborate. First of all I built a large map of India. It's = over 10,000 x 10,000 pixels. I wanted something with texture and my own = color palette so I used the biggest piece of antique paper I could find = from BigStock and a vector map to get the correct boundaries and major = cities. Transfer modes in Photoshop gave the map the texture I was = looking for. This map is used throughout the series to chart the = location of the two paddlers, so I imported it with all layers, probably = 50 or 60, all at full scale. 

The final = composition is HD 1920x1080 and I have the map composition placed in = that comp with a camera. The camera zooms in to Dehli and the red line = appears for their route. The route is accomplished with a mask following = the river. The rivers are all blue layers below the earth surface = layers. This way a slight drop shadow can be applied to the map surface = to fall into the water giving the map more depth or 3D effect. I always = find maps so 2 dimensional so I look for ways to create = depth. 

Here's another view of the map as = it's used in the body of the program, showing the route the paddlers = take. I hope I don't destroy the first link by posting this = one:





As far as compositing the intro is = concerned I pulled interesting stills from footage supplied for the two = hosts. I decided to do them as snapshots. The quickest way to give the = images a border was to use Red Giant's Image Lounge, one of my favorite, = go to plug ins. Once the photos all popped on for each character over = the background I exported a tiff of the last frame before the boat = enters. I then applied Monsters Imageflow to the tiff file. This is a = simulation plug in and allows you to distort the image using a wind = generator. I then placed a layer of Psunami water inside river that the = camera is looking at. It only needs to be slightly larger than the = camera viewing area because the zoom back to the next scene is fast with = motion blur and the psunami water can be faded out = fast. 






On Apr 14, 2012, at 4:22 AM, Diener Jonathan = wrote:

Very nice work, Jack. =  Can you elaborate on the methods involved in the "rowing through = the photos" transitions? Clever and well done.

Jon = Diener
Video Post

On Apr 13, 2012, at 10:16 PM, = Jack Tunnicliffe <jack@javapost.ca> = wrote:


Jack Tunnicliffe
Java Post Production
www.javapost.ca




= --Apple-Mail=_506FA858-18D3-43B0-87B2-8E3DAAE72B5E--