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 4685877 for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 14 Apr 2012 18:09:21 +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 1SJ5Y7-0000yn-7G for AE-List@media-motion.tv; Sat, 14 Apr 2012 12:10:07 -0400 From: Jack Tunnicliffe Mime-Version: 1.0 (Apple Message framework v1257) Content-Type: multipart/alternative; boundary="Apple-Mail=_5A3DB2A7-29E6-4918-AA0F-F30419786700" Subject: Re: [AE] Fun with AE CS6 Date: Sat, 14 Apr 2012 10:10:04 -0600 In-Reply-To: To: "After Effects Mail List" References: Message-Id: <5C073B14-2EFE-45C0-93D9-DDEE1A7CA244@javapost.ca> 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=_5A3DB2A7-29E6-4918-AA0F-F30419786700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Thanks, Jim. I appreciate the positive feedback. It almost killed me = trying to get it done in a couple of days. Shows start going out Monday = and I'm still working on them now. Better quit typing so much. Jack Tunnicliffe Java Post Production www.javapost.ca On Apr 14, 2012, at 10:07 AM, Jim Curtis wrote: > Thanks for sharing the work and your exegesis on it's creation, Jack. = Nice job! > Jim >=20 >=20 > On Apr 14, 2012, at 10:55 AM, Jack Tunnicliffe wrote: >=20 >> 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 >>=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 >>=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: >>=20 >> http://web.me.com/java008/Around_the_Bend/Around_Bend_Route_map.html >>=20 >> 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 >>=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 >>=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 >>=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 >>=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. >>=20 >> 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 >>=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 >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> Jack Tunnicliffe >> Java Post Production >> www.javapost.ca >>=20 >>=20 >>=20 >> On Apr 14, 2012, at 4:22 AM, Diener Jonathan wrote: >>=20 >>> 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 >>=20 >=20 --Apple-Mail=_5A3DB2A7-29E6-4918-AA0F-F30419786700 Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Type: text/html; charset=us-ascii

Jack Tunnicliffe
Java Post Production
www.javapost.ca



On Apr 14, 2012, at 10:07 AM, Jim Curtis wrote:

Thanks for sharing the work and = your exegesis on it's creation, Jack.  Nice = job!
Jim


On Apr 14, 2012, at = 10:55 AM, Jack Tunnicliffe wrote:

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:

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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. 



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.

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=_5A3DB2A7-29E6-4918-AA0F-F30419786700--