Moving Squares

This is an animation that I produced in After Effects. This was my first time using the software, so it was more of a learning process than something technical. I started off with a simple square, which I transformed in various different ways, such as scale, transparency, movement speed, movement path, and altered the colours. Then I reflected the pattern, modifying x and y values in the corresponding way, before doing so again. I scaled down the movie size, due to it being quite large, and added music onto it.

I enjoyed using After Effects, as it allowed me to make something that would have taken me days to make in Flash under 2 hours to make. The software is easy and fun to use, and up to now it isn't that complicated. I am pleased with the animation I ended up with, as it animates nicely, and looks cool. The only thing I don't really like is how erratic the movement is- I may try making the movement slower, and smoother.

Face Animation

This animation involved quite a large process, but I am quite pleased with the end results. It shows that I will be able to work with much more complex shapes, and still animate them just as easy once they have been broken down in Photoshop.

After working with After Effects for a while, it seems to me that what it involves is the manipulation of several small image animations, which are then combined into one large animation.

Once the pieces of my face were broken down, and skin covered the gaps it created, I placed it in After Effects, and began to contort and move each of the pieces individually. For the eyebrows I used the Bezier Warp tool, which added hinges onto them, which I could manipulate easily, via stretching and rotating. Once I had edited the facial features, I made the lights in the background pulse on and off, which isn't really noticable, and added a sort of rain effect, using an image I imported from Photoshop that was larger than the main canvas, dragging it down diagonally, then looping it, to make it animate smoothly.

Moving Character

This was the second thing I produced on After Effects. We were looking at how easy it is to manipulate a characters movement, and how saving each limb as a different composition, editing them seperately, then placing them together at the end makes the whole process of animation a lot easier, and leaves less clutter.

I like this animation, and I would be interested to try this method to a more high quality standard, moving onto real animated characters, not just basic forms.

Animated Type

This is an advert for the programme House that appears on the Hallmark Channel. This advert features text rotating, and more becoming visible as the main

character narrates what is shown on screen. Small pictures accompany the moving text to emphasize what is being said/shown.

This is one of the crack intros that were commonly used before Amiga games loaded up. This would have been made in the 80's or early 90's, and is a great example of what animated

type was like years ago. Whilst it isn't very technical- it does it's job, and looks OK.

Stephen Frankfurt