Assignment 4 Write-up

Name: Lauren Willoughby

Project # 4

Title/Date: After Effects Experiments/ 2/28/11

Synopsis: There are seven compositions that display the effects that I experimented with for this assignment.

• A girl imaging that she's firing lightning from her eyes and making it rain in the forest poster.
• An arcade game like composition with a yellow ship firing lasers at two gray ships.
• A T.V with a snow forest image on screen that loses the signal then disintegrates.
• A yellow plane avoiding and teasing the search light at a prison.
• A bottle of a glowing and bubbling chemical.
• Three colorful chemical bottles seen from top view and the blue one is bubbling.

Main Idea: Most of the effects I used I tested out first to see how they work, then messing with them led to ideas of what to use them for.

Theme: Just experimenting can lead to some interesting ideas and doing this I've come up with a couple of good ideas for future projects.

Main tension: Some of the effects I messed with didn't really seem to do anything and a couple were a little troubling.

Problem areas: Same as above.

Journal notes: I thought this was going to be tricky and frustrating. While at some points it was, it was fun to try out these effects and then coming up with ideas for compositions on what to use them for. I did enjoy the project some.

Effects Fiasco Process

• I decided to experiment with effects on Adobe After Effects myself and I've made seven compositions with examples of effects I chose and enjoyed using.

Composition 1: Imagine creating rain

Effects used: Lightning-(used twice) and CC Rain

Settings:

Segments: 7 at 0.0 sec

10 at 2 sec

12 at 4 sec

15 at 6 sec

19 at 8 sec

25 at 10 sec

Amplitude- 13.300

Detail level- 8

Detail Amplitude-0.310

Branching- 1000

Rebranching- .210

Branching angle- 24.500

Set the start points at the characters eyes and the end points at the top of the forest image or poster.

CC Rain

Amount- 93.6 at 0.0 sec

146.1 at 2 sec

224.7 at 4 sec

307.1 at 6 sec

441.9 at 8 sec

677.9 at 10 sec

Used this effect to create the idea that the image of the forest is raining.

Composition 2- Space games

Effects used: CC Starburst, Generate Beam, CC Particles systems II and stroke effect

CC Starburst

Used a grey ellipse shape layer for the effect.

Scatter- 49.8
Speed to - 2.00
Phase - 0x+253.0
Grid spacing- 4
Size- 48.0

Used to create an outer space look like someone is flying through space.

Generate-Beam

Settings: Beam 1

Starting point at 381.0, 121.1 at 6 sec

Time- 100%

80.5% at 5 sec

Beam 2

Starting point at 383.0, 151.1 at 6.5 sec

Time- 52% (hold key frame)

100% right before 7 sec

Set the Opacity for both beams at

0% at 1 sec

100% at 3 sec- (hold keyframe)

0% at 7.5 sec

Used to create a laser beam effect for the yellow ship to and set it twice to hit the gray ships.

CC Particle systems II

Birth rate: 4.3 right before 7 sec

0.2 at 8.5 sec

0.0 at 9.5 sec

Longevity: 1.1

Also used twice to create the exploding after effect of the ships after they were hit with the laser beam.

Stroke effect

Used the text tool to create the word Winner

Font: Helvetica

Stats at: 71px, 22px, 7px, 80px

Duplicated the layer and set the stroke to be offset from the previous layer and used the alpha Inverted matte track and then linked the text layers together using alt/option and the layers text stop watch to link the text layers together with the pick whip. Then I duplicated the layers again and modified the strokes for these. Finally I set the text layers' opacity to create a flashing winner text.

Link to tutorial used: http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/stroke_fx/

Used the word plane from my last project and created two more to serve as the targets for the yellow word plane.

Composition 3- No footage, no T.V

Effects used: CC snow and CC Scatterize

CC Snow

Settings

Amount: 119.9 at 0.0 sec

299.6 at 3.5 sec

509.4 at 5.0 sec (hold keyframe)

0.0 at 8.0 sec

Speed: .39 at 0.0 sec

.60 at 2.5 sec

.70 at 5.0 sec

Noise HLS

Noise- Grain

Hue- 0% (hold keyframe) at 0.00 sec

100% (hold keyframe) at 8 sec

Lightness 0.0% (hold keyframe) at 0.00 sec

50% (hold keyframe) at 8 sec

Noise Phase- raised it higher per keyframe for 8 secs

CC Scatterize-

Scatter: 0.00 at 15 sec

45.0 at 16 sec

94.0 at 17 sec

191.0 at 18 sec

398.0 at 19 sec

537.0 at 20 sec

I recycled one of the backgrounds I used in a previous assignment and turned it into a snowy version and placed it in a new photoshop document of the T.V, then used the noise effect for the lost signal image then used the scatterize effect to make the T.V scatter.

Composition 4 - Avoid the spotlight

Effects used: CC Spotlight

I set and moved the To position of the spotlight beam to make it look like a search light. I also used an ideal background of a stone wall to make it look like a scene from a prison with a search light and I have my word plane from another past project to serve as the subject of the composition. While the light was moving, I made it look like that while the plane was avoiding the light, it was also teasing with it before it escapes at the end.

Composition 5 - Puddles and Rain

Effects used: CC Drizzle and CC Rain

CC Drizzle

Settings: Drip rate set to 3.4

CC Rain

Settings: Increased the drop rate and speed to match the drip rate of the drizzle effect.

Again I used an old background of a forest and placed it in a new photoshop document and mad it the puddle layer for the drizzle effect to be used.

Composition 6 - Danger, Glowing Chemical Present

Effects Used: CC Bubbles and Stylize Glow

CC Bubbles

Settings:

Set amount: 96

Speed: 2.9

Wobble Amplitude: 19.3

Wobble Frequency: 3.1

Size : 4.4

Reflection Type: Liquid

Stylize- Glow

0.00 at 0.00 sec

29 at 1 sec

65 at 2 sec

29 at 3 sec

00 at 4 sec

Repeat for 16 sec

I created a chemical bottle document in Photoshop to serve as the subject and used the bubble effect to make it bubble, but I wanted to add more so I added a glowing effect to make it look mysterious and dangerous.

Composition 7- Bubbling Chemical Colors

Effects used: Foam and CC Drizzle

Created a blue solid layer and placed it on top of the blue chemical bottle to use the foam effect to create the bubbles. I also created a blue shape layer in photoshop with the document for the drizzle effect to be used to help make the chemical really look like it's bubbling.

Crit-on-critique

Name: Lauren Willoughby

2/22/11

Major Suggestions

• Text (if meant to be read) is hard to read. Needs to be smoother and slower.
• Is the character necessary? Craftsmanship is poor.
• Too slow.

I agree with the following:

• The text is hard to read.
• Character craftsmanship needs work.

After studying the critiques I learned the following:

More time is needed to be spent on this animation and I need to slow down the text paths and make them smoother and easier to read if they're suppose to be read.

I also need to do better in drawing characters in photoshop.

Design Studio Review

Design Studio choice: a52 Visual Effects

Background

a52 is a visual effects studios that was established in 1997 and has become the home of the industry's most innovative and talented artists. These artists have been part of the development and production of imagery for some of the world's best known commercials including Lexus, Nike and Motorela to name a few.

Description

a52 studio work with visual effects through the integration of 2D and photoreal CGI. Programs used by a52 include Autodesk Flame, Autodesk Softimage and Autodesk Maya. The work of the studio has earned AICP Show recognition for eleven straight years. Other awards they have received include a recently earned "Outstanding Commercial" Emmy as well as the same for an Andy, BDA, Belding, Clio, British Design and Art Direction and London International Advertising and one show awards.

Analysis

The work done by a52 often revolves around commercials or their visual effects. Often they use them to enhance the commercial to make it more appealing and entertaining, a way to grab the attention of viewers. In a sense, they are projecting their "voice" and what they want to say through commercials to reach their audience.

Examples include the following:

Cadillac Turbulence

http://www.a52.com/index.php?f=deta&n=16

Infiniti/Dusk

http://www.a52.com/index.php?f=deta&n=132

Elastic Honda Boxes and Elastic Honda Accord Instruments

http://motionographer.com/tag/a52/

Adidas "Game Challenger"

http://vimeo.com/9234270

Conclusions

I never really noticed that studios like a52 did visual effects for commercials for car brands or other companies and products. Since I see commercial so often and since they're often just short, sweet and to the point, I never realized how much visual effects are used for them or that they are just as big of projects as films only on a smaller scale. Seeing the work that a52 studio has done with commercials and the awards they have to their credit has made me rethink that. Commercials may seem small and not much, but they are just as difficult and take just as much work and people to create them. As I said before they often use visual effects to enhance or promote the point or product of the commercial being advertised, often putting them in not so normal positions or environments in order to grab the attention of viewers. If the commercial isn't very appealing, it won't be noticed or viewers won't pay attention to it and that's where visual effects can help. It's like they are adding or modifying the "voice" of the commercial to make themselves heard.

Additional References

http://www.vfxtalk.com/forum/a52-earns-first-aicp-visual-effect-honors-t5856.html

http://features.cgsociety.org/story.php?story_id=1928

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/31963

Crit on Crits

Lauren Willoughby

Project #2

The Disappearing Ninja

2/9/11

Major Suggestions

• Drawings look amateurish. Work on scanning drawings.
• Ninja's legs look stiff, could look more jointed.
• Needs to be pushed further.
• Animator's room looks too neat.

Agree/Disagree

I agree that my animation needs to be pushed. I wasn't trying to go for a childish look, but when I draw on photoshop, that's just how I do it. I do need to work on it more though.

What I've learned:

I was also intending for the ninja to look intangible when walking through the kunai knives, giving the idea of the stealth or speed of a ninja, but after this I can see why nobody got that impression. So I'll think of a new way to fix that.

Assignment 2 Write up

Lauren Willoughby

Project 2

The Disappearing Ninja/ 2/7/10

Synopsis: A ninja appears and becomes visible and starts walking. A swarm of kunai knives speeds toward the ninja, but right when the first comes near him, he because intangible and transparent and continues walking through the knives. The scene cuts to an artist imagining the ninja still walking and he disappears again and the dream bubble disappears.

Intent: I wanted again to create a fantasy and I thought a ninja would be something different and interesting. I made him able to disappear and become transparent since I know that while in dreams nothing makes since. Plus with the scene with the artist, I wanted to display a scene where sometimes fantasizing and dreaming can lead to new ideas for stories or art.

Main Idea: I wanted to come up with an interesting idea for a walking character and one that's common for a dream. My first thought was a superhero, but that sounded babyish so I settled on a ninja because that sounded more cooler, then I got the idea of him being able to disappear and other tricks. I just really wanted to use this character since I really enjoyed coming up with him and loved working on him.

Theme: I say I'd make the theme that dreams or fantasies can not only help someone escape for awhile, but they can often lead up to creative ideas and stories.

Main tension/strengths: One struggle was having to keep going back to fix-up and do touch-ups on my character before he was ready to be put into a walk cycle. Also I had trouble with using masks on the layers and it was hard to figure out how they work. I did enjoy making and coloring the character and putting him in a walk cycle and that turned out well, same with the effects that I used.

Problem areas: Mainly one problem was figuring out how to use the mask layers and it was really frustrating. I really want to learn how to do that properly.

Journal notes: I really wanted to figure how to use the mask tool for other things besides a blinking eye, but I ended up just leaving it at that. I just really want to figure out other ways to use it. Also I had to keep going back to do touch-ups for my character. That also was frustrating. Other than that, I did enjoy working on this animation. The walk cycle and the parenting layers went well though.

Crit on Crits

Name: Lauren Willoughby

Project: 1

Title: Daydream

Date: 2/1/11

Major Suggestions:

• Be careful on which images or situations you use.
• Use a different image. Doesn't fit the daydream.
• Intro scene is kind of slow.

I agree with the critiques discussed above.

After studying the critiques I learned the following:

I need to pay attention to which images I find or come up with and make sure they fit with the whole presentation. I also need to really think about what I want my audience to see and get out of the animation I make.

Assignment Write up/Self critique

Lauren Willoughby

Project #1

Title: Daydream

A boy is sitting at his desk and begins daydreaming about him in a boxing match. He manages to get the upper hand and win the match.

I wanted to give off the idea of how some kids like to daydream about being good at something they like, like a sport or activity and in daydreams, they most likely depict or see themselves as the winner or the best.

I know that some kids tend to get distracted while in class(one of my own many major flaws) so that's where I got this idea to use that scenario. Plus I think that sometimes escapism or daydreaming can be a good thing, at least being done at the right moments.

I think I really got down how kids often like to see themselves as the winners in things in life, and in their dreams that often happens.

I really wanted to make the idea or example of a daydream of a kid clear so I tried to keep it simple. I think I at least got the main parts of that goal down.

The tricky thing was noticing the small little things or details that I forgot in some scenes and I had to keep going back to fix them so I would like to work on that. I also had trouble importing the Photoshop pieces into After Effects as layers, but I managed to get help in figuring that out.

Once I was able to get into the animation process and work on it, I found that I really did enjoy working on it. There were a few frustrations, the getting the photoshop files imported as layers being the most particular, but once I figured them out, I was able to enjoy working on the project.