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Please preview the project files and movie before beginning this tutorial. Download movie and project files from the green bar above.
This tutorial is built on a simple principle. After Effects sometimes needs footage to really make it cook. In this way we can look at using Photoshop stills as the catalyst to make an original animation.
Remember...we're artists, this job is supposed to be fun...so get in there and don't be afraid to get messy!
| CREATING THE FUTURISTIC BACKGROUND: PHOTOSHOP |
1. Open Photoshop and create a new document with the following settings.
2. Change the background layer to black.
3. Create 10 empty new layers, and rename them.
4. Using the polygon lasso tool create a wide odd shaped polygon in the center of the screen for each new layer with varying sizes, green tones, blend modes and overlap.
Please click here to see graphic instructions.
5. Save the file as FuturisticBkg.PSD
| CREATING THE FUTURISTIC BACKGROUND: AFTER EFFECTS |
1. Open After Effects and import the shapes.PSD as composition - cropped layers.
2. Click on the shapes text and press enter to rename the Step1_Shapes.
3. Double click on the Composition Icon to open the timeline.
Please click here if you need to see graphic instructions.
4. Change the composition settings
5. Select the 3D cube icon to place the shape layers into 3D space.
6. Set scale, opacity and Y rotation keyframes at the beginning of the timeline. Delete the background layer.
7. change the Scale and Opacity at 1:00 on the timeline.
8. Change the Scale, Y rotation and Opacity at 2:10 on the timeline.
9. Space the keyframes starting from the bottom to have 2 frames between them on the timeline. You can select a group of keyframes and while holding down the alt key press the arrow right key on the keyboard and this will move the keyframes by 1 frame increments.
10. Create a new null object. A null object is an invisible object that can be used to control other objects.
11. Right click on the top of the switches / mode palette and toggle down to the Parent Column.
12. Change the null to 3D.
13. Select all of the shapes layers and set the Parent to Null 1
Please click here if you need to see graphic instructions.
14. Set rotation keyframes for the null object at the beginning of the timeline.
15. Set rotation keyframes for the null object at the end of the timeline.
16. Select all of the layers.
17. Precompose all of the layers into a new composition.
Please click here if you need to see graphic instructions.
18. Change the background color of the composition to white.
19. Duplicate the layer 5x and rename them.
20. Select the time stretch arrows.
21. Time stretch all of the layers.
22. Set scale, position and rotation properties and add keyframes for layers 2,4 and 6 at the beginning of the timeline.
23. Set position and rotation keyframes at the end of the timeline.
24. Change the Blend Mode for the layers.
25. Save the file as FuturisticBKG.AEP
26. Render the file as FuturisticBKG with no alpha channel.
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