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60
 
|
January 2004
TUTORIAL
CREATE AN ANIMATIC
After Effects 
is not only a top special effects app used by broadcast professionals, it’s also a first-rate animationpackage in its own right. Nick Sneath reveals how to transform your
Photoshop
files into a professional animatic
AFTER EFFECTS
Ë
 
This tutorial will take you throughall the necessary steps to create ananimated scene that focuses on anessential animation technique: the walk cycle. You’ll create the material for this piece using a hand-drawn sketch of acharacter already scanned in and cut outin
Photoshop 
, then bring the result to lifewith the help of a
QuickTime 
movie of a
Poser 
animation. Note that such a complex animationwould be an arduous process withoutsuch a reference materials, which provevaluable when your budget is limited and time is pressing. As usual, all the relevantfiles are provided on the cover CD.As a final flourish, you’ll learn how toduplicate and set each figure within a 3Dspace with an animated background.For a full preview, open the AnimatingSketches Final.mov file on the cover CD.We’re sure you’ll be impressed.The imagery used in this particular  piece comes from an animatic created for a London-based advertising agency.Animatics are proving very popular infilm production and advertising, becausethey’re a quick way to see how well ideaswork – and relatively cheap to make.Ad agencies often use them to pitch to potential clients. Before an inch of film isshot or a dab of paint added to ananimation cel, the client can see clearlyhow the piece will look, and makechanges accordingly.
Animatic and tutorial by Nick Sneathwww.three-blind-mice.co.uk
1
 
Copy the Animating Sketches folder fromthe cover CD to your computer. Open theAnimating Sketches.aep file. Import the fileWalk Sketch.psd, selecting Composition fromthe Import As drop-down list. This imports thefile with the layers intact. Double-click onWalk Sketch comp1 to open it on the timeline.Make the composition 50 frames long, at25fps (Composition>Composition Settings).
DOWNLOADTIME LENGTH
2 hours
INFO
Nick Sneathis an in-houseanimatorfor London-based creative serviceshouse Three Blind Mice.One of the UK’s topstoryboard/visualisationcompanies, it specialisesin animation, 3D designand live action work.For details, visit www.three-blind-mice.co.uk
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TUTORIAL
February 2005 
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7
 
Select the torso layer. Hit [P] to open thelayer’s Position properties. Create akeyframe at frame 0 and frame 50.
8
 
Go to frame 5. You’ll now need to movethe hand-drawn figure’s parts everyfive frames to follow the
Poser 
figure’smovements (five frames work well, but youcan opt for another number if you prefer).Create keyframes by clicking the checkboxeson all the hand-drawn layers.
9
 
First, move the torso layer up or down,following the
Poser 
figure. Now rotatethe limbs one by one, starting with the layersattached to the torso. You may need to turn offthe torso layer while adjusting the rear arm.
10
 
Repeat the same process at frame 10,then every five frames thereafter untilyou reach frame 25. The limbs won’t alwaysline up, but don’t fret about that. As long as allthe parts remain parallel – ie, the shin frontlayer remains parallel to the
Poser 
figure’sfront shin – the animation will work.
3
 
Repeat this process for the ForeArmFront layer. Using the Pan Behind tool,move the forearm’s Anchor Point to theelbow joint, and parent the ForeArm Frontlayer to the Arm Front layer. Select the latteron the timeline and adjust Rotation to seehow the parent layer affects the child layer.Return the layer to a Rotation value of 0.
6
 
Select all the hand-drawn layers,apart from the torso. Hit [R] to bring uptheir Rotation values, and make sure you’reat frame 0. Click on the Stopwatch icons nextto the word Rotation to create keyframes onall the layers. At frame 50, click in the layers’checkboxes to create more keyframes. Youshould now have a perfect loop, regardless ofthe Rotation values keyframed in-between.
5
 
Drag Poser Walk.mov from the Projectwindow and place it at the top of thetimeline (Layer>Bring Layer To Front). Changeits Layer Mode to Multiply – this enables you tosee both figures simultaneously. Note that theimages are already lined up, but not exactly, asthey have different proportions. Still, it’s closeenough for you to trace the motion of the
Poser 
figure’s walk cycle.
4
 
Repeat the process carried out in step 2for the other limbs. Parent the feet tothe corresponding shins, the shins to thecorresponding legs, the legs to the torso,etc. Don’t forget to alter the layers’ AnchorPoints, so that they’re all correctly hinged totheir corresponding layers.
TUTORIAL
2
 
Select the Arm Front layer. Choose thePan Behind tool from the Tool paletteand Move the Anchor Point to the top of thearm, where it would naturally connect to theshoulder. This changes the layer’s pivotpoint. You now need to parent the arm tothe torso. Open the parent column on thetimeline (Wing menu>Panels>Parent).Select Torso from the drop-down list.
Poser 
is a useful toolfor animation. Youcan adjust the
Poser 
figure’s dimensionsto match your owncharacters, then useany of its preset posesas reference points.The Walk Designeris particularly usefulfor creating your ownwalk cycles. But if youprefer working withactual footage, thereare many GIFanimations ofEadweard Muybridge’swork available online.Muybridge was apioneer in capturingphotographically themotion of humansand animals.
FOR REFERENCE
 
TUTORIAL
AFTER EFFECTS
14
 
Drag the Walk Sketch comp1 fromthe Project window to the timeline(this process is called “nesting”). You’ll needto duplicate this layer to create a shadow.Select Walk Sketch comp1 on the timeline,then Edit>Duplicate. With the duplicatedlayer selected, hit Return and change thelayer’s name to “Walk Shadow”. Place thislayer below the other layer. You’ll need tochange the Composition’s Background Colourif it’s currently set to black.
11
 
Now’s a goodtime to do atest-run. Turn thePoser Walk.movlayer off and click onthe RAM Previewbutton in the TimeControls palette.Reduce yourresolution for aquicker result. If youhold the Shift keydown when hittingRAM Preview youwill greatly reducethe waiting time.
12
If everything looks fine, continue withthe remainder of the frames up to 50.Then RAM Preview again to see the full cycle.If anything looks awry, you might need tocheck your Anchor Points. Compare yourproject with the Finished Project.aep file,included in the folder on the cover CD.
13
 
Once you’re happy with your walkcycle, create a new composition andcall it “Walk & Shadow”. Choose “PALl D1/DVSquare Pix, 768x576” from the Preset drop-down list, as shown above. Set the Durationat 200 frames (8 seconds at 25fps).
18
 
Make the Walk & Shadow comp layer3D by clicking its 3D checkbox on thetimeline. Change the layer’s position to 208,288, 0 and rename it “Walk Back L”. Duplicatethe layer, naming it “Walk Back R” andchange its position to 562, 288, 0.
17
 
Duplicate both layers and positionthem, starting at frame 50. Create twomore sets of duplicates, starting themat frame 100 and 150 respectively. Thereshould now be a continuous loop lasting 200frames. Create a new composition called“Man & Background”, with the same presetsand duration as the Walk & Shadowcomposition. Nest the Walk & Shadowcomposition inside it.
16
 
You’ll need to amend the shadow tocomplete the illusion. Hit [P] andchange its Position information to 384, 518.Hit [S] and change its Scale information to125 per cent. Finally, hit [T] and change itsOpacity information to 25 per cent.
15
 
Now add effects to the Walk Shadowlayer to give it a shadow-likeappearance. Add Basic 3D and change the Tiltvalue to 99 (Effects>Perspective>Basic 3D).Now add Hue/Saturation, changing theLightness value to – 100 (Effects>Adjust>Hue/Saturation). Finally, add Fast Blur,changing the Blurriness value to 4.
Use Easy Ease (underKeyframe Assistant)to enhance the realismof your animations.This useful functionsoftens the changebetween keyframevalues, resulting inmore organic andnaturalistic movement.Simply apply akeyframe every timeyour character’s foottouches the groundand adjust itsinterpolation withthe Easy Ease settings.Without it, figures looklike they’re walkingalong a conveyor belt!
EASY EASE
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