Most of the media you add to your composition can have three kinds of properties: masks, effects, and transform properties. You should be familiar with transform properties by now; they are the most basic keyframe-able properties of a piece of media, such as scale, position, and rotation. Masks allow you to cut unwanted areas out of a piece of media. Effects are used to modify the media in countless different ways. These three properties – masks, effects, and transform properties – are always applied in the same order: masks first, then effects, then transform properties.
Art of the Title
We don’t necessarily think of the design of a film’s title and credits as a crucial part of the production process, but it can completely set the tone for a film. Many films have become inextricably linked to the design of their titles; think about Star Wars, Indiana Jones, or The Godfather and you immediately think about their iconic title design.
Pixel Art
Pixel art has had a sort of resurgence over the last several years, fueled by a combination of advancing technology and growing nostalgia. Most often associated with video games, pixel art can also be used in short films for a unique aesthetic. Here are a few videos that celebrate pixel art, including a tutorial on creating pixel artwork in Photoshop and the highly acclaimed short film Pixels (which inspired the critically reviled feature film Pixels.)
Week 4: Manipulating Keyframes
This week, we’re going to dig deeper into After Effects – specifically, keyframes. In the previous lesson, we discussed how to add objects to a composition and keyframe their basic properties, such as position, scale, and rotation. That lets us do a lot, but to make animation really seem alive, we need to move beyond the basics.
Project 3: Transform Properties
Begin creating animation in After Effects.
Aamazing Aardman
British animation studio Aardman Animations is one of the reasons stop-motion is still a valid cinematic technique today. Their new film, Early Man is due out next year and is being directed by stop-motion auteur Nick Park. Park directed all four Wallace and Gromit short films, as well as the features Chicken Run and The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Project 2: Frame By Frame
Start animating, one frame at a time.
Week 3: Introducing After Effects
It’s time to dive into After Effects. As we explore the program, consider the things we’ve discussed so far – like cartoon representation and the twelve basic principles of animation – and try to incorporate them into your projects.
Mysteries and Fan Theories
Hidden meanings and conspiracy theories abound in these videos that delve into cartoon mysteries.
Week 2: How It Works
We know that animation is made up of deliberately composed frames, but how do those frames end up on the screen? There are currently three basic techniques used for “capturing” animation, with a few outliers and overlaps.
Project 1: Watch This
Find a video that you find inspiring.
The Weird, Wonderful World of PES
One of the most visually inventive animators I know of is PES, an American animator whose stop-motion films often incorporate everyday objects in clever, unexpected ways. In addition to short films, PES has also done some very interesting ad work. Check out the following examples – there are tons more on his YouTube channel as well.
Animated Documentary Shorts
Animation is often (unfairly) pigeonholed as a medium for children’s fairy tales, but it can be used to tell all kinds of stories. Here are a few short documentaries that use animation to great effect.
Week 1: Animation Through The Ages
To study animation, I believe that it’s important to understand two central aspects of the form: one is technical and the other is aesthetic. The technical aspect of animation deals with the mechanics of its creation – how animation, in it various forms, is made. The aesthetic aspect of animation examines the unique qualities of animation as a medium, as opposed to other forms (such as live-action cinema, photography, and literature). Put simply, these two aspects comprise how animation works and what animation can do as a medium.
Previous Student Projects
After Effects might seem overwhelming at first, but once you understand the essentials, you’ll be animating in no time. Here are a few of the many weird and wonderful projects that previous students have done.
Welcome!
Welcome to the Spring 2017 edition of the Film/Media Studies Production Practicum! This course is focused on the analysis and creation of animation. For analysis, we’ll be looking at a variety of pieces from throughout the history of the medium, as well as reviewing and critiquing the work produced in this class. For creation, we will primarily be using Adobe After Effects, a powerful and versatile program. We will also use Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, and other applications throughout the semester.