Congrats on graduating college. And to put it in the words of one of my best clients/colleagues, "Sure, there's a recession going on. But the way I see it, it's up to me whether I choose to participate in it or not."
To answer your question, "What path did you take after you graduated, did you launch into having your own studio right away?" – I'd say that my career path was a bit winding. At the end of college (Rhode Island School of Design, degree in 2D Film Animation), recruiters from Nickelodeon came to campus and reviewed my portfolio. Short answer–they didn't like it. Not to let that discourage me, I re-vamped my portfolio over the next month, contacted the people who had come to campus to let them know I took their advice, and got a few interviews. I called people, showed them my work, and got more interviews. I got a couple offers, & ended up working at Nickelodeon for 2 years on a TV series.
TV series work takes a special brand of creativity, to keep things fresh and interesting with the same darn characters and terribly similar situations from episode to episode. Lacking that, I got bored. After the series wrapped, I moved on to education graphics (gag, really ugly stuff), video editing, producing for animation studios (which i loved), and eventually landed in grad school at NYU. I don't recommend it, I was at the Center for Advanced Digital Applications, and while I made some awesome contacts, I could have just networked and learned the material on my own and saved the money.
Throughout grad school I freelanced, and eventually started a small studio with 2 friends. They dropped out (1 now lives & works in LA as a motion graphics and compositing artist. The other went on to direct a series for Disney), I stayed. It's sort of a "virtual studio" in that I work out of my apartment with a couple interns who come in a couple days/week, and the rest telecommute via AIM and FTP. I've taken some on-site work doing rotoscoping and motion graphics, one of which lasted 9 months, but mostly I do a big variety of character animation (2d), motion graphics, digital compositing, video editing, and software training. I use Adobe After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator, Flash (but no programming), Apple's Final Cut, Shake and DVD Studio Pro.
I teach at a couple of schools, NYU and Pratt mainly, to have a steady income to rely on when client work is low. Currently, I'm creating a tutorials website, teaching After Effects at NYU, and working on a short film about a woman who did 1 new thing every day for a year: a compositing and animation extravaganza to present what could be mundane material in an extraordinary way. Her exploits ranged from changing a lightbulb (!) to racing a baby (?) to winning 25K on "Who Wants to be a Millionaire?" (whoa!). Her blog: http://jen365.blogspot.com
The key, I think, to having a successful animation career is to be very honest with yourself about what you do and do not want to do. And to be flexible to change those ideas when you feel like it, and to learn the new skills to match. And to love it enough not to ever, ever give up, even when a client is a jerk, even when a former student surpasses my skill level, even when I have to scale back my spending a whole-lot in response to tough economic times. I maintain a huge network of professional friends and contacts, try to be friendly and helpful to anyone who needs it, and have a lot of fun doing what I do. You can check out my work at http://www.nikebackyourblock.com (I did the animation & digital compositing for the video promo), and my reel is at http://antidotefx.com/kalika.mov
I'm sure a lot of people have told you that your best asset from college is your friends and colleagues. Stay in touch with them, and appreciate that you have been through many unique experiences together and can hopefully grow those experiences outside the protective walls of college.
Please let me know if you have any other questions or would like to get together at some point. I'd love to see your work!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Friday, December 5, 2008
Week 13 notes
-Production process
-Requirements for your final
Homework:
-present your final project idea and work in progress
-Title page with Elevator Pitch statement
-Idea boards: color, type style, references, texture
-Color palette
-Reference movies: have your YouTube links ready and cued!
-Style frames: 3 frames of what your animation will look like
-Finish the in-class Affirmation Animation (I know, it's like so 80's gay)
Also next week:
-learning DVD studio pro
Production process/Workflow
This applies to animation/editing/comp/motion gfx
-important to know what your client wants
-4 D's:
Duration: how long is the final project going to be?
Due-Date(s): when do they want it delivered. Intermediate due-dates: rough-cut, fine cut before sound mix?
Delivery format: tape? data disc MOV? FLV? SWF? playable DVD?
Dollars: what is their budget?
Animation project: what style?
Animated stills: slideshow, animatic
Multiplane animatic: layered file that you're doing 3D-ish moves on
Cutouts: parenting, transform properties in AE or Flash
Animated masks: cutouts on crack
Flash (drawn): almost like drawing on paper
Drawn animation on paper: composited, colored, with sound means more complex
3D in Maya, XSI or 3DMax
Ask them: what do you like?
If they say, "I don't know!"
-Show them stuff.
-A variety of styles: A music video, motion graphics commercial, character animation, short narrative edit. No more than 5 QT movies with selections totalling no more than 2 minutes.
-can be from your portfolio
-can show professional examples make it clear you didn't do that.
-make sure you've done that technique before.
-have your URLs ready, and know where to cue the movie.
Style/Design: The Idea Board
-idea boards: based on what's out there. 1 for each major aspect of the project.
-If motion graphics: 1 for color, 1 for title design, 1 for lower 3rds, 1 for transition gfx, 1 for end credits
-If film/commercial video: 1 for art direction, 1 for photography style, 1 each for color treatment, grain, effects, costume.
Making idea boards:
Open PS, File/New/Preset US Paper, 11inx8.5in, 150 dpi
Content for idea Boards:
-for these, you can scan images from magazines, grab stuff from web, google images, iStockphoto.com
-scanning from a magazine: if there's black type on the reverse, put a black pc of paper behind the page b4 scanning.
-grabbing images from the web, Apple-Shift 4
Style frames:
It's a glorified storyboard
1-In AE, make something cool looking
2-set your zoom to 100% and your resolution to Full
3-Comp/Save Frame As/File
4-Select all layers (Ap A), UU to see all we changed from defaults.
5-keyframe everything
6-move to another time in timeline
7-repeat steps 1-6 again
Open all those in PS, drag them into a 150dpi image, and label what is happening.
Once you have your idea boards, your styleframes, your Titlepage (should include elevator pitch) all labeled as to what they are, save as PSD file and TIFF with no layers.
-Close all open documents, just open those TIFFs
-File/Automate/PDF presentation
This saves your images as 1 big PDF that you can scroll thru in Preview.
-Requirements for your final
Homework:
-present your final project idea and work in progress
-Title page with Elevator Pitch statement
-Idea boards: color, type style, references, texture
-Color palette
-Reference movies: have your YouTube links ready and cued!
-Style frames: 3 frames of what your animation will look like
-Finish the in-class Affirmation Animation (I know, it's like so 80's gay)
Also next week:
-learning DVD studio pro
Production process/Workflow
This applies to animation/editing/comp/motion gfx
-important to know what your client wants
-4 D's:
Duration: how long is the final project going to be?
Due-Date(s): when do they want it delivered. Intermediate due-dates: rough-cut, fine cut before sound mix?
Delivery format: tape? data disc MOV? FLV? SWF? playable DVD?
Dollars: what is their budget?
Animation project: what style?
Animated stills: slideshow, animatic
Multiplane animatic: layered file that you're doing 3D-ish moves on
Cutouts: parenting, transform properties in AE or Flash
Animated masks: cutouts on crack
Flash (drawn): almost like drawing on paper
Drawn animation on paper: composited, colored, with sound means more complex
3D in Maya, XSI or 3DMax
Ask them: what do you like?
If they say, "I don't know!"
-Show them stuff.
-A variety of styles: A music video, motion graphics commercial, character animation, short narrative edit. No more than 5 QT movies with selections totalling no more than 2 minutes.
-can be from your portfolio
-can show professional examples make it clear you didn't do that.
-make sure you've done that technique before.
-have your URLs ready, and know where to cue the movie.
Style/Design: The Idea Board
-idea boards: based on what's out there. 1 for each major aspect of the project.
-If motion graphics: 1 for color, 1 for title design, 1 for lower 3rds, 1 for transition gfx, 1 for end credits
-If film/commercial video: 1 for art direction, 1 for photography style, 1 each for color treatment, grain, effects, costume.
Making idea boards:
Open PS, File/New/Preset US Paper, 11inx8.5in, 150 dpi
Content for idea Boards:
-for these, you can scan images from magazines, grab stuff from web, google images, iStockphoto.com
-scanning from a magazine: if there's black type on the reverse, put a black pc of paper behind the page b4 scanning.
-grabbing images from the web, Apple-Shift 4
Style frames:
It's a glorified storyboard
1-In AE, make something cool looking
2-set your zoom to 100% and your resolution to Full
3-Comp/Save Frame As/File
4-Select all layers (Ap A), UU to see all we changed from defaults.
5-keyframe everything
6-move to another time in timeline
7-repeat steps 1-6 again
Open all those in PS, drag them into a 150dpi image, and label what is happening.
Once you have your idea boards, your styleframes, your Titlepage (should include elevator pitch) all labeled as to what they are, save as PSD file and TIFF with no layers.
-Close all open documents, just open those TIFFs
-File/Automate/PDF presentation
This saves your images as 1 big PDF that you can scroll thru in Preview.
Spell-Check!
-Spellig coutns
-Copy your text from photoshop into TextEdit or Word and spell czech it.
-or type it into Google!
AFX 3D
3D: enable 3D by turning on the sugarcube icon in the timeline. Don't turn it off.
3D we have 3 axes: X Y Z
X goes left to right Red
Y goes up and down Green
Z goes front and back Blue
Wotate tool (hotkey W) to rotate around the skewers.
-in Rotation tool options on top toolbox, turn the "Orientation" to "Rotation"
Y door-hinge
X flip-book
Z clock
Name Affirmation in-class project:
-Type the first 3 letters of your name.
-Duplicate this 2 times, draw-a-box with the rectangle tool around each letter.
-Use the Solo switch (little O next to Eyeball in Timeline)to make sure your rectangle masks are good.
-Animate each letter disappearing using 3D rotations X and Y and opacity animation 100% to 0%.
-Select all your keyframes by selecting all layers and hitting U, drawing a box around all them.
-Moved keyfr to 2:00
-Layer/New/Null, align this with word on left side.
-Parent all your layers to the Null
-At time 1:00, turn on Position stopwatch on Null.
-At time 0, move Null all the way Right so all letters go offscreen.
-At time 1:00 type last letters of name
-Align with current letters.
-ApR: show rulers, drag from ruler to get a Guide line.
-Draw a box with rectangle mask tool around the last letters of your name. Have bottom of box align with base of letters
-Keyframe Mask Path and Position at time 1:15
-At time 1:00, use my Pan-behind tool (letter Y) to move my letters down in a PeekABoo
-Copy your text from photoshop into TextEdit or Word and spell czech it.
-or type it into Google!
AFX 3D
3D: enable 3D by turning on the sugarcube icon in the timeline. Don't turn it off.
3D we have 3 axes: X Y Z
X goes left to right Red
Y goes up and down Green
Z goes front and back Blue
Wotate tool (hotkey W) to rotate around the skewers.
-in Rotation tool options on top toolbox, turn the "Orientation" to "Rotation"
Y door-hinge
X flip-book
Z clock
Name Affirmation in-class project:
-Type the first 3 letters of your name.
-Duplicate this 2 times, draw-a-box with the rectangle tool around each letter.
-Use the Solo switch (little O next to Eyeball in Timeline)to make sure your rectangle masks are good.
-Animate each letter disappearing using 3D rotations X and Y and opacity animation 100% to 0%.
-Select all your keyframes by selecting all layers and hitting U, drawing a box around all them.
-Moved keyfr to 2:00
-Layer/New/Null, align this with word on left side.
-Parent all your layers to the Null
-At time 1:00, turn on Position stopwatch on Null.
-At time 0, move Null all the way Right so all letters go offscreen.
-At time 1:00 type last letters of name
-Align with current letters.
-ApR: show rulers, drag from ruler to get a Guide line.
-Draw a box with rectangle mask tool around the last letters of your name. Have bottom of box align with base of letters
-Keyframe Mask Path and Position at time 1:15
-At time 1:00, use my Pan-behind tool (letter Y) to move my letters down in a PeekABoo
-Type as separate word-objects the words that will turn your name into an affirmation.
examples: Kalika parties well. James makes a great turkey dinner.
-To make them separate word-objects, type a word using the Type tool and then hit Enter.
-Set anchor point using Pan-behind (Y) tool.
-Separate letters using Masks as needed for your animation.
-Animate words coming together one at a time, to create your "Affirmation Animation."
Typography reference:
Motionographer.com's Cream of the Crop
Paper magazine
Barnes & Noble Union Square: layout ideas from graphic design magazines
AIGA
Typography reference:
Motionographer.com's Cream of the Crop
Paper magazine
Barnes & Noble Union Square: layout ideas from graphic design magazines
AIGA
Screenings:
What Barry Says
The Hush Sound
Pulp Fiction
Who's on First?
V for Vendetta
I encourage you to:
-Think outside what's been done before: Do something Different. We are tired of the same old crap.
What Barry Says
The Hush Sound
Pulp Fiction
Who's on First?
V for Vendetta
I encourage you to:
-Think outside what's been done before: Do something Different. We are tired of the same old crap.
Give us new & unique work.
-Be clever
-Be creative
-Be Yourself! Make this project your own.
-Be clever
-Be creative
-Be Yourself! Make this project your own.
Week 12 notes
Outputting a high-resolution format from QT Pro:
Open your movie in QT Player Pro
Export: Movie to QT Movie
Use: Default Settings
Click the OPTIONS button
This opens a new window.
From the top:
Video: Compression Animation
Keyframes All (how many frames are perfect: higher # means that many are crap betw frames. every 100 means it's only perfect 1/100 frames.
Depth Millions
Quality Best
Size: Dimensions NTSC 720x480 4:3
(if using 16:9 footage (widescreen) please check the box next to "Preserve Aspect ratio using" and choose "Letterbox" from the dropdown)
Only check the "Deinterlace" if your final format is Web or CD-Rom
Sound: Format Linear PCM or Apple Lossless
Channels Stereo LR
Rate 48
Quality Best
Sample Size 16
Uncheck "Prepare for internet streaming"
what it means?? you can watch the 1st part of your QT while the 2nd part will load
Open Final Cut
-Reset Scratch Disks, set them all to FCP folder within your project folder.
-Save your project also to the FCP folder
-Copy/move all your editing clips (stuff you'll be putting into your FC timeline) into Capture Scratch Folder
-Drag those things into Bin window
-Drag your footage into the Timeline
-Will prolly give you an error, saying "Do you want your sequence to match your footage" and you should say Yes.
Saying No will lead to render.
-Unlink selection by clicking the small button in the upper RH corner of the Timeline.
Looks like a link, not Snap.
-Select and delete original audio
-Drag in new audio
To see waveform in FCP, go to Sequence/Seq Settings.
-Timeline Tab, chose "Track Display/Show Audio Waveform"
-Lock your audio tracks in the Timeline so you don't accidentally mess them up.
-On timeline, set in and out points for where i want the clip to last. (i for in, o for out)
-Cut your video for what action should take that amt of time.
double-click the video, go to Motion tab in clip viewer. Time Remap section, and change Duration part TO MATCH the in-out length.
Review of AE retiming
Apple's Motion software
-starts with Welcome screen
-Start with a New Project
-Preset: NTSC DV
Window/Timeline
On left,
Filebrowser: select stuff from your computer to import.
Library: Filters, Behaviors, Particles live here.
Inspector: tells us about what we have clicked.
To change colors, swivel open your particle in the Timeline till you see the "3-star symbol" and click that.
-Go to Inspector and change colors there in the Particle Cell tab, under "Color Over Life"
File/Export
Export: Qt movie
Use: Lossless + Alpha
Check the box next to "use play range"
Click OPTIONS
Go to output Tab
Resolution Full
Color: Color+Alpha
Say NO to premultiply.
Use 29.97 fps
Quality Best
Field Rendering.
Open your movie in QT Player Pro
Export: Movie to QT Movie
Use: Default Settings
Click the OPTIONS button
This opens a new window.
From the top:
Video: Compression Animation
Keyframes All (how many frames are perfect: higher # means that many are crap betw frames. every 100 means it's only perfect 1/100 frames.
Depth Millions
Quality Best
Size: Dimensions NTSC 720x480 4:3
(if using 16:9 footage (widescreen) please check the box next to "Preserve Aspect ratio using" and choose "Letterbox" from the dropdown)
Only check the "Deinterlace" if your final format is Web or CD-Rom
Sound: Format Linear PCM or Apple Lossless
Channels Stereo LR
Rate 48
Quality Best
Sample Size 16
Uncheck "Prepare for internet streaming"
what it means?? you can watch the 1st part of your QT while the 2nd part will load
Open Final Cut
-Reset Scratch Disks, set them all to FCP folder within your project folder.
-Save your project also to the FCP folder
-Copy/move all your editing clips (stuff you'll be putting into your FC timeline) into Capture Scratch Folder
-Drag those things into Bin window
-Drag your footage into the Timeline
-Will prolly give you an error, saying "Do you want your sequence to match your footage" and you should say Yes.
Saying No will lead to render.
-Unlink selection by clicking the small button in the upper RH corner of the Timeline.
Looks like a link, not Snap.
-Select and delete original audio
-Drag in new audio
To see waveform in FCP, go to Sequence/Seq Settings.
-Timeline Tab, chose "Track Display/Show Audio Waveform"
-Lock your audio tracks in the Timeline so you don't accidentally mess them up.
-On timeline, set in and out points for where i want the clip to last. (i for in, o for out)
-Cut your video for what action should take that amt of time.
double-click the video, go to Motion tab in clip viewer. Time Remap section, and change Duration part TO MATCH the in-out length.
Review of AE retiming
Apple's Motion software
-starts with Welcome screen
-Start with a New Project
-Preset: NTSC DV
Window/Timeline
On left,
Filebrowser: select stuff from your computer to import.
Library: Filters, Behaviors, Particles live here.
Inspector: tells us about what we have clicked.
To change colors, swivel open your particle in the Timeline till you see the "3-star symbol" and click that.
-Go to Inspector and change colors there in the Particle Cell tab, under "Color Over Life"
File/Export
Export: Qt movie
Use: Lossless + Alpha
Check the box next to "use play range"
Click OPTIONS
Go to output Tab
Resolution Full
Color: Color+Alpha
Say NO to premultiply.
Use 29.97 fps
Quality Best
Field Rendering.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Week 11: Music Vid part 2 of 2
Screenings: Michel Gondry
-Hardest Button to Button
Making of
-Kylie Minogue "Come into My World"
Making of
FCP:
Sequence menu/Seq settings/Timeline options
-Show audio waveforms checkbox
FCP time remap
-Constant speed: change the duration or speed of your clip uniformly throughout
-Variable speed: keyframe your clip's timing.
-3rd tool in Slip edit (in FC toolbox) is your time remap tool.
-hotkey is SSS
Graph in your Motion tab, represents Current time vs. Clip time.
-Slope upward means the video plays forward
-Slope downward means video plays backwards
-Moving a Time remap keyframe Up makes the frame you're watching go up a frame in original clip value
-Moving Time Remap keyfr left or right changes its timing
-keyframes close=fast mov't
-keyfr far=slower mov't
Smoothing the Time Remap graph:
-Hardest Button to Button
Making of
-Kylie Minogue "Come into My World"
Making of
FCP:
Sequence menu/Seq settings/Timeline options
-Show audio waveforms checkbox
FCP time remap
-Constant speed: change the duration or speed of your clip uniformly throughout
-Variable speed: keyframe your clip's timing.
-3rd tool in Slip edit (in FC toolbox) is your time remap tool.
-hotkey is SSS
Graph in your Motion tab, represents Current time vs. Clip time.
-Slope upward means the video plays forward
-Slope downward means video plays backwards
-Moving a Time remap keyframe Up makes the frame you're watching go up a frame in original clip value
-Moving Time Remap keyfr left or right changes its timing
-keyframes close=fast mov't
-keyfr far=slower mov't
Smoothing the Time Remap graph:
-use the 3rd tool in the pen tool, "convert" Hotkey is PPP
-Click on the keyframe in the graph to smoothe it.
Retiming in AE:
-To show just video, turn off audio switch
-To hear just audio, no video, turn off video switch
To view Audio waveform
-Click on the keyframe in the graph to smoothe it.
Retiming in AE:
-To show just video, turn off audio switch
-To hear just audio, no video, turn off video switch
To view Audio waveform
-select your audio layer and hit LL
-if you don't see it well, go to AFX/Prefs/User Interface colors, and darken
-if you still don't see it well: select your audio layer, hold shift and type L
-This brings up your audio levels property.
-Up your audio levels. Remember to reduce them before final render.
PRESS Period on num pad to play audio alone
PRESS Zero on num pad to play audio and video together
-Hold Apple while scrubbing to see/hear audio and video frame by frame.
-Turn on Caps Lock to freeze your onscreen preview while you scrub your audio.
MAKE SURE auto-save is ON
AFX menu/prefs/autosave
-i do every 2 min, max versions 5
-set this up every time you work on a school computer.
-and then SAVE your PROJECT
MAKE SURE your audio preview is as long as your audio clip.
-AFX prefs/Previews/change the duration of the audio preview.
can create markers on the timeline
-if you don't see it well, go to AFX/Prefs/User Interface colors, and darken
-if you still don't see it well: select your audio layer, hold shift and type L
-This brings up your audio levels property.
-Up your audio levels. Remember to reduce them before final render.
PRESS Period on num pad to play audio alone
PRESS Zero on num pad to play audio and video together
-Hold Apple while scrubbing to see/hear audio and video frame by frame.
-Turn on Caps Lock to freeze your onscreen preview while you scrub your audio.
MAKE SURE auto-save is ON
AFX menu/prefs/autosave
-i do every 2 min, max versions 5
-set this up every time you work on a school computer.
-and then SAVE your PROJECT
MAKE SURE your audio preview is as long as your audio clip.
-AFX prefs/Previews/change the duration of the audio preview.
can create markers on the timeline
-using Asterisk * on Number pad, or going to Layer/Add marker.
-Double-click the marker and Name it in the Comments field.
Select video layer
-Layer/Time/Enable Time remapping
-it gives you 2 keyframes: 1 for your original clip-beginning and 1 for your original clip-end.
-create new keyframes on "coolframes"
by clicking in the little box between the keyframe navigation arrows.
You can also make new time remap keyframes
-Double-click the marker and Name it in the Comments field.
Select video layer
-Layer/Time/Enable Time remapping
-it gives you 2 keyframes: 1 for your original clip-beginning and 1 for your original clip-end.
-create new keyframes on "coolframes"
by clicking in the little box between the keyframe navigation arrows.
You can also make new time remap keyframes
-by sliding the keyframe value in the Time Remap property with the Pointer finger.
Assignment: Time remap music video.
1-edit music in FC
2-rough edit of picture in FC
3-RETIME in FC or AE
advantage of FC: realtime playback
advantage of AE: kickass frame blending.
4-color-correction, transitions, and visual effects
Assignment: Time remap music video.
1-edit music in FC
2-rough edit of picture in FC
3-RETIME in FC or AE
advantage of FC: realtime playback
advantage of AE: kickass frame blending.
4-color-correction, transitions, and visual effects
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Week 10: Music video part 1 of 2
Screenings:
-Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
-Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream"
-Bambi sings Soulja boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdi48oUdZP0
-Lasse Gjertsen's "Amateur"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzqumbhfxRo
Morphing tutorial
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/zwar_chris/morph.php
to change your DVD footage to usable MOVs
MPEG Streamclip
http://www.squared5.com/
mac the ripper
http://www.mactheripper.org/
-remove copy-protection from a DVD
dvdXdv
Handbrake
Places to download free footage:
archive.org
prelinger archive
Places to get music:
Limewire
Off a CD
iTunes
-comes Locked.
-take a blank CD and burn from iTunes a CD.
-lower-left corner "Burn Disc"
FCP and AE hate MP3s
-open it in QT player
-File/Export/Sound to AIFF
Google code to take music offa people's websites:
searches for music based on Song or Artist you input
intitle:index.of "mp3" +"Song or Artist" -htm -html -php -asp "Last Modified"
1st part: gathering your video and your music
either: a) retime half of your piece
b) roughcut of all of your piece
Quality 1st, Duration 2nd.
-Listen to music
-Pick out a 20-30 sec maximum section.
in Final cut, edit that music.
1-edit music in FC
2-rough edit of picture in FC
3-RETIME in FC or AE
advantage of FC: realtime playback
advantage of AE: kickass frame blending.
4-color-correction, transitions, and visual effects
iPodRip
-to rip music from your iPod to computer
mediaconverter.org
-convert music from YouTube
keepvid.com
-convert video from YouTube
if you wanna do lipsynch, here are mouth charts:
Select your MP3 file, and File/Open With
-Quicktime player
-File/Export
-Export Audio to AIFF, saved to Assets folder
Open FCP
-Set your Scratch Disks to your FCP folder (within wk9_retime)
-FCP menu/System Settings
-Save my project to that same FCP folder
Double-click my sequence, and go to Sequence/Seq Settings
(apple-zero)
-Check my format. NTSC DV works most times.
-in Seq Settings, go to Timeline tab.
-Click the box next to "Show Audio Waveforms"
-Cut the audio using Blade tool and Arrow to select.
-Rt-click the end of the clip to get a fade.
-double-click the fade to change its length.
Adjust audio levels
-Acceptable levels Peak at -10Db
Open your archive.org video in QT player
-use the brackety things to make your video selection
-Go to Edit/Copy
-File/New Player
-Edit/Paste
Convert your weird format to a good editing format
-File/Export
-Export: Movie to QT movie
-Use: Default Settings
-HIT OPTIONS
-Settings:
-framerate 29.97
-Keyframes all
-Millions of colors
-Quality Best
-Size
-NTSC 720x480
-Preserve aspect using Letterbox
-Sound:
-Linear PCM or Apple Lossless
-Stereo, 48.000, Best, 16, No boxes checkd below.
-Turn off "Prep for internet Streaming"
Imported our video into FC
-Made sure our Seq Settings (Apple zero in FC) matched those from QT Inspector (Apple i in Quicktime)
-lay my new video on track 2 of my timeline.
-delete my old audio
-Un-clicking the "Link selection" button on upper right corner of the timeline
-Click the audio, hit Delete
-cut up my video (Blade and arrow)
-Set in and out points on my Timeline for the duration of my 1st beat. (this will show up in the upper left of the Canvas window)
create a new seq, call it "work" have the same seq settings as orig seq
-copy-paste your 1st shot into "work"
-double-click the 1st shot, and go to Motion tab
-Time Remap
-In Duration, input the length of that 1st beat
Output from FC to AE
-Choose your shots in FC
-edit your audio in FC
(if you need more than 2 audio edits, don't do it in AE)
-set in and out points on timeline, 1 shot at a time
-File/Export/Image sequence. Tiffs, @your framerate, Best quality (no compression), Millions of colors
-Do this for each shot
-Set in and out points on the timeline around your audio
-File/Export/Audio to AIFF, Stereo mix
-SAVE all this to Assets folder
In Ae
AE/Pref/Import: set the Sequence Footage framerate to that of our FC Sequence.
Drag in our folders o' images, and our AIFF.
Drag our AIFF into a new comp
Show the columns In and Out on your timeline (Ctrl-clicking the header row and choosing in and out)
-Have each "sequence" of images start 1 frame after the last one ends.
Select our audio layer.
-Hit L twice to see the waveform
-Select our shots, NOT our audio
go to Layer/Time/Enable Time remapping
the keyframes are based on what actual frame of video we're seeing. timing of our retimedshot vs. time on the timecode of the Timeline.
-something goes faster if the framecount betw keyframes is larger than the framecount in the timecode.
-something goes backwards if the time remap value goes let's say from 3:00 to 2:00 while the timecode is going 1:00 to 2:00
-slower if time remap goes over a few frames while timecode goes many. time remap from 0-10 frames while we're watching those 10 frames for 5 seconds! SLO-Mo
Homework:
-15 sec to 1:30 of music selected and cut in FC
-Footage shot/collected
-Rough edit created in FC
-Bring headphones next week!
-Michael Jackson's "Thriller"
-Michael and Janet Jackson's "Scream"
-Bambi sings Soulja boy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pdi48oUdZP0
-Lasse Gjertsen's "Amateur"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JzqumbhfxRo
Morphing tutorial
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/zwar_chris/morph.php
to change your DVD footage to usable MOVs
MPEG Streamclip
http://www.squared5.com/
mac the ripper
http://www.mactheripper.org/
-remove copy-protection from a DVD
dvdXdv
Handbrake
Places to download free footage:
archive.org
prelinger archive
Places to get music:
Limewire
Off a CD
iTunes
-comes Locked.
-take a blank CD and burn from iTunes a CD.
-lower-left corner "Burn Disc"
FCP and AE hate MP3s
-open it in QT player
-File/Export/Sound to AIFF
Google code to take music offa people's websites:
searches for music based on Song or Artist you input
intitle:index.of "mp3" +"Song or Artist" -htm -html -php -asp "Last Modified"
1st part: gathering your video and your music
either: a) retime half of your piece
b) roughcut of all of your piece
Quality 1st, Duration 2nd.
-Listen to music
-Pick out a 20-30 sec maximum section.
in Final cut, edit that music.
1-edit music in FC
2-rough edit of picture in FC
3-RETIME in FC or AE
advantage of FC: realtime playback
advantage of AE: kickass frame blending.
4-color-correction, transitions, and visual effects
iPodRip
-to rip music from your iPod to computer
mediaconverter.org
-convert music from YouTube
keepvid.com
-convert video from YouTube
if you wanna do lipsynch, here are mouth charts:
Select your MP3 file, and File/Open With
-Quicktime player
-File/Export
-Export Audio to AIFF, saved to Assets folder
Open FCP
-Set your Scratch Disks to your FCP folder (within wk9_retime)
-FCP menu/System Settings
-Save my project to that same FCP folder
Double-click my sequence, and go to Sequence/Seq Settings
(apple-zero)
-Check my format. NTSC DV works most times.
-in Seq Settings, go to Timeline tab.
-Click the box next to "Show Audio Waveforms"
-Cut the audio using Blade tool and Arrow to select.
-Rt-click the end of the clip to get a fade.
-double-click the fade to change its length.
Adjust audio levels
-Acceptable levels Peak at -10Db
Open your archive.org video in QT player
-use the brackety things to make your video selection
-Go to Edit/Copy
-File/New Player
-Edit/Paste
Convert your weird format to a good editing format
-File/Export
-Export: Movie to QT movie
-Use: Default Settings
-HIT OPTIONS
-Settings:
-framerate 29.97
-Keyframes all
-Millions of colors
-Quality Best
-Size
-NTSC 720x480
-Preserve aspect using Letterbox
-Sound:
-Linear PCM or Apple Lossless
-Stereo, 48.000, Best, 16, No boxes checkd below.
-Turn off "Prep for internet Streaming"
Imported our video into FC
-Made sure our Seq Settings (Apple zero in FC) matched those from QT Inspector (Apple i in Quicktime)
-lay my new video on track 2 of my timeline.
-delete my old audio
-Un-clicking the "Link selection" button on upper right corner of the timeline
-Click the audio, hit Delete
-cut up my video (Blade and arrow)
-Set in and out points on my Timeline for the duration of my 1st beat. (this will show up in the upper left of the Canvas window)
create a new seq, call it "work" have the same seq settings as orig seq
-copy-paste your 1st shot into "work"
-double-click the 1st shot, and go to Motion tab
-Time Remap
-In Duration, input the length of that 1st beat
Output from FC to AE
-Choose your shots in FC
-edit your audio in FC
(if you need more than 2 audio edits, don't do it in AE)
-set in and out points on timeline, 1 shot at a time
-File/Export/Image sequence. Tiffs, @your framerate, Best quality (no compression), Millions of colors
-Do this for each shot
-Set in and out points on the timeline around your audio
-File/Export/Audio to AIFF, Stereo mix
-SAVE all this to Assets folder
In Ae
AE/Pref/Import: set the Sequence Footage framerate to that of our FC Sequence.
Drag in our folders o' images, and our AIFF.
Drag our AIFF into a new comp
Show the columns In and Out on your timeline (Ctrl-clicking the header row and choosing in and out)
-Have each "sequence" of images start 1 frame after the last one ends.
Select our audio layer.
-Hit L twice to see the waveform
-Select our shots, NOT our audio
go to Layer/Time/Enable Time remapping
the keyframes are based on what actual frame of video we're seeing. timing of our retimedshot vs. time on the timecode of the Timeline.
-something goes faster if the framecount betw keyframes is larger than the framecount in the timecode.
-something goes backwards if the time remap value goes let's say from 3:00 to 2:00 while the timecode is going 1:00 to 2:00
-slower if time remap goes over a few frames while timecode goes many. time remap from 0-10 frames while we're watching those 10 frames for 5 seconds! SLO-Mo
Homework:
-15 sec to 1:30 of music selected and cut in FC
-Footage shot/collected
-Rough edit created in FC
-Bring headphones next week!
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Week 9: Particles and Explosions
Particles & explosions:
you can use footage for this (shoot your own, go to detonationfilms.com)
And/or you can use a particle generator, such as Particle Playground or Trapcode's Particular (particular costs extra)
with Detonation films, you can key out a black background using linear color key, experiment with blending modes, duplicate the layer, use masks, animate Scale and Opacity, apply blurs, and apply color effects.
Color effects we covered in class included Tint, Photo Filter, and Colorama.
Particles, I'd recommend learning from online video tutorials.
Cast Shadows
don't forget cast shadows, which can be created by:
-duplicating your explosion layer
-using the effect "Fill" to fill it with 1 color like black or grey
-applying corner pin to attach it to the ground in perspective
-Using the blending mode "multiply" will allow the shadow to "sit" in the scene better.
-reducing the opacity can help as well.
Maltaannon's Fire-Hands tutorial:
-imported video
-made a comp of it. (called it Source)
-precomposed video (called this Final)into a new comp
-trimmed layer to just the area where we want particles
In Source comp, apply the Time difference effect
set time offset to 0, 050
changed the contrast to 50,0
Apply Fast blur 5.0, with Repeat Edge pixels on
Apply Threshold 15
make black transparent by applying luma key
This is the source for particles.
time to create particles themselves!
-drag source into another comp, call it Particles.
-Apply particle playground to Source layer in Particle
Set particles per sec to 0
In layer exploder (tears image apart based on alpha channel)
Set to Source.
This makes pixels explode from that layer.
Go to Gravity, set direction to 0 degrees to get particles going up instead of down.
Increasing force to 300
make new solid, precompose it with itself. call ModMap
inside that comp, apply ramp and turbulent displace.
-set size to 11 and amt to 533 and complexity to 3,9
-change displacement to turbulent smoother
-opt-click on evolution stopwatch, time*1000
Turn off ModMap in Particles comp
In Source layer, go to Effect controls for Particle P-ground
-Go to persistent property mapper
-map red to Opacitty
-min to -0, 20, max 1,00
Map green to Y force, max -30
Apply fast blur to Source layer, 5
go to layer exploder parameter, change radius to 3 and velocity to 60
Go to Final comp, place particles comp on video
-apply turbulent displace effect to particles
-amt 50, size 8
complexity 2
evolution expression time * 500
colorama!
input phase: from alpha
output phase: uncheck modify alpha
output cycle: fire and smoke, change the colors
apply glow, based on A&B colors yellow and red, threshold 52% radius 44, intensity 1.2
To apply particle playground to a layer (fountain of eyeballs)
-create eyeball layers. precompose them. Eyeball named comp.
-use region of interest to crop.
-Comp/Crop to region of interest
Back to Main Comp
Layer/New Solid
Effect/Generate/Particle Playground
-Layer Map: set Use Layer to your Eyeball comp
-in Cannon, adjust particles per second
-in Gravity, adjust force
-in Cannon, adj direction and spread.
Additional Particle Tutorials:
Particles of Incorporation
Muggle's Magic Wand
Text Effects (including using Text as Particle)
Smoke!
Nerdy Particles made using Expressions
Getting your files from FCP to AE:
-File/Exp/using QT conversion
-Format: Image sequence
-Use: Targa 29.97
-Click options
Format: Tiff
-Click options again!
-Millions of Colors
-Compression NONE
After Effects/Preferences/Import
Sequence footage framerate should match to that of your FC Sequence
suck frames
QT and AE frame count instead of timecode, watch the tracking video and make a list of all the frames that suck. Draw a star next to the ones that are really bad. Fix those first. you can use left and right arrow keys in QT to watch it super slowly.
-To change AE to frames instead of timecode, option click the timecode in the timeline or go to File/Project Settings and choose "Frames"
Homework:
-Make something blow up/Explode using detonation films and/or Particle Playground.
-You can use photo or video as your BG
-Please shoot it well. well-lit, well-composed.
-Turn Off AutoFocus when shooting video for post-production!!
-How to focus without AutoFocus:
you can use footage for this (shoot your own, go to detonationfilms.com)
And/or you can use a particle generator, such as Particle Playground or Trapcode's Particular (particular costs extra)
with Detonation films, you can key out a black background using linear color key, experiment with blending modes, duplicate the layer, use masks, animate Scale and Opacity, apply blurs, and apply color effects.
Color effects we covered in class included Tint, Photo Filter, and Colorama.
Particles, I'd recommend learning from online video tutorials.
Cast Shadows
don't forget cast shadows, which can be created by:
-duplicating your explosion layer
-using the effect "Fill" to fill it with 1 color like black or grey
-applying corner pin to attach it to the ground in perspective
-Using the blending mode "multiply" will allow the shadow to "sit" in the scene better.
-reducing the opacity can help as well.
Maltaannon's Fire-Hands tutorial:
-imported video
-made a comp of it. (called it Source)
-precomposed video (called this Final)into a new comp
-trimmed layer to just the area where we want particles
In Source comp, apply the Time difference effect
set time offset to 0, 050
changed the contrast to 50,0
Apply Fast blur 5.0, with Repeat Edge pixels on
Apply Threshold 15
make black transparent by applying luma key
This is the source for particles.
time to create particles themselves!
-drag source into another comp, call it Particles.
-Apply particle playground to Source layer in Particle
Set particles per sec to 0
In layer exploder (tears image apart based on alpha channel)
Set to Source.
This makes pixels explode from that layer.
Go to Gravity, set direction to 0 degrees to get particles going up instead of down.
Increasing force to 300
make new solid, precompose it with itself. call ModMap
inside that comp, apply ramp and turbulent displace.
-set size to 11 and amt to 533 and complexity to 3,9
-change displacement to turbulent smoother
-opt-click on evolution stopwatch, time*1000
Turn off ModMap in Particles comp
In Source layer, go to Effect controls for Particle P-ground
-Go to persistent property mapper
-map red to Opacitty
-min to -0, 20, max 1,00
Map green to Y force, max -30
Apply fast blur to Source layer, 5
go to layer exploder parameter, change radius to 3 and velocity to 60
Go to Final comp, place particles comp on video
-apply turbulent displace effect to particles
-amt 50, size 8
complexity 2
evolution expression time * 500
colorama!
input phase: from alpha
output phase: uncheck modify alpha
output cycle: fire and smoke, change the colors
apply glow, based on A&B colors yellow and red, threshold 52% radius 44, intensity 1.2
To apply particle playground to a layer (fountain of eyeballs)
-create eyeball layers. precompose them. Eyeball named comp.
-use region of interest to crop.
-Comp/Crop to region of interest
Back to Main Comp
Layer/New Solid
Effect/Generate/Particle Playground
-Layer Map: set Use Layer to your Eyeball comp
-in Cannon, adjust particles per second
-in Gravity, adjust force
-in Cannon, adj direction and spread.
Additional Particle Tutorials:
Particles of Incorporation
Muggle's Magic Wand
Text Effects (including using Text as Particle)
Smoke!
Nerdy Particles made using Expressions
Getting your files from FCP to AE:
-File/Exp/using QT conversion
-Format: Image sequence
-Use: Targa 29.97
-Click options
Format: Tiff
-Click options again!
-Millions of Colors
-Compression NONE
After Effects/Preferences/Import
Sequence footage framerate should match to that of your FC Sequence
suck frames
QT and AE frame count instead of timecode, watch the tracking video and make a list of all the frames that suck. Draw a star next to the ones that are really bad. Fix those first. you can use left and right arrow keys in QT to watch it super slowly.
-To change AE to frames instead of timecode, option click the timecode in the timeline or go to File/Project Settings and choose "Frames"
Homework:
-Make something blow up/Explode using detonation films and/or Particle Playground.
-You can use photo or video as your BG
-Please shoot it well. well-lit, well-composed.
-Turn Off AutoFocus when shooting video for post-production!!
-How to focus without AutoFocus:
-zoom in all the way with autofocus on, then turn off autofocus and zoom out. This will keep everything sharp.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Week 7: Tracking
Tracking=following 1 thing in your video with a separate element.
Uses:
-Stabilizing
-Matchmoving: change the view out the window, to match a moving shot
-Tracking: stick something to someone.
-Girls gone wild (or Barbie)
-Big blur spot on COPS
-Horns, fire on hair, wings, clown nose
-Arrows "no smoking campaign"
-or use for rotoscoping by tracking a matte
-info graphics: pointing out areas of the frame that are moving, putting stats to them: stranger than fiction
Import Ladybeach footage
make new comp
Layer/New/Adjustment Layer
Draw a round mask on this Adj Layer
Apply Fast blur 7
Windows/Tracker Controls (with the adjustmt layer selected!)
-Set Motion Source to "Ladybeach"
-Summons the Layer window
-Keep LadyBeach selected.
-Click the Track Motion button
-brings up a TrackerBox
-3 parts to the trackerbox
1-Target (crosshair)
2-Pattern (innerbox)
3-Search Area (outerbox)
Chose a frame where the pattern was clearest.
Not necessarily the 1st frame.
Set the Trackerbox to her head by dragging between the target and the inner box.
-This drags the entire trackerbox.
-Set the pattern to the size of her head (inner box)
-Set the Target to a corner of where her head and hat meet (remember that Targets love corners)
-Click the play button in the Analyze area.
-Watch carefully for F-ups
-Click play button again to Stop the analyze. Reset the box and target as needed.
-Hit U with my video layer selected, to show all my keyfr, go to the first of those keyfr
-Analyze backwards by clicking the "Backwards play" looking button in the Analyze section.
-Select your 1st layer, hit Apply.
-Creates position keyfr on your layer
-Select all pos keyfr by clicking the word "Position." Make sure your time slider is parked on 1 of those keyframes.
-Use Arrow keys to move her blurry dot over.
To stabilize, select your footage, click Stabilize in the Motion Tracker window.
-for more than 1 tracker point, use position and rotation or scale.
-once it's done analyzing, hit "Apply"
Homework:
Videotape something or someone you can accessorize with Motion Tracking
-Footage
-Accessories
-can be hand-drawn or photos: 360 if your footage features a turning person or object
Bonus points if you use selective color keying for this.
In class we'll assemble the footage and photos, track and work with 3D layers to get the most out of this project.
Uses:
-Stabilizing
-Matchmoving: change the view out the window, to match a moving shot
-Tracking: stick something to someone.
-Girls gone wild (or Barbie)
-Big blur spot on COPS
-Horns, fire on hair, wings, clown nose
-Arrows "no smoking campaign"
-or use for rotoscoping by tracking a matte
-info graphics: pointing out areas of the frame that are moving, putting stats to them: stranger than fiction
Import Ladybeach footage
make new comp
Layer/New/Adjustment Layer
Draw a round mask on this Adj Layer
Apply Fast blur 7
Windows/Tracker Controls (with the adjustmt layer selected!)
-Set Motion Source to "Ladybeach"
-Summons the Layer window
-Keep LadyBeach selected.
-Click the Track Motion button
-brings up a TrackerBox
-3 parts to the trackerbox
1-Target (crosshair)
2-Pattern (innerbox)
3-Search Area (outerbox)
Chose a frame where the pattern was clearest.
Not necessarily the 1st frame.
Set the Trackerbox to her head by dragging between the target and the inner box.
-This drags the entire trackerbox.
-Set the pattern to the size of her head (inner box)
-Set the Target to a corner of where her head and hat meet (remember that Targets love corners)
-Click the play button in the Analyze area.
-Watch carefully for F-ups
-Click play button again to Stop the analyze. Reset the box and target as needed.
-Hit U with my video layer selected, to show all my keyfr, go to the first of those keyfr
-Analyze backwards by clicking the "Backwards play" looking button in the Analyze section.
-Select your 1st layer, hit Apply.
-Creates position keyfr on your layer
-Select all pos keyfr by clicking the word "Position." Make sure your time slider is parked on 1 of those keyframes.
-Use Arrow keys to move her blurry dot over.
To stabilize, select your footage, click Stabilize in the Motion Tracker window.
-for more than 1 tracker point, use position and rotation or scale.
-once it's done analyzing, hit "Apply"
Homework:
Videotape something or someone you can accessorize with Motion Tracking
-Footage
-Accessories
-can be hand-drawn or photos: 360 if your footage features a turning person or object
Bonus points if you use selective color keying for this.
In class we'll assemble the footage and photos, track and work with 3D layers to get the most out of this project.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
