CSUSM Fall 2015 Imaginary Worlds Here is my 16 week process of learning and utilizing Adobe After Effects

1. Imaginary Worlds
VSAR 402 | CSUSM | Fall 2015 | Prof Duane Loose
Andrew Pandes

2. Exercises

3. Bouncing Ball
Introduction to After Effects
● Created a bouncing ball from left
screen to right
● Used pen tool create bouncing
aspects
● In addition, used speed graph to
adjust time intervals for a more
convincing ball bounce

4. Name Bumper
Making a Name bumper
● Intro to using the pen tool to
create a path to animate on
● Using text on the path to
make interesting movements
● Using gradients and film grain
on the background layer to
create an interesting look

5. Name Bumper revisions
Over the next week I revised my
bumper with various techniques
● Using kerning and tracking to
move type from on and off the
screen
● Using scale to flip words
In addition, using color palettes on
Adobe Color and Coolors.co to
create the color palettes soothing to
the eye

6. Tiles and Precomps
Creating an object in a separate
composition, we thus created a
Precomp to use in another composition
● Using Precomps, created effects
via twist effect
● Used expressions to have the
precomp loop infinitely
● Used different blending modes to
create interaction with the top and
bottom layer

7. Polygon Tutorial
With assistance by VideoCopilot I
created a vector graphic with
polygons and radial effects
Using the Radial Waves effect,
Radial gradients, Color gradients,
and keyframing to create the
main object
Then creating a precomp with
CC scale wipe and Linear Wipe
to create the long shadow in the
background.

8. 3D Camera Work
Using supplied Adobe Illustrator files
with managed layers we created a 3D
camera and flew through the various
layers
● Used 3D camera to add a Z axis
● Scale to resize each layer to
aesthetically fit on screen
● Auto raster button was on to
scale vector images nicely

9. 3D Tracking
With the 3D camera we tracked
source footage of the rock
climber.
● Using tracking nodes, we
tracked a point on the rock
● Keyed out the original blue
sky of the the source
footage and replaced it with
the galaxy and moon
● Created movement with
nulls and had the
background of the moon
and text move accordingly

10. Stages of Production

11. Pre Production
● Creating a High Concept Idea for the
teaser
● Drafting a Style Guide for high concept
● Drafting a screenplay story for teaser

12. Storyboards and Animatic
● Creation of storyboards of
my teaser trailer which
included, rough sketches,
dialog cues, sound cues,
camera movements, and
directional cues.
● Creation of Animatic with
scratch audio, sounds and
music

13. Production
● Creation of Production
Timelime
● Filming of Scenes,
capturing audio, creating
background plates

14. Post Production
Using techniques in the exercises prior, I
married vector and video imagery together
● For post production, I primarily used
After Effects to create the visual effects
● Using masks and rotoscoping tools to
create in imagery seen
Final Video

15. Additional Works

16. VSAR 380-24 Experimental Media
With the techniques learned in this class I furthered these
techniques in my Experimental Media Class.
I created a series of motion self portraits with visual media
masked and overlaid the self portraits to create
metaphorical imagery to convey me.
https://youtu.be/Nz5sR06vd5M