Animating and Compositing
I was to create a 120-second (2-minute) video incorporating animation/compositing (After Effects 3D layers or Cinema 4D layers, After Effects camera with layered elements, Green screen footage, and screen blend mode elements, Rotoscoping, 2D animated elements, or Motion tracking) with video elements (live-action).
Animation & Video Compositing was assigned to my classmates and me near the end of the third semester of Rich Media Communications III. It involved creating a two-minute video, where we’d have to incorporate some composited elements over live-action footage with audio. These elements included 3d objects, a green screen and rotoscoping, 2D elements, animated text, or simply masking. We had to include at least three of these elements and had to make sure with whatever effects we chose; we had done our best to integrate these effects with the environment in a way that looked realistic, believable, or appropriate to the style of your video.
Animation & Video Compositing was assigned to my classmates and me near the end of the third semester of Rich Media Communications III. It involved creating a two-minute video, where we’d have to incorporate some composited elements over live-action footage with audio. These elements included 3d objects, a green screen and rotoscoping, 2D elements, animated text, or simply masking. We had to include at least three of these elements and had to make sure that with whatever effects we chose; we had done our best to integrate these effects with the environment in a way that looked realistic, believable, or appropriate to the style of your video.
The video starts out with me having to guard a book for my more cartoon-like counterpart, and despite a warning from him through an animated picture, I ignore him and choose to open the book. This causes lighting to strike and a few explosions to occur, knocking me out. When I awake, a cartoon-like wizard appears before me and begins running a muck creating several cartoon characters before eventually turning the whole world into a cartoon land.
This causes lighting to strike and a few explosions to occur, knocking me out. When I awake, a cartoon-like wizard appears before me and begins running a muck creating several cartoon characters before eventually turning the whole world into a cartoon land. After regaining consciousness again to see what has happened, my cartoon counterpart appears and proceeds to hunt down the wizard, converting his hand into a gun. Similar to the VFX / 3D Integration Video assignment I was given last semester, my main thought process was mainly how I could incorporate several of these composited elements into my video. My head was running with ideas but I ultimately choose the one, I described above. Another random and nonsensical story idea.
The text was done using a simple cursive style and hand-drawn animation to make it seem like it was hand-drawn to reflect the 2d animation theme better. Speaking of 2D animation, a lot of the cartoon characters were drawn by me in illustrator, using a few reference images I found online. Again, rigging and animating them was done in After Effects. I also after effects when doing other 2d elements, like fire and the explosions that occur during the video using various shapes and masking to achieve the desired effects.
For the final segment of the video, when the world gets turned into a cartoon world, I used a variety of filters to make it appear different from the live-action world, with the intent of making it feel like a 2D world. The bit with me talking to myself was done through simple masking techniques of combining two videos to make it seem like I’m at two different places simultaneously. The gun effect was me using tracking motion and attaching a gun I’d drawn in illustrator with some smoke effect to achieve that effect.