Nicole H.D.W. Sinclair: After Effects

In this session I will talk you through the process I followed in order to create my simple 10-second character animation.

Hints and Tips

When importing your vector image into After Effects there is an option for “Illustrator/PDF/EPS Sequence”, this is a useful option for if you have a collection of images similar to that of a flick book for instance.

Shortcuts to open up the different transform boxes of all layers within a composition:-

A – Anchor Point

P – Position

S – Scale

R – Rotation

T – Opacity

U- Opens only those with key frames or changes.

Character Creation –

To start with we need to create a character in which to bring into our animation. One way of doing this is by using vector imagery in Adobe Illustrator to create each section of the character on different layers. The reason for using different layers will become apparent later as we need all moving parts separate.

When creating your new Illustrator document select the “Basic RGB” profile, as all screen-based material works in this colour scheme. Under the “Units” drop-menu select pixels as this is what we need to be working in for screen-based media. Now simply change the width and height settings to 1920 x 1080, this is now set at full HD to match our After Effects video later.

To the left you can see that I have used an image off the Internet as a reference for my Scottish Terrier character. I used this as a reference as to keep the character in proportion when drawing out the outline of the shapes. However when it comes to using these elements you need to make sure they are filled shapes, you can choose to do this now or later, as long as you have the outline to fill into. A useful area to point out, would be that when ordering your layers it is best to consider in which way they need to appear and move. For example with my dog character we are viewing him from his right hand side, therefore his left-hand side ear and legs need to be placed underneath the base body layer.

Inserting the Character –

In order to keep the layers within the character’s image go to File>Import>File, select the illustrator file and set the “Import As” to Composition-Retain Layer Sizes. The composition options retain all the layer information, therefore enabling you to alter each different element of the character separately rather then becoming a flattened image as on the “Footage” setting. The Composition – Retain Layer Sizes keeps its scale to that as dictated on the illustrator file. This will add your character design into the library as a folder with a multitude of separate files. Also it will create a composition of the character, double click this to open it up.

Character Movement –

You will notice as before with the images each file has drop-down section and if you open these up, it will reveal the five transformation options for that layer. You can alter these in three different ways, by either entering the units manually, clicking and dragging on the corresponding box as to alter a specific value in real-time or the third option, selecting and moving the shape within the composition window, though this is less accurate.

Firstly you need to ensure all anchor points for the character are set at the right position. As if they are not this could lead to some odd movements within the animation. You can check where the anchor points are by first selecting the layer you want to check, then click on the “Pan Behind(Anchor Point)” tool, this can be found within the toolbar, as seen right. The anchor is the icon seen as looking similar to that of a compass.

An easy and useful tool for animating characters within After Effects as a tool called “Parenting” this involves setting each “Child” as belonging to a parent, most often if not in all circumstances, you will end up with one shape being the parent overall while all other shapes are assigned to another. What this does is enable you to move all layers in the same range of movement when altering the path of a parent layer. This can save a lot of time as oppose to altering each layers on an individual basis.

When altering the size, place or rotation you need to open up the appropriate transform setting for that layer and then click the stopwatch icon once, this activates the option for changes to the layer within the timeline. Be careful though as if this is clicked again it will clear all changes to your timeframe for this layer.

If you want to set a point on the timeline to dictate a place where the item doesn’t move or stops moving then click on the diamond shaped icon to the far left of the layer properties. This is needed for if you want the character to move at a certain pace in one section but then stop and have a completely different place further on.

Now you can animate your character as you wish and when happy with its movement proceed to the next step.

The next step is regarding background imagery and applying layer blend modes to such to create engaging scenery. Either find two free to use, under the creative commons licence textures, or create your own textured imagery in which to import into the After Effects file. Once imported drag these to the bottom of the timeframe as to place them underneath all preceding layers. If you want a simple one textured background one can create a block of colour within After Effects and simply set this above the textures. Alternatively and with much more range for creativity you can create a vector background and then import this the same way, or flattened (depending on where you wish the textures to be laid) into the composition. Once you have your background and textured layers we need to open up the “Blending Mode” and “Track Matte” tools. To make these visible, simply select the “Toggle Switches / Modes” button.

In order to apply a colour to the backdrop set the colour solid as “Multiply”, this takes the selected layer and merges it with that of the below layer. Here this gives us an interpretation of the sky, as the watercolour texture does of the ground. However, the watercolour texture requires a slight difference in application. Here we need to set the layer underneath the vector shape and set the “TrkMat” to Alpha, this tells the layer that it can only be visible within the boundaries set by the layer above. See below the finished ten second short.

So there you have it, the process of creating your character, importing it into After Effects, creating its movements and gives textural interest to its surrounding backdrop.