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scratching my head
I have been using after effects for a couple of years now and I am alway wanting to learn new stuff. I have been noticing a lot of the new trends in motion graphics, such as VH1 or on Comedy Central promos and I am trying to figure out they are done. I don’t find any tutorials or books that teach these new styles. My frustration is that I don’t have a week to experiment with an effect to get something to work. The more expienced ae folks out there where have you learned this stuff or is all been self taught. I find the tutorials are great but they tend to teach mechanics and not real world application. I am not trying to piss off the folks that have made the tutorials, but I find myself needing more and I don’t mind paying for it. Sorry to unload here I just feel like I am hitting my head against a wall somethimes, and I am curious if anyone else has had this same frustration.
Kevin -
8 Replies
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Always man….
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A great question and post indeed.
The most innovative techniques are the ones that use the tool in an unprecedented way. Many of the awe-inspiring motion graphics you’ve been seeing are made by self taught compositors. The usual stuff you see are made by compositors who took class after class learning how to do something from somebody else. Too many people don’t want to bother experimenting. You DO have the time to mess around with effects. It took me about six months just to develop one technique that I reuse over and over–and YES, I have a day job. But when you’re dedicated, you’re dedicated.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to remember is to learn the CONCEPTUAL MODELS from which the tools are designed, NOT the tool itself. Once you know what concepts the tools are based on, you can then enter unchartered territory with the tool itself. For example, it’s important to know CONCEPTUALLY what an alpha channel is before you can use it innovatively. If somebody tells you “this is what the alpha channel is for,” you’re less likely to experiment with it on your own and develop your own true sense of the alpha channel. For compositing, your best bet is to pick up Ron Brinkmann’s “The Art & Science Of Digital Compositing”.
Scratch your head, bang your head, get pissed. Once you get that “ah-hah!” feeling, you will then become a master, and people will want to know HOW you came up with your creations. You’ll get there in no time 🙂
Arie
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Thanks for the replys, I am glad to hear of others that know what I am talking about. I like the Total training stuff because they teach you from the perspective of the designer, and in some case the guys are the ones who orginally created the plug. I will keep at, and I do spend many of a night reading or fiddling with ae. How many of you are combining more than one application such as max?
Kevin -
Cinema 4D here
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Is that easy to use?
kev -
Its awesome man….though Im being bias. The only 3D apps I’ve touched are Electric Image and Maya(both not knowing a thing and that was for a limited time. C4D is great. Intuitive, pretty easy to learn and very very after effects friendly. No complaints at all. The program is just going to get better and better. There was a all around 3D app review in “3D World” mag a couple months ago and it was favored over over MAX, MAYA, LightWave etc. But hey everyone has their opinions. Download the demo…….
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This from an old timer who’s trying to make a living using mostly AE.
The best learning I have ever done for AE is taking the project that people use as a part of tutorials and reverse engi neering them.
In other words taking them apart and try seeing how they work or just trrying to use my content instead of theirs.
Other than that AE is like everything else. Lotsa work before you see and positive results at all.
I am still attempting to put together my toolkit of effects that I can haul out for any occassion but I know of only 1 essential that you “MUST” have. You must be able to take 2-d images and create the illusion of depth or you won’t be taken seriously.
Best
Dan
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Speaking of conceptual and design stuff, has anyone any comments on Visual Creativity by Mario Pricken?
I glanced at it and it looked interesting, regarding creative choices.
Thanks,
Steve
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