AE project to show off website

[Todd Morgan]

You could keep the camera still would be a start.

Todd Morgan
morgancreative

[David Owen]

I think the website looks good, but the camera moves detract from what you’re trying to do. It doesn’t show off the web site as much as it shows that you know how to use a camera move in AE.

You may also want to put this post in the demo reel forum. Though it’s not really a demo reel, it’s a good place for that kind of feedback.

Good luck!

[Tony Bartolucci]

Thanks for the suggestions, I think it does already look much better with few camera moves – I now want to kinda skew the video and pull out on the whole thing so you see a reflection of the video underneath it. What would be the best way to accomplish that.

https://www.silverscreencreations.com/Precomp2.mov

[Steve Roberts]

Actually, tb, we’re talking about storytelling here. Since you don’t want to give it all away right off the top, you want to reveal things gradually.
What are those things?
In which order do you want to reveal them?
How do you want them to arrive on the stage?
Note: you don’t have to reveal them as they are on the page: they can be shown or suggested on their own, or floating above a place that is not their final resting place.
Suggestion is more interesting than staement.
Editing: if two shots are too similar, that’s a jump cut. Use those judiciously, not by accident.
Flow: things should flow, unless you deliberatelty want to jar the viewer at some point for a reason. Lead the eye.

I just found your second piece rather jarring, though better than the first one. Did you sketch or board this, or start in AE? (You may want to try sketching it …)

[Iancorey]

You should look into easing some of those movements. Right now it’s like MOVE! STOP! MOVE! STOP!

[Tony Bartolucci]

I started working right off in AE, and it shows. Pretty much because I cant draw, but now as I thought about the project over night its becoming a bit more complicated than I expected – So perhaps I should put the AE stuff on hold and get my ideas together but not being able to draw is going to complicate things a bit LOL

[Thehardmenpath]

A while ago I made a video on a blog, representing that very blog. Check it out here, if you want: https://alonsoquij.blogspot.com/ The vid is linked in the photo.

Hope it helps for inspiration. Timing took me more than anything else, imho you should make the video longer and make things appear along the path of the camera. The more seamless the camera movement, the better.

For instance using the layers as you have them in that video, start close to the top right corner and make the text appear. Then start moving the camera to the left while the bg pic shows in. Stay a bit still with the Boston logo. After the menu bar starts appearing, begin the camera movement to the right. Make it describe a curve at the end to a close up to the pic on the right. Keep moving and zoom out while the darkened background and the main come and reach the final view shortly before the lower menu shows up.

[Holycowseattle]

I am going to play devils advocate here.

Previous: I agree it is about storytelling.

So tell the story. Get people excited about the website by showing the CONTENT of the website….NOT the website. Hepatitis in Sparta has got to be a visual, interesting story. Images of sick people, hospitals, researchers, foreign lands…there’s a wonderfully compelling VISUAL story there. Show THAT for a few seconds…and then perhaps transition to a still image of the website with a simple messsage (visit the site to learn more…).

The site (as all websites are in general) static and boring (compared to video).
Stop trying to make the WEBPAGE exciting. Its the content that poele are interested in.

POINT RETIERATED: Make a promo ABOUT the website. Stop showing footage of the WEBPAGE. Sell the content.

[Tony Bartolucci]

OK I have gone ahead and made some changes to the file…let me know what you guys think 🙂

https://www.silverscreencreations.com/output2.wmv

[David Owen]

MUCH better. I particularly like the way that features of the site fly in to highlight that particular feature. I think the fly-in of the toolbar (I’m assuming this was the html authoring software toolbar) is irrelevant for the probable audience (prospective web authoring clients). The code, however, becoming the page is a great way to point out the work behind what they see.

That’s my 7-cents worth. (adjusted for inflation)

– David