kinetic Motion graphics

[Steve Roberts]

In general, when deciding whether to precomp sections or not, you should determine how much your sections interact.

“Chemical Burn” would probably work well with precomping, since each text animation stands on its own. You would make the text animation in a composition (“nested comp” or “sub-comp”), then drop that sub-comp into the main comp, then slide the camera around, watching one sub-comp play out, then moving to the next.

(By the way, “precomping” and “nesting comps” get the same result, but nesting is what you do when you make the inner sub-comp then drag it into the main comp. Precomping is when you make the layers in the main comp, then group them together into one layer. Precomping is often done when you’re making things up as you go along, while nesting is a little more organized. Most people use both methods when it suits them.)

I think Pulp Fiction (I love that one) might have been done as a series of shots (cut between), where each shot might have been a separate comp. Within a shot, I think everything was in one comp, since the elements interact closely. Separating into sub-comps within a shot might make integration between text elements too difficult.

The Lion’s Roar looks like a series of sub-comps playing out. You can tell what’s a sub-comp when you go from shot to shot, or from scene to scene. When it moves to a new scene, it’s a new sub-comp. Probably.

I’d start learning how to do this by setting up a comp where words are all laid out nicely, then make the words just pop on to complete the sentence. Then I’d drag that into the main comp, and lay out a long line of text at 90 degrees to it. The letters of that line would pop on one ata a time. I’d lay this out using the AE “front” camera, just to get an overall view.
Then I’d make a new camera, and place it so the first animation plays out in front of it. Then I’d pull it back and rotate it 90 degrees to reveal the long line of text as well.

For the next scene, I could use a new comp with the same background as the first, and do something similar with a mix of sub-comps and elements in the main comp.

My point is: experiment with simple animations. Maybe you want to rotate the camera, maybe you want to rotate the two elements parented to a null. Sometimes rotating elements is easier, since you can lay out the whole thing from a bird’s-eye view (front camera) and watch the whole thing play out from that view. If you rotate the camera, it can sometimes get hard to keep track of which way you’re looking. That would work better when you’re cutting from one comp to the next, with only one camera move per comp.

Hope that helped.

[Scott Green]

Which method would be best for creating something like this do you think?

Music Videos, Motion Graphics, Creative Multimedia, Video Production, VFX and Graphic Design by Splurj Creative Multimedia

[Steve Roberts]

I’m not sure what you mean. Could you be more specific?

When I make these things, I mark the points on the timeline where words occur. I put the words in rough position, rough timing. I watch. I make notes. Then I move the camera around, using hold keyframes, until it works.

If you’re expecting a step-by-step, i can’t help you. Every job can be different, and you have to just dive in and do it, making mistakes. You have to make mistakes.

[Scott Green]

Sorry to be so vague.

I’m about to start a project and looking for ways to best approach it. I came across Type Monkey and looked at their tutorials and tried the trial version, but I think I’d like more flexibility over each of the individual words to achieve something like the link I shared but I don’t think it’s possible with Type Monkey.

The project will basically be a script, then I’m planning to speak it as a voice over (not to be included in the audio just to mark the points), and the text accompanied by images and video clips. I have a few questions in mind.

1. When marking the audio points do I have to mark them manually or will a ‘audio to markers’ script like THIS work and save me time?

2. I would like to use 3D type but have never really got my head around where it’s appropriate to use this option in AE:

Should I be using it if I’m using text, images and video in precomps with 3D layers?

3. Should I use a camera? Moving the position of the camera to center the text, or move, rotate and scale the text (possibly attached to a null) without a camera?

4. Do I have to type out each word individually or can I paste in the text and run a script to separate each word onto it’s own layer (if that is the best way)? And if so where can I find the script?

5. Is this a good way to do it?
https://vimeo.com/26079113

I’m sure I’ll think of some more questions over the weekend 🙂

Music Videos, Motion Graphics, Creative Multimedia, Video Production, VFX and Graphic Design by Splurj Creative Multimedia

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