I actually stayed up a bit later. I strung together about 22 frames (all of them outside the frame, floating in the canvas)….parenting each one to the one before. I then animated the first one, pulling all the others into frame, bit by bit, to create the whips. It’s super awkward/fiddly, but at least it sort of works. I’m not very good with AE, as I only use it once in a while.
Film Editor, London UK
http://www.scottclementseditor.com