Description
Learned the basics of After Effects, including shape layers, fill layers, transform functions, as well as time expressions and keyframes.

Main Tools Used

• Shape
  
• Scale
  
• Rotate
• Position
  
• Anchor Point
  
• Colour

Description
(1) Storyboard sketch of my initial idea where an asteroid hits earth, causing an explosion.

(2-3) Screenshots of the timeline for the final piece. I used a lot of keyframing for the different effects I wanted to create.

Reflection
Being the first DMB and After Effects lesson, I was once again overly ambitious. I sketched the storyboard without thinking about how I was going to execute it... especially being a total newbie at After Effects. It would have been nice if I was equipped with the skills to carry out my vision but unfortunately I was not.

To create this short animation, I mainly used the basic tools introduced during class such as keyframes, transform, shape, scale, rotate, position, anchor point, colour, and text. In an attempt to recreate the scenes I mapped out on my storyboard, I tried to work with the graph editor to edit the speed of the asteroid. From frame 9 onwards, I realised that I would need to animate everything frame by frame and it would be too much work, therefore I simply changed the animation while still trying to keep the entire concept of an asteroid hitting earth, causing an explosion.  

Activity Brief
Using a transparent plastic sheet, white paper, marker, ruler, scissors/pen knife, draw and create a moiré pattern or scanimation. After that, scan the final works and import it into After Effects to animate it, showing the illusion effectively.

Items to be brought to class

Process
I first started by measuring and drawing lines on the transparent sheet, forming the striped frame for the moire pattern. As someone with a talent for drawing crooked uneven lines, this did not work for me at all. I tried this multiple times, even forming the frame using paper instead by cutting the blank parts out. I realised that I would then also have to measure each gap and draw my desired shape frame by frame, gap by gap. And so I tried to freehand it, drawing a bunch of random lines and shapes, then laying the transparent plastic sheet with the frame over it. None of my shapes worked (LOL) and I was unable to create a moire pattern or scanimation at all... After trying my best, I decided to just create the effect digitally. I found a graphic I liked of a bunny’s jump cycle, then placed them into Adobe Illustrator to create the scanimation effect. First, I made a grid using the ‘Split into grid’ tool, creating 21 5mm columns with 2.15mm space between each other. After that, I duplicated an inversed version of the frame to mask out my different bunnies, so that the scanimation would work. After creating all the graphics, I had to watch a YouTube tutorial on how to import Adobe Illustrator graphics over to After Effects. From there, I imported both my layers over, consisting of the frame and the separated bunnies. I then experimented with the speed of the frame going back and forth so that the scanimation would be functional. For this to work, I also had to watch a YouTube tutorial on After Effects graph editor.  I had to make the animation itself 10 seconds while still making sure that the frame does not go too fast or too slow. Once I figured it out I added the video to render queue and rendered the bunny scanimation.

Reflection
I was very stumped by the physical approach, drawing the individual lines for the frames and the graphics.  I truly tried my best, taking almost 2 hours trying to get something to work but it didn’t... I think I should have just at least printed the bars on the transparent plastic sheet, making my life simpler. Unfortunately, I wanted to try and make everything as much as I could, which clearly backfired. During the creation of the animation, I had to look up a bunch of tutorials which was a little tough as I had to absorb alot of information, but it was still fun to watch my creation come to life.

After Effects timeline for this activity

(Top) Normal timeline, only adjusting the position of the striped frame

(Bottom) Speed graph for the timeframes, editing it so that the effect of the scanimation is more obvious, with ranging motion