Day 7 - Tutorial Due

1. Your after effects tutorial to the class is due today 2/9/13

2. Your preproduction plan is due next week. 9/9/13

3. A list of everything that is due this term.

Everything for this unit is due on the 16/9/13

1. Roto brush exercise finished, rendered and uploaded up to your blog (or officially checked off by your teacher)
Day 1 & Day 2

2. Blood splatter exercise finished, rendered and uploaded up to your blog (or officially checked off by your teacher).
Day 3

3. Motion tracking and stabilization of camera shake exercise finished, rendered and uploaded to your blog (or officially checked off by your teacher).
Day 4 & Day 6

4. Your tutorial given to the class and checked off by your teacher along with a link to the tutorial and a finished product uploaded to your blog.
Day 5

5. Your preproduction plan, planning out your chosen special effect from a movie. The plan needs to be uploaded to your blog and checked off by your teacher.
Day 6

Day 6

1. If you are operating on After Effects CS5 and not CS5.5 you won't have the warp stabilizer tool to help you stabilize the footage from day 4 of this blog.

2. Here is a tutorial on how to stabilize shaky footage with motion tracker After Effects CS5.

http://after-effects.wonderhowto.com/how-to/smooth-out-shaky-video-footage-after-effects-cs5-364518/

& here is a link to some shaky footage from You Tube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OvPBdb1-V4Y

You can use Keep Vid to down load the footage

http://keepvid.com/

3. Choose three pieces of footage to correct and post them to your blog

4. Planning out your special effects is similar to planning for a movie shoot.

Links

Special effects supervisor description - http://getinmedia.com/careers/special-effects-supervisor

Bidding & Preproduction of visual effects - http://effectscorner.blogspot.com.au/2005/11/bidding-and-preproduction.html

How to create a shot list - http://www.steves-digicams.com/knowledge-center/how-tos/becoming-a-professional-photographer/pre-production-how-to-create-a-shot-list.html

Story board creator - http://www.storyboardthat.com/

Story board example - http://goanimate.com/video-maker-tips/what-is-a-storyboard-and-why-do-you-need-one/

Life of Pi - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aee2cbOh5kk
                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9BrD_v5Vt70
                  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PRE1Ot1sLTc


Preproduction on your own production
Even if you're doing the visual effects for your own miniDV movie it's important to take advantage of preproduction. It's best if you do a simple sketch or storyboard of your shots. This doesn't have to be anything fancy, it's just to help you review what you're planning to do. When you've sketched it out it's easy to spot some potential problems you might not have thought about.

You'll have to figure out what techniques will be required for each shot. If you haven't done much of this before it's best to keep it simple because a simple shot well done is better than a complex shot poorly done. In most cases a locked off camera will make the shot easier to do. This means use the camera on a tripod and don't move it.

Also consider doing what the professionals do during pre-production. Test. If you have a video camera then try to shoot a simple version of your shot with people filling in for the actors. Step through the process of the shot with this test footage so you're clear about how the technique works. You don't need to finish the shot but this can help figure out how to best shoot the images and how much work will be required in post production. It may not cost you in money but it's important to understand the amount of time required. By doing a test you'll also gain a bit more experience so that your skills will be better for the actual shots..

Steps for pre production special effects

Brief - In this case your brief is to reproduce a visual special effect from a movie.

Brainstorm ideas -  What special effect are you going to create and how are you going to create it?
 
Research or create a mood board  - Research technologies, skills / tutorials, themes and designs.

Create a Storyboard - Story board your shots showing, framing, angles, movement and dialogue.

Identify the cast and crew - List how many cast/crew members you will need, record their job role, contact details,  their availability, cost or needs.

Resources - List any props, backdrops, digital resources and equipment you will need.
 
Location - Scout locations and  take photos. Take into account time day, lighting and any authorization you may need.
 
Budget - How much will it cost? Even if yourself, your cast and crew are working for free, estimate the hours everybody will be spending on the project.

Schedule - When will it happen? When will it be finished? How long will it take? Break the process down into;
Planning Phase
Video Shoot
Post production
Include dates, dead lines, who and what you will need on each phase of the project.


Upload your preproduction plan to your blog by 9/9/13

 

 

Day 5 - Research your own tutorial special effect

1. Find a tutorial that shows you how to create a specific special effect using After Effects CS6.

2. Conduct the Tutorial and create the desired special effect

3. Give a brief description to the class on how to create the special effect using your finished example.

4. You can use the video copilot site from the link below or another site of your own choice.

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/

Day 4 - Warp stabilizer effect

1.Finish of the blood splatter from last week and export a copy or show your teacher when you have finished.

2. Choose at least 3 different camera shake scenes provided by your teacher and  stabilize them using the warp stabilizer.  Follow the warp stabilizer tutorials from Adobe Tv to assist you.

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-after-effects-cs5/

3. Find and complete a small after effects tutorial on a special effect you are interested in and present to the class.

Day 3 - After Effects tutorials - Blood splatter

1.Last week we completed the adobe after effects tutorials up to 'Refining a matt created with the roto brush'
This week complete the adobe TV After Effects tutorials up to 'Outsmarting the warp stabilizer'.

I will give you some footage to practice on next week.

Here is the link to the tutorials.

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-after-effects-cs5/

2. Watch a demonstration from your teacher on the blood splatter effect.
Complete the tutorial from the following link.

http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/blood_splatter/

• Download the footage from the project link.
• Watch the tutorial from the watch link.

The tutorial uses stock assets from Riot gear, but I want you to create your own blood splatter in Photoshop from the following link.

http://photoshoptutorials.ws/downloads/photoshop-brushes/dried-blood-splatters-photoshop-brushes/

The tutorial wants you to use the pen tool to draw a mask, but I want you to use your new found skills with the Roto brush to create a layer that covers up the blood splatter behind the person in the footage.

3. Export your completed blood splatter sequence through the render cue of after effects as a QuickTime version.

From last week you will need export a QuickTime version of your the completed Roto brush exercise with the exposure correction of the bowl in the foreground.

both these exercises are assessable items and must be kept and handed in at the end of the term for marking.

Day 2 - After Effects Tutorials

1. Finish of your research from last week.

2. Complete the adobe TV After Effects tutorials up to 'Refining a matt created with roto brush'

http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-after-effects-cs5/

3. Make sure you have downloaded the content that goes along with the tutorials so you may practice the techniques yourself.



4. Practice with the roto brush on other objects with in the down loaded content. Try some different effects.

5. If you are just starting out try this tutorial on how to create a slideshow using After effects.
http://library.creativecow.net/articles/kramer_andrew/slideshows/video-tutorial

Day 1 Create visual digital effects

1. Watch some examples in the class of Adobe After Effects In action.

2. Listen to your teacher explaining the outcomes and assessment of the unit.

3. Follow a demonstration on creating a blog for the class and adding a link to the teachers' blog.

4. Research then post to your blog three special effects you like that use Adobe after effects.

5. Research then post three special effects that you like that may or may not use Adobe After Effects.

6. Research then post to your blog a Beginners Adobe After Effects tutorial link .

7. Research then post to your blog a link to several advanced special effect tutorials that utilize Adobe After Effects .

8. Be ready to show them to the rest of the class next week.

Here is a couple to get you started

•  Tutorials http://tv.adobe.com/show/learn-after-effects-cs5/
• Examples http://vimeo.com/groups/motiontv/albums/2343
• Example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzhVAJOHgQo