STUDIO MODULE 3: PROJECT 5 - KEYFRAME ANIMATION BASICS

 

STUDIO PROJECT 5 - KEYFRAME ANIMATION BASICS

Be sure to review the Project 5 Description in Canvas BEFORE starting these tutorial videos. The Canvas description contains all of the instructions and requirements, while this page contains video tutorials that cover each of the project-processes in more detail.

Approximate Total Video Time - 120 Minutes + Time spent installing After Effects (If Needed)

Setting up Files + File Organization

Follow the videos below to set up your illustrator file for import, and set up the file structure you will be working with in After Effects. When working with After Effects, it is VERY important to keep all files “local”, and in a single folder on your desktop. Working across a thumb drive or a network drive will cause crashes, slow performance and unexpected issues.

Create a new After Effects Project. Import your illustrator file into After Effects. Take a screenshot of your file organization and of the Illustrator file successfully imported into the project.

Optional - More on Layers

If you have not already done this, follow this tutorial to convert pixel-based assets to vectors. You are also welcome to re-create any of these assets in Illustrator following your own process / style. After completing this process, follow the step above to import this file into Adobe After Effects.

Working with keyframe animation in after effects

Using the tutorial videos below, add each of these layers to your composition. Experiment and apply the following keyframe animations to different components of your in-game assets - these could be applied to characters, backgrounds or even UX/UI elements. Multiple animations can be applied to a single component.

  • Position change for at least 2 different components

  • Scale change for at least 2 different components

  • Opacity change for 1 component

  • Rotation change for 1 component

Position transformation

Scale Transformation

Rotation Transformation

Opacity Transformation

Optional - More Ideas About Animations

Adding Audio

The audio you use in these animation should try to match the visual tone you are working with, and cannot contain lyrics, and it cannot be a well-known song (like something on Spotify playlists or something that would be on the radio). freemusicarchive.org is a great spot to find + download free-to-use music.

Export File + Upload to youtube + submit link to Canvas

In the video and steps below I mention two formats to work with. It is recommended to render as H.264 format, if that is available, with the default options selected under Format Options. If the H.264 format is not available, then instead select Quicktime, and under Format Options, choose, Apple ProRes 422 Proxy, or another Apple ProRess 422 option if “Proxy” is not available.

If none of these Format Options are available under Quicktime, then select “Animation” {which will be the default}.

Optional H.264 Render

If you have an in-between version of After Effects - 2018 - 2020 maybe? - then you might not have the H.264 option available in the After Effects render queue. If you install Adobe Media Encoder, these are the steps for rendering using this small “utility” program, which is used exclusively for rendering Adobe Project files. I would only recommend this option if none of the options in the video above are working or available.

Also, a few reminders of your options with this video format:

  1. Pop out of Canvas and watch in a new tab if any of the features aren't working

  2. There are fullscreen and CC (Sub-title) options available in the right hand corner. For being YouTube auto-captions, these are pretty clear. I think they must have improved their algorithm. Please email me with any accessibility needs.

  3. If you are feeling pressed for time, but don't want to miss anything, you can watch with audio in 1.5 speed by hitting that little gear icon.