Long Road Applied Media Diploma

1978 film by Ralph Bakshi - created using rotoscoping

Here are the notes taken from the demonstration yesterday (23/05/12)

Go to the post below and download the footage -  right click (hold down shift+click) OR press alt+click.

YOU CAN USE YOUR OWN VIDEO - IF THERE'S SOMETHING ON YOUTUBE CLICK ON THIS WESBITE FOR HELP - HOWEVER YOUMIGHT HAVE TO IMPORT .MP4 FILES INTO FINAL CUT AND EXPORT AS A .MOV (Export > Using Quicktime conversion)

To get this to work you will have to use the 32-bit version of PS - to open the 32-bit go to the Application Folder - find the PS icon (it's in the PS folder), Shift+click > Get info > Click the 32-bit box. Now open Photoshop.

Open PS. Go to File > Import > Video Frames to layer

A dialogue box will pop up. Use this to Select a Rangeso a small bit of the footage - around 5-10 seconds. To do this scan through the clip find the start of your selection, hold shift and drag to the end of your selection.
Also Limit to every 4 frames.
Click on the Make Frame Animation.

This should create an animation pallette with around 40-odd animation frames. Zoom in if necessary so you have decent size to work on.

Click on Frame 1 - create a new layer on top of that layer, then using the tablet, begin to sketch around the shape using any colours you feel are appropriate - brighter ones obviously are easier to see on top of the original image.

Nick tried to create a precise Frog Man - feel free to use a looser style more in fitting with the Gareth Bale animation (see below), that captures the main shapes of the image and movement.

Once you are happy with that frame move onto the next frame.

While colouring over all forty-odd frames would make a very smooth animation - it would take an age, so one tactic would be to look at key frames: frames with key movement points in the movement you're trying - so key movement of arms or hips etc. Find these and start work on sketching over the original image - always creating a new layer on top.

Then to make the animation smoother focus on the frames in between the key frames (so this is 'tweening). Keep developing your project using this method rather than sketching from 1- 40.

KEY THINGS TO REMEMBER
LOOK FOR THE KEY FRAMES
EXAGGERATE MOVEMENTS IF NECESSARY
DON'T GET TOO DETAILED IN YOUR SKETCHING - THERE'S LOTS TO DO
KEEP REFERRING BACK TO THE ORIGINAL IMAGES FOR REFERENCE
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO SKETCH ON ANOTHER LAYER - NOT ON THE ORIGINAL IMAGE
KEEP AN EYE ON WHAT LAYER YOU HAVE SELECTED AND SO WHICH ONE YOU ARE WORKING ON

GOOD LUCK 

Choose ONE of the artists here whose work fits in with your own cover design in some way and produce at least TWO, double page spreads in your digital sketch book.

One page should show your own analysis of the original image, describe the style & techniques used by the artist as well as focussing on some specific details that you might illustrate yourself, in the same way that you did with Julian Opie. Look up the artist online and provide some background information as to who they are and how they work.

One page should show your own studies based on the piece of work chosen. Produce your own version of the image, this could be the whole piece or a detail and then produce a self-portrait of yourself but in the style of your chosen artist

ARTISTS:

1. ALIFIA MAQNUUN

2. DUNCAN BARRETT

3. HARD LIP

4. JAMES BARKER

5. MARK POWELL

6. MARK TODD

7. JAMES BARKER

8. MARK TODD

9. ALIFIA MAQNUUN

Once you have finished your Parallax Camera movement you must evaluated the process:

 

1) Explain the process outlining each of the stages you went through using images from your document to illustrate your points.

2) Remind yourself of the video below:

Explain in your own word how the MulitPlane camera works.

Now explain how you have replicated the same process using Photoshop.

3) Look at your final product. What do you feel went well and why? What do you feel could be improved and why?

4) Compare with your previous animation products - flip-book, stop motion - what are the benefits of the Parallax process? What are the drawbacks? 

http://thenextweb.com/media/2012/05/21/how-pixars-toy-story-2-was-deleted-twi...

NB - Exporting Parallax: Image>Canvas Size> 1920px by 1080px

 

By now you should have created 10 frames of your character walking (frame 4 & 5 will have to be reversed to create frames 9 & 10 to complete the process - and test your drawing skills).

 

Once you have finished Export as a GIF: File > Save for Web & Device > GIF (second drop-down menu)

 

BUT CHANGE THE SIZE OF THE DOCUMENT TO (APPROX) WIDTH 500PX BY 100PX.

 

Now to create the parallax animation you need to create the following documents.

Stationary Model - your character walking on the spot.

Moving Model - your character walking across the screen.

Background layers - the setting for your characters stroll.

SO THREE PS DOCUMENTS.

1) Stationary Model

Create a new document with the following settings
PRESET > Film & Video > HDTV 1080p/29.97 > W:1920px - H: 1080px - Resolution: 72px/inch

Then take your 10 frames (or as animators describe them, onion skins) from your character walking and stack them on top of each other in much the same way as you did when creating the 360 Rotating Character GIF. Save.

2) Moving Model

Create a new document with the following settings
PRESET > Film & Video > HDTV 1080p/29.97 > W:1920px - H: 1080px - Resolution: 72px/inch (same as above)

Instead of stacking the 10 walking layer, you position them from left to right appropriately to have the character begin walking from side of the document to the other. This will take more than 10 frames so duplicate the process and space them out to change the speed of the movement.
Save.

3) Background Layer

Get a piece of A3 and sketch out the background you want for the walking animation. While you're sketches will be a single image keep in mind you will be turning this in FIVE seperate layers in PS, so you'll need the ground and maybe the sky but what three layers will you have in between?
Ground - ? - ? - ? Sky

Once you have decided upon the background create a new document in PS with the following settings: FILE > NEW > WIDTH: 7087 PIXELS, HEIGHT: 1080 PIXELS, RESOLUTION 72.

Create FIVE separate layers with the SKY being in LAST in order and the GROUND being the FIRST. Start to try to recreate you background ideas - use whatever techniques you want - think back to you Children's Book project for inspiration. Think about what silhouettes or simple shapes that would work combine with key details that will bring your work to life. 

 

Here is some similar work by the Year 2 diploma students.

 

 

Click here for more walk cycles to trace from