Rotoscoping in Photoshop

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