Time Based Composing class 14

Final project is due, no exceptions

send me an email before or during class next week suggesting a grade for yourself and explaining why you think you have earned it.

one more chance for extra credit:

 Dec. 13, Th. 11 AM rm. 405 - 

Tom Whitaker, CEO Motion Analysis Corp, will be talking about his company, which produces a motion capture system for game and film animation. He's very interested in Columbia students, the work you do, and in helping to provide internships.

http://www.motionanalysis.com/

final exam will be a practical exam and a short essay consisting of commentary on the style of a clip presented in class

techniques you should know:

creating masks for transparency

changing the shape of a path (linear to bezier curve) and the position of keyframes to make consistent timing

text on a path

text presets

changing the timing of a clip

basic 3D

puppet animation

nested compositions and parenting

Here is the exam

Final Exam TBC2 Fall 07

to turn in your exam:

create a TBC working directory in your root directory if you don't already have one.

Within this directory, create another called: Final_Exam

create a single After Effects file for the exam named Final_yourname, with each composition labeled with the name of the problem.

As always, 720x480.

Do the work on your local machine and save the exam to the server when you're finished.

1. Composition name: Mask. Using the images provided (FrostyMorning1.jpg, Mirror.jpg), create a mask that allows the landscape to show through the mirror area. See mirror_finished.jpg for example of what it should look like. Render an image in .jpg (you will need to use another application to end up with this file format).

2. Composition name: Path. Using the text “text takes a turn”, animate it along a path which has one rounded corner, and one sharp 90 degree angle. See “path.mov” for an example.

3. Composition name: shapechange. Create a shape in AE and morph its shape over a number of frames by keyframing the path points. See “shapechange.mov” for an eg.

4. Composition: TPreset. Using the text “It’s Now or Never”, apply a text animation preset that you think works effectively. Make this text animation take twice as long as it originally did. See “path.mov” for an eg.

5. Composition name: ThreeDee. Using the file “view.jpg” and the text “I am three dimensional. So are you.”, create a 3D relationship between the two so that the image is moved some distance behind the letters. Rotate the two together (hint; parenting), as in the sample file: ThreeDee.mov.

6. Composition name: Nested. Using the files “wheelB.jpg” and “car1.jpg”, create a nested composition so that in the final composition, the wheels can turn while the car is moving. See nested.mov for an eg.

For extra credit:

1EX. Composition name: PuppetBunny. Using the files “bunnyone.jpg” and “bunnyear.psd”, create a puppet animation which moves one ear, but nothing else. See “bunny.mov” for an eg.

2EX. Composition name: equalkeys. Create a shape or use a bitmap no larger than 1/5 of the composition size (it will move within the frame of the comp). Keyframe its movement to 5 locations over a period of 20 frames, choosing frame 0, 3, 10, 12, and 20. Using the appropriate setting in Keyframe Interpolation, make the keyframes equal distances apart. (Don’t try to do this by hand, the keyframes will look different when done with the interpolation technique).

3EX. Write a short essay on the style of the clip shown in class. Discuss elements of form such as color, value (light/dark), rhythm, sound, special effects, etc. and point out how these elements of form/style relate to content and help communicate the message.