I'm wrapping up my name animation now (yeah, I know my workflow isn't the fastest) and I finally came up with a new project that I think is both challenging, yet achievable.
In my Program Development class, I'm working with a team to develop a web series called Turnt Trivia. On the show, our host will pull people off the street as they're either on their way out, or on their way home after a night of drinking to ask them trivia questions for a chance to win some prizes--like a free ride home, pizza, and a t-shirt.
I want to create a short animation to play at the beginning of the show that will end with the logo. I also want to put the logo on the t-shirts but that's a whole other thing.
So here's what I've come up with so far:
My terribly drawn storyboard
In case you can't tell by my drawings, I basically want a hand to reach for a bottle of beer, open it with a can opener, and the the bottle cap will flip in the air and land on a table revealing the words "Turnt Trivia" on it.
Also, here is a mock up logo I quickly made. I'm probably going to put the word "turnt" on the bottle cap.
I would greatly appreciate any and all feedback on this, so if you have any ideas, I am more than willing to hear them. Thank you!
The start to every adventure began with a blue sparkling tower with a shimmering shooting star. I'm not talking about bedtime dreaming. Some times the adventures would begin at the crack of dawn (5:30AM), but that would never stop me. Whether it were Toy Story, Tarzan, Atlantis, or The Lion King, the Walt Disney Logo led the way. It's amazing to think that while the logo has changed so much in the last 20 years (with advancements in motion graphics and animation), the stories have continued to excite individuals of all age groups. It's also interesting to note that while recreating the current logo is almost impossible for a college student to complete, the iconic original Walt Disney logo is definitely an achievable task. However, today we have millions of tools in After Effects, Maya, etc. Back in the 1940's, when the original logo was produced, none of these programs existed. While it may be a pretty long video, the evolution of the Walt Disney logo, shortening of the on-screen textual elements, and the specifically tailored movie opens are not only inventive but accurate set the mood of the story before the film's very first scene. I hope you enjoy the magic of Walt Disney.
Last semester, the director for my Fiction Field 1 short film wanted a production logo that resembled the one Lionsgate uses. Well, I didn't know how to make one. Nor did our graphic designer. But guess what. Yeah, you. I can make it now. Really. I can. Seriously. I can. I just don't want to show off and make you all feel terrible about your lack of animation skill.
"How'd you learn how to do that?" one might ask. It's actually fairly simple.
Step 1: Watch this video.
Step 2: Do exactly what the man in the computer says.
Did you do it? I doubt it. Well, if you had enough free time on your hands and you actually followed the tutorial, then you now have your very own, homemade Lionsgate logo animation! Congratulations! And for those of you who didn't...well, maybe you learned something anyway.
The video you (hopefully) watched comes from Video Copilot, a website that provides animators with tutorials and tips on how to make some of the most professional projects out there. This tutorial can be found just one click from their homepage under "Tutorials" along with about 150 others showing step-by-step how to create such animations that you've always wondered about.
The greatest thing about this website is the fact that, as long as you have Adobe After Effects at hand, anyone can do it. They literally go step-by-step when teaching you a new skill. They even explain what it is exactly that they're doing so you're not just following a bunch of jibber jabber. Yes, I said jibber jabber. Andrew Kramer, the gentleman speaking to us in the tutorial, even has a few jokes for us! He's no comedian, but he certainly adds a bit of personality to what could have possibly been a very dull explanation. Kramer is actually a very experienced visual effects artist, not just some guy on a computer who knows a thing or two.
Anyway, I've gotten seriously off topic. To sum up what I meant to discuss, the linked tutorial, along with all the others from the Video Copilot website, is an extremely efficient and simple way to learn much of what you need to know in order to become a great computer animator.
I found this video the other day and I thought it would be perfect to post on this blog. This video is a mashup of many different introductions of various companies from the 80's. What I appreciated most is how I can see these intros being fairly simple to make with programs such as after effects. Watching video's such as this one with simple effects allow you to see the individual parts that can come together to make a short piece. Each segment has a beginning, middle and end, and each has separate elements that converge quickly to not only make an engaging animation but one that viewer could recognize. I was amazed at all the different variations of titles, fonts and sequences to make a short but unique piece. I also believe its watching short videos such as this one that can give someone a spark for ideas, using random shapes and and colors in animation to create a recognizable image. Watch for yourself and you can see where this could give someone the idea or spark that they need for a simple title sequence.
Scott Kim is a graphic and logo designer, who specifically focuses on logo design and lettering.He likes to involve clever tricks with lettering, when of course appropriate, such as when the subject matter itself is tricky, paradoxical or contains some sort of double meaning.Kim has worked in various mediums, such as print, video, software and the web.His website is honest and has great recommendations for companies to turn to if his price (starting at $1000) is too high or the client is looking for more than he can provide.He prefers to design corporate brochures, book covers (layout, lettering and some illustration), and titling for video and interactive media
