After Effects Workshop 2

To open a new document in Photoshop to work along side an After Effects projects:

File > New

A file page like this will be created:

The blue lines represent the TITLE SAFE and the ACTION SAFE. The title safe is the space in the middle . The action safe is the thick margin/border outside of the title safe.

Anything inside the TITLE SAFE will be able to be seen by every viewer, viewed on every screen.

The ACTION SAFE is more relevant for image. This area is the margin difference that varies from TV to TV. Anything put into this area could be seen but not 100%. So things like images where the edges can be cut off can be placed within the ACTION SAFE without making too much difference to the overall screen.

You can view the same type of grid in After Effects like so:

Create the desired type in photo shop. Make sure the background is transparent so that when you put the image into After Effects there isn't a white box around it.

Import it into After Effects.

When imported the layer will appear in the project panel. You can either simply drag the layer into the composition or if you drag the layer into the bottom left panel it will centre the layer in the composition.

You can change the background colour in composition settings to double check that there is no white background around the text.

In Photoshop to make your text animate differently rasterize it.

Select the areas in which you want to split up. Then go to Layer> New> Layer Via Cut

This then splits the layers into two were it was selected. I have turned one of the layers off to show where the layers have been created. 

Save the file making sure the layers box in ticked so that when the file is imported into After Effects the layers are still editable.

Import the image as COMPOSITION

It will then appear in the project panel.

Now to animate it slightly. Drag layer 1 and the split layer into the bottom left panel. Then animate them separately. By selecting the individual layers and positioning using the stop watch and the Positioning tool. 

Pressing the Shift key will move the layers directly up/down/left/right.

To save a file:

Click 'render setting' and change the 'time span' to the 'length of the composition'.

Click 'LOSSLESS' and make sure the 'format' is 'Quicktime'

Click 'format options' and chose 'video code H264'

Click 'Output to' and title the document.

Press 'Save' and then 'render'.

Here is my animation:

After Effects Workshop 1

The workspace has different panels. Clicking on the panels highlights then and makes them active. 

The 'projects panel is a library of assets. Everything you want in your animation needs to be imported to this panel.

The assets will appear here as layers.

Every project must contain at least one composition. 

To start a new project you need to create a new composition. 

NTSC & PAL are different video standards. PAL is the UK standard and NTSC is used in USA and some other countries. 

The second section from the bottom are all high definition standards.

Motion graphics for DVD's are often made in After Effects and therefore would need to be using the right video settings. 

You need to ask yourself if you are using video in your project. Digital video doesn't use square pixels. 

If you are working with a still image, for example created in photoshop they would be made out of square pixels.

The standard frames per second is 25. 

Before you 'ok' your composition you need to specify how long the project will be (seconds, minutes etc.)

When you 'ok' the composition the timeline will change to specify the length of time and the projects panel will have a new composition layer. 

You can alter the composition settings by going into Composition>Composition Settings.

After Effects Tutorials and Inspiration

Sweet Packaging

Love hearts are the sweets I will be mimicking, I want to it look similar to the packaging that already exists so the link will be made easily by the audience. The Love Hearts sweet packaging, in my opinion I feel is quite dated, so I may use a different style of packaging.

Square and solid shape. The colours are nice bright and pretty.

I love the colours. The packaging is only made form paper and foil which, even though is used every day to package sweets, I feel lacks quality so maybe a stronger or more visually appealing material will work better for my 'hate hearts'.

This packaging net looks perfect for what I need. The contents are wrapped twice. A hard card outside layer and I could use foil to package my sweets inside or cellophane to keep them fresh.

To see what you are getting inside I think is a very good idea. It is more visual and the customer will  be more appealed to something they can see before they buy it... relying on the fact that the contents actually looks appealing.

Tube design looks really nice. The packaging material is very delicate and therefore gives the sweet elegance. Quite a used idea, used for polo's, rolo's etc.

Very elegant and expensive looking box, looks too masculine for my design.

I love the idea that you can see the contents before opening the packaging. I think I will take this idea into consideration. I think that things can be trusted a lot more when seen. For example you tend to trust food cooked in a restaurant where you can see the chef's cooking rather than one where everything is done behind closed doors.

These individually wrapped sweets looked individually loved. I like the care and delicateness of the product. 

I like the ribbon on these sweets, they give the product that 'extra something' which can make the product retail at a higher price with not much change in costing in production.

I like packaging that makes you think. This packaging makes me want to pick it up and see what its all about. However, packaging nets aren't my strong point.

These sweets have also been packaged using a very precise net. They look cute and would stand out on a shop shelf because of their unusual shape.

These range of products are called 'cat's tongues'. It is an age old tradition in Hungary. I like the way the images of the people and animals makes it more personal. You can try to imagine what your face would look like on the box. The colouring is very simple and gives a recognisable corporate identity. 

I don't particularly like this cold dessert packaging range. I feel it is lacking some character, and to me wouldn't jump out on the shelf amongst all the over well known brands. The colours and too muted and the packaging itself isn't of a very high quality. In today's confectionary market people look for luxury. They want their dessert to be an 'experience' not just a snack.

These wedding chocolates are loving wrapped individually. Although they all have the same contents there is the sense of a personal approach as you get to chose to either have 'male' or 'female'. 

Interactive and fun packaging. The contents is merely a block of chocolate, however the packaging makes the product individual and quirky. Ideal for sharing. The name 'fat pig' doesn't hide the fact that the chocolates are 'bad' for you it plays on this fact. 

Delicate materials make the contents look more luxurious. Detail and quality is key in the finish.

PERFECT BOX DESIGN!

This box is so perfect for my products. I have four products what could all fit into square boxes and fit snug inside.

The cut out design could also work well with my products:


Ring box - Diamond cut out on the top.
Knickers box - Underwear cut out on top.
Hate Heart Sweets - Heart or sweet wrapper cut out on top.
Chat up line list - Little slat cut out at the top like a post box so that paper can be fed through.




I will be changing the colours and style.

This image perfectly sums up how I want my product range to look like.

Black, white, beige
Glossy
Sleek expensive finish
Minimal

Underwear Packaging

Now to make big bloomers to look sexy??...

Showing the contents seems to work when selling goods because the  customer will trust what they are getting more if they can see it easily.

I absolutely love this packaging, seeing a glimpse of what is inside works well because the underwear is focused on the pattern.

Showing a model of the front wearing the contents makes people feel they will look as good as this if they wear the boxers. This is somewhat deceptive.

I don't really like this design. It doesn't really appeal to me because there is nothing that stand out to be on it. The shape of the packaging is irrelevant to the contents and the images look too hand drawn to be of any use to my project.

A belly band is a simple and effective way to package knickers. However, because the knickers that I am packaging aren't the prettiest of things I want to show as little of the knickers as possible from the outside of the packaging. Maybe having a cut out hole in the packaging so you can take a glimpse of the contents would work better.