Wednesday, 25 November 2015
Email regarding access to Vernon Street campus print facitility
Email to LCA information about Vernon Street Campus shop/print access:
Monday, 23 November 2015
Italo Calvino - 'Invisible Cities': Quotes & Notes
BIG IDEA:
Italo Calvino is like his own character Marco Polo and I want to visually represented this in my final prints/animated sting. I will show visually how Calvino uses memory, his memory palace psychology techniques and thoughts to physically conjure up the 3 separate cities for the audience. Memories growing from his thoughts and head and turning into the cities.
**************************************
Quotes:
Theme of Venice:
“There is still one of which you never speak.'
Marco Polo bowed his head.
'Venice,' the Khan said.
Marco smiled. 'What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?'
The emperor did not turn a hair. 'And yet I have never heard you mention that name.'
And Polo said: 'Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
In Invisible Cities Marco Polo conjures up cities of magical times for his host, the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan, but gradually it becomes clear that he is actually describing one city: Venice. As Gore Vidal wrote 'Of all tasks, describing the contents of a book is the most difficult and in the case of a marvellous invention like Invisible Cities, perfectly irrelevant.'
― Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Cities-Vintage-Classics-Calvino/dp/0099429837
*****
Venice and Memory Palace theme:
“Memory's images, once they are fixed in words, are erased," Polo said. "Perhaps I am afraid of losing Venice all at once, if I speak of it, or perhaps, speaking of other cities, I have already lost it, little by little.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Falsehood is never in words; it is in things.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“There is no language without deceit.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“The city is redundant: it repeats itself so that something will stick in the mind.
[…]
Memory is redundant: it repeats signs so that the city can begin to exist.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“And Polo answers, "Traveling, you realise that differences are lost: each city takes to resembling all cities...”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“The city does not consist of this, but of relationships between the measurements of its space and the events of its past:”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
Blueprint theme:
“Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with stars. "There is the blueprint," they say.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“KUBLAI: I do not know when you have had time to visit all the countries you describe to me. It seems to me you have never moved from this garden.
POLO: Everything I see and do assumes meaning in a mental space where the same calm reigns as here, the same penumbra, the same silence streaked by the rustling of learn. At the moment when I concentrate and reflect, I find myself again, always, in this garden, at this hour of the evening, in your august presence.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
Imagination, ideas, dreams:
“With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a desire or, its reverse, a fear. Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me.'
Polo answers: 'Without stones there is no arch.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“An invisible landscape conditions the visible one”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Perhaps, Kublai thought, the empire is nothing but a zodiac of the mind’s phantasms.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
*************
Research Article:
J. Winterson on Venice and Calvino, 2001
http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/journalism/invisible-cities/
Italo Calvino is like his own character Marco Polo and I want to visually represented this in my final prints/animated sting. I will show visually how Calvino uses memory, his memory palace psychology techniques and thoughts to physically conjure up the 3 separate cities for the audience. Memories growing from his thoughts and head and turning into the cities.
**************************************
Quotes:
Theme of Venice:
“There is still one of which you never speak.'
Marco Polo bowed his head.
'Venice,' the Khan said.
Marco smiled. 'What else do you believe I have been talking to you about?'
The emperor did not turn a hair. 'And yet I have never heard you mention that name.'
And Polo said: 'Every time I describe a city I am saying something about Venice.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
In Invisible Cities Marco Polo conjures up cities of magical times for his host, the Chinese ruler Kublai Khan, but gradually it becomes clear that he is actually describing one city: Venice. As Gore Vidal wrote 'Of all tasks, describing the contents of a book is the most difficult and in the case of a marvellous invention like Invisible Cities, perfectly irrelevant.'
― Amazon: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Invisible-Cities-Vintage-Classics-Calvino/dp/0099429837
*****
Venice and Memory Palace theme:
“Memory's images, once they are fixed in words, are erased," Polo said. "Perhaps I am afraid of losing Venice all at once, if I speak of it, or perhaps, speaking of other cities, I have already lost it, little by little.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Falsehood is never in words; it is in things.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“There is no language without deceit.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“The city is redundant: it repeats itself so that something will stick in the mind.
[…]
Memory is redundant: it repeats signs so that the city can begin to exist.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“And Polo answers, "Traveling, you realise that differences are lost: each city takes to resembling all cities...”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“The city does not consist of this, but of relationships between the measurements of its space and the events of its past:”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
Blueprint theme:
“Work stops at sunset. Darkness falls over the building site. The sky is filled with stars. "There is the blueprint," they say.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“KUBLAI: I do not know when you have had time to visit all the countries you describe to me. It seems to me you have never moved from this garden.
POLO: Everything I see and do assumes meaning in a mental space where the same calm reigns as here, the same penumbra, the same silence streaked by the rustling of learn. At the moment when I concentrate and reflect, I find myself again, always, in this garden, at this hour of the evening, in your august presence.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
Imagination, ideas, dreams:
“With cities, it is as with dreams: everything imaginable can be dreamed, but even the most unexpected dream is a rebus that conceals a desire or, its reverse, a fear. Cities, like dreams, are made of desires and fears, even if the thread of their discourse is secret, their rules are absurd, their perspectives deceitful, and everything conceals something else.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Why do you speak to me of the stones? It is only the arch that matters to me.'
Polo answers: 'Without stones there is no arch.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“An invisible landscape conditions the visible one”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
“Perhaps, Kublai thought, the empire is nothing but a zodiac of the mind’s phantasms.”
― Italo Calvino, Invisible Cities
*************
Research Article:
J. Winterson on Venice and Calvino, 2001
http://www.jeanettewinterson.com/journalism/invisible-cities/
"Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities is a series of descriptions, really conversations, told by his fictitious Marco Polo to an invented Kublai Khan. As Marco travels round the world on the Emperor’s business, his job is not to bring back treasure or trade, but to barter in stories – the accumulated wealth of his imagination.
Here are all the cities ever dreamed of; thin cities, cities and desire, cities and the dead, cities and memory, continuous cites, cities and signs. All are named after women – Raissa, Irene, Phyillis, Chloe… ‘In Chloe, a great city, the people who move through the street are all strangers. At each encounter they imagine a thousand things about one another; meetings which could take place between them, conversations, surprises, caresses, bites. But no-one greets anyone; eyes lock for a second, then dart away, seeking other eyes, never stopping.’
Calvino was writing about Venice – all the Venice’s collapsed, folded or vanished behind the tourist façade. Anyone who loves Venice, knows that its true life is half-glimpsed or dreamed, that the city reconfigures itself, yielding suddenly as you turn into a deserted square, snapping shut, as you walk past San Marco.
Venice has not disappeared under the pressure of mass tourism – it has dissolved. It is no longer possible to look at the buildings and see anything of value. The only way to get at Venice is to use the water- its refractions, reflections, the play of light and shadow, and to re-create Venice where it has always been strongest – in the imagination.
There is a city surrounded by water, with watery alleys that do for streets and roads and silted up back ways that only the rats can cross. Miss your way, which is easy to do, and you may find yourself staring at a hundred eyes, guarding a filthy palace of sacks and bones. Find your way, which is easy to do, and you may meet an old woman in a doorway. She will tell your fortune, depending on your face.’
Not Calvino, me, writing The Passion in 1987 before I had been to Venice. The Venice I found when I arrived was not a disappointment – it was unreal. Venice is a city you must design and build for yourself. The tourist Venice is a chimera, the historical Venice is a museum. The living Venice is the one where every canal and palazzo and sun-shy square, with its iron well and unlisted church, has been privately mapped. No one can show you Venice. There is no such place. Out of the multiple Venice’s, none authentic, only you can find the one that has any value.
Venice’s extremes – its Disneyishness and its invisibility, are not unique, they are the lesser experience of many cities. In Venice the experience is concentrated. There is nowhere less rewarding, nowhere more maddening. The secret Venice guidebooks are useless. This is not New York or Rome. Venice can only be read as fiction. Visiting Venice is to become a fiction yourself – at least if you want to get any sense of it. The facts tell you nothing. This is a cusp city, working at the intersection of art and life – where the best fiction works too.
Reading Calvino reading Venice is a reminder of how often the controlled, measured world of knowledge fails us. So much of life resists the facts. Imagining Venice is imagining yourself, as Khan discovers – an unsettling exercise, but necessary, perhaps."
Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities - Chosen Text for Visual Exploration
I am really pleased with my choice in text and Invisible Cities has so much description and imagination throughout, I think i would like to respond to some of the cities as described by Calvino, giving my interpretation of the text and hopefully bring his vision and storytelling to life in some way. I am not sure how yet, but would like to try and progress in some direction at least, and feel the cities themselves speak so much about the many layers, meanings and motifs beneath the text, that creating visual about the cities themselves would be a great way to approach this brief.
When reading through my chosen text, I thought it would be useful for me to go through the text meticulously and select some of the cities that appeal to me the most and what cities i think will be most visually rich in order to work from throughout this module. There are so many cities described in this novel (over 50), therefore narrowing down the cities to work from would be key in progressing further in my development and organisation.
Final Chosen Cities:
beginning to think about the final work I need to produce for this module, i am considering creating a set of 3 prints in some way. I have been thinking about doing a printed concertina book that includes many of the cities with my chosen novel, but sometimes less is more and if i was to attempt a larger publication with many images of cities, something may be lost in terms of impact and it could maybe take away from the amazing imagery I am getting whilst reading this story and trying to recreate/interpret. I think a set of 3 large prints would be strong visually and add intrigue as to what the 3 "cities" are about. I will also have more freedom to explore the motifs within the story and apply them to my compositions in a way that harbours a lot of detail and craft.
With this in mind I have managed to chose my 3 cities, after a lot of deliberation. They are:
Octavia
Baucis
Despina
I also really like Zora and this will be my back up should I struggle for some reason to visually respond to one of my 3 chosen cities above. Also (planning ahead) if I get the chance and have the time i may be able to create a 4th print and this would be the contender for that.
When reading through my chosen text, I thought it would be useful for me to go through the text meticulously and select some of the cities that appeal to me the most and what cities i think will be most visually rich in order to work from throughout this module. There are so many cities described in this novel (over 50), therefore narrowing down the cities to work from would be key in progressing further in my development and organisation.
Final Chosen Cities:
beginning to think about the final work I need to produce for this module, i am considering creating a set of 3 prints in some way. I have been thinking about doing a printed concertina book that includes many of the cities with my chosen novel, but sometimes less is more and if i was to attempt a larger publication with many images of cities, something may be lost in terms of impact and it could maybe take away from the amazing imagery I am getting whilst reading this story and trying to recreate/interpret. I think a set of 3 large prints would be strong visually and add intrigue as to what the 3 "cities" are about. I will also have more freedom to explore the motifs within the story and apply them to my compositions in a way that harbours a lot of detail and craft.
With this in mind I have managed to chose my 3 cities, after a lot of deliberation. They are:
Octavia
Baucis
Despina
I also really like Zora and this will be my back up should I struggle for some reason to visually respond to one of my 3 chosen cities above. Also (planning ahead) if I get the chance and have the time i may be able to create a 4th print and this would be the contender for that.
Wednesday, 18 November 2015
LCA Christmas Cards: Response
Response from LCA
Unfortunately, despite being super confident (and pretty proud) of my funky little Christmas card design, it didn't make the cut. Oh well - better luck next time! I just hope it doesn't affect y confidence in entering competition briefs when I don't win. What helped was how nice it was to receive positive feedback from the Marketing Team even though i didn't win:
Unfortunately, despite being super confident (and pretty proud) of my funky little Christmas card design, it didn't make the cut. Oh well - better luck next time! I just hope it doesn't affect y confidence in entering competition briefs when I don't win. What helped was how nice it was to receive positive feedback from the Marketing Team even though i didn't win:
Friday, 13 November 2015
LCA Christmas Cards: Process and Development
Concept
I really want to capitalise on the general "crafted" aesthetic I think the brief is asking for as this really interests me and craft/paper cut/fold are areas of my practise I am familiar with but always love to expand my knowledge on. Keeping this in mind and applying it to this brief - I instantly began to think of format. What i like to receive in the post are things of a similar nature to this brief - crafted, interesting, creative and just generally something in the post which has had a little bit more thought gone into it - like a gift. I also like think I can open, unfold and interact with as it just makes for a more immerse / creative / personalised experience.a
Wanting to stay true to the branding of LCA, I started at the logo and in thinking about format I could see that the sides of the logo could perform as the fold edges for my "parcel" style concept. If the logo itself provides the content/body of the card, along each edge I would net and design a tab/flap, so when all together - each tab can be opened revealing the message within. I made a quick blank mock up to see how the layout could work:
Research
When beginning the research side of things - the main things I was after was textures / colour palettes and patterns that really help reflect this festive time of year. This is all in keeping with my idea of a Christmas card "gift" / parcel, therefore I need a wrapping paper design.
The designs I found are very tartan, but I feel give a very warm and nostalgic aesthetic and also provide detail and interest because of the pattern. I do however think that these version of the pattern are extremely digitised therefore plan on creating my own versions of the pattern in an illustrative style.
Drawings/roughs
Photoshop digital process
Now that i had m drawing and overall artwork for the cards, I needed to scan them in, edit and clean them up and create a template which can be easily copied and cut/made into the 75 cards that the brief requests.
Final Digital Designs / Net templates
Tag design
Final Printed/Papercut Mock up
Submission notes
As requested, I included a word doc when sending over my Christmas card designs, which included all of the necessary info in which the LCA management Team need in order to choose the winning design. I really like including this as part of my submission. I feel it helps to convey my idea a lot more clearly and overall a stronger submission when taking all of these things like productions costs etc into account.
Strengths/weaknesses
Despite being a small brief and quick start to this module, I really enjoyed the whole process from start to finish.
I love Christmas and really felt that I was able to produce something that fit the brief well. I felt that my design matched the brief, in both contemporary and crafted feel, and that I helped to market LCA well - as the basis of the whole format and design is the LCA logo itself.
I really want to capitalise on the general "crafted" aesthetic I think the brief is asking for as this really interests me and craft/paper cut/fold are areas of my practise I am familiar with but always love to expand my knowledge on. Keeping this in mind and applying it to this brief - I instantly began to think of format. What i like to receive in the post are things of a similar nature to this brief - crafted, interesting, creative and just generally something in the post which has had a little bit more thought gone into it - like a gift. I also like think I can open, unfold and interact with as it just makes for a more immerse / creative / personalised experience.a
Wanting to stay true to the branding of LCA, I started at the logo and in thinking about format I could see that the sides of the logo could perform as the fold edges for my "parcel" style concept. If the logo itself provides the content/body of the card, along each edge I would net and design a tab/flap, so when all together - each tab can be opened revealing the message within. I made a quick blank mock up to see how the layout could work:
Research
When beginning the research side of things - the main things I was after was textures / colour palettes and patterns that really help reflect this festive time of year. This is all in keeping with my idea of a Christmas card "gift" / parcel, therefore I need a wrapping paper design.
The designs I found are very tartan, but I feel give a very warm and nostalgic aesthetic and also provide detail and interest because of the pattern. I do however think that these version of the pattern are extremely digitised therefore plan on creating my own versions of the pattern in an illustrative style.
Drawings/roughs
Photoshop digital process
Now that i had m drawing and overall artwork for the cards, I needed to scan them in, edit and clean them up and create a template which can be easily copied and cut/made into the 75 cards that the brief requests.
Final Digital Designs / Net templates
Tag design
Final Printed/Papercut Mock up
Submission notes
As requested, I included a word doc when sending over my Christmas card designs, which included all of the necessary info in which the LCA management Team need in order to choose the winning design. I really like including this as part of my submission. I feel it helps to convey my idea a lot more clearly and overall a stronger submission when taking all of these things like productions costs etc into account.
Despite being a small brief and quick start to this module, I really enjoyed the whole process from start to finish.
I love Christmas and really felt that I was able to produce something that fit the brief well. I felt that my design matched the brief, in both contemporary and crafted feel, and that I helped to market LCA well - as the basis of the whole format and design is the LCA logo itself.
Thursday, 12 November 2015
LCA 2015 Christmas Card Competition - The Brief
The Brief
Deadine:
Design shortlist: Wednesday 18th of Novemeber
production: 19th - 30th November
The brief is asking for 75 christmas cards to be designed and made up, in order to be sent out to all LCA contacts, staff and clients. The christmas cards will be representative of the institution therefore need to encompass an appropriate tone of voice, be informative but festive, fun, creative and have a "crafted" feel. The card itself will act as a festive gesture on behalf of the institution and also a reminder to that client of LCA and what we are all about.
Wanting to get the ball rolling and attempt my very first competition brief, this sounded like the perfect little task and what better way to begin feeling festive. I personally really like to receive items in the post, especially around this time of year - therefore I wanted to see how I would tackle the task of designing and making a card and also hope to see if this is an area of illustrative practice that I would be interested in exploring further in the future.
Key points from the brief:
75 Christmas cards
Note: Need to be realistic in design and overall production if needing to make all 75 cards if brief is chosen. Need to take into consideration:
-overall costs
-dimensions
-production efforts
-time scale
seasonal gesture
Note: like a gift in the post...possible idea? Needs to clearly represent LCA plus staying true to festive aesthetics and tone of voice
Overall aesthetics:
crafted
professional
artistic
friendly
vibrant
unique
quality
Dimensions:
Must fit within A5 envelope
Deadine:
Design shortlist: Wednesday 18th of Novemeber
production: 19th - 30th November
Tuesday, 3 November 2015
Lino Print / Mono Print Workshop
Attending the linocut print and mono-print workshop in our uni print resource was a great experience and an opportunity to learn new processes that I have always hoped to develop and attempt to master in my own creative practice. i am a great fan of analogue printed imagery-each print seems to retain a very personalised unique quality and I would love to be able to create work I am proud of in this way.
Process images:
Linocut Printing Results:
Mono-printing Results:
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed spending the morning in the print room. i have to be honest my previous experience with printmaking has always frustrated me. I am a bit of a perfectionist and never seem to manage to produce a print to the standard i am happy with. This was the case with the mono-printing throughout this workshop. I found it hard to get my head around how this process could be used to create some interesting final imagery. I did however see the benefit in the range of textures created by this technique. I really liked creating as many textures and patterns that I could, in the hope of having a selection to scan in and possible work into digitally in order to apply to future compositions within my work.
Linocutting on the other hand was amazing. There is just something that seemed to click with me whilst investing time into the cutting of the lino and creating a linocut plate that can be used again and again to produce lovely clean prints. I really like the fact I can create a lot of detail by cutting into the lino carefully and really see the potential in this process to be used for my final printed element of this module. It is a process i have never experimented with or attempted before, which is exciting when thinking of using this method.
Next Steps:
Process images:
Linocut Printing Results:
Mono-printing Results:
Thoughts:
I really enjoyed spending the morning in the print room. i have to be honest my previous experience with printmaking has always frustrated me. I am a bit of a perfectionist and never seem to manage to produce a print to the standard i am happy with. This was the case with the mono-printing throughout this workshop. I found it hard to get my head around how this process could be used to create some interesting final imagery. I did however see the benefit in the range of textures created by this technique. I really liked creating as many textures and patterns that I could, in the hope of having a selection to scan in and possible work into digitally in order to apply to future compositions within my work.
Linocutting on the other hand was amazing. There is just something that seemed to click with me whilst investing time into the cutting of the lino and creating a linocut plate that can be used again and again to produce lovely clean prints. I really like the fact I can create a lot of detail by cutting into the lino carefully and really see the potential in this process to be used for my final printed element of this module. It is a process i have never experimented with or attempted before, which is exciting when thinking of using this method.
Next Steps:
- Buy Lino - soft cut or hessian backed? See print technicians for advice
- Buy lino cutting tools - similar to the uni print resource ones as these seemed to be of a lovely high quality and create detailed, sharp, clean lines.
- Create more tests and experimentation - do i need my own linocut printing ink or will acrylic wok at this stage for tests?
- Investigate 2 plate colour separations/lino cut reductions and registrations to incorporate the 2 colours required to meet the brief.
Monday, 2 November 2015
After Effects Workshop - Session 3
Previous session recap
file > import file
or double click in empty area of project panel - import file
if you have a series of still images - each one an be imported individually.
Any thing that is going to operate a as single layer - "Import as - footage" drop down
each file with then be uploaded as an individual layer in After Effects.
Shortcuts:
select layer property that we need to work with
select layers area P = position
a = anchor etc
don't over complicate layers
______________________________________________________
Layers
In photoshop - work with layers as normal with every element we want to animate on an individual layer in photoshop.
got to After Effects - file > import
AE has chosen to import file as ""footage"
this gives you the option to import a "flattened" layer file from photoshop.
you have the option to merge the files together - or can choose an individual layer from the split up photoshop file
"Import as" drop down on import file dialogue box. - composition> open
leave layer style on in the dialogue box that comes up
now this has been added to the projects panel
that is the difference between importing at "composition" and "footage"
initially ignore the folders in the projects panel with the individual layers in.
double click on the "composition" file in the projects panel and this now opens into our composition panel with access to all the layers. - the individual files are there for us but this is an already made version.
when you have imported a photoshop file as a composition. (ones comp has been double clicked
go composition> composition settings to check that everything is working at the same size etc)
check presets and check duration!
now we can access layer properties and use our key frames.
a background layer in photoshop might have been made bigger in photoshop to use "pan" and track for instance. when the files are imported to AE - the background will be cropped to the frame size so the ability to "pan and track" will no longer be possible. In this case you could just import the individual back ground "cloud" file in this case. file>import> import file as footage". so just see our composition as a starting point - can import as many extra files as you want and build up image this way.
file>import>import file as composition retain layers (the other drop drown settings):
ignore the layers folder that now appears in the "project" panel. This layers folder is the just the reference files for your composition. rarely need it.
double click on the composition and this now opens our project in the composition panel.
when each layer is selected down below - different elements of the composting are selected in composition panel.
select all layers and use R for rotation. it will apply this property for all the layers.
so when all the layers are selected, choose one layer property drop down and adjust the properties.
rotate/pan etc
if i was to have just gone file>import>import file as composition only (as we did before). the whole image and layers would have been adjustable together - working together. one rotation point etc when transforming the layers.
this way (retaining the layers in the compositon) means each layer is independent of each other - with their own anchor point and adjustablity using the "transform" option in the layers panel. each layer is more adaptable in terms of the individual elements you are working on.
working with externally paired files
similar to in - design we need to save and keep the files together with the photoshop files so AE knows where they are. so to make this easy - keep all the files and AE project in the same folder so that AE can refer to them. If a file has been lost or moved - you can see what file is missing by opening your after effects project and in the project panel - you can see the missing layer/file as it is the one with colour bars only. Everything about this layer that we have adjusted is still the same and editable - its just the actual file is missing.
Right click on the missing file with the colour bar, and "replace footage." You can also replace "footage file" with other footage files. So even if you loose the original source file -you can get anything back without any of the layer settings and adjustments being affected.
The key to AE is keeping organised.
Keeping files in different locations
How to gather everything together that you are using
file> dependencies>collect files
Copies any of the working assets/projects into a new workable folder.
________________
composition > new
layer>new>solid
next to our layer in the bottom layers palette are little square check boxes.
the first box to the right of the layer name is the "shy" switch. this allows us to hide layers that we don't need to see. for instance if you have loads of layers and you are editing all the layer properties in the layers part of the time line/layers panel. Any layers that we have "transformed" and are exactly how we want - we don't need to see them anymore so this enables us to hide them.
there is a master button/switch that looks very similar in the line above this shy switch that will hide all the layers that we have hidden by pressing the shy button previously. this basically allows you to see only the layers that you are still working on.
the next switch to the right of our layer name in the time line/layers panel looks like a star. This switch is useful if yo are working with illustrator files. It is called "continuously rasterize".
file>import>import illustrator vector file.
checking this switch means your Illustrator file will retain smooth edges no matter what scale like vectors normally do.
you could use text in this way.
when working with photoshop files - this option is not available to use this star switch.
***note: if you want something to appear on the same composition: file>import new footage file. this new file now appears in our projects panel. with the composition page we are working on selected in the project panel - then drag and drop the newly opened file onto this composition window and now both files appear in the same composition.
The next switch to the right of the layers name in the time line/layers palette has a diagonal dash . This switch is the quality switch. diagonal line is full quality and if you carry on clicking it will temporally decrease the quality of that individual layer - this is helpful for "ram preview" see previous session notes.
next switch fx - touch on later but its hue and opacity etc
the next is a film reel switch for working with video.
The next switch a circle repeated 3 times. this is the motion blur switch. this allows you to simulate motion blur. This can help to simulate position and create an effect that looks realistic. if you add motion blue to layers- this will increase your ram preview time. the motion blue master switch above this initial button will turn this off - to help with the preview play back when doing the rest of the animation.
the half black half white circle switch - the "adjustment layer". this is all to do with the effects. this is the same with what you can work with in photoshop. (contrast, brightness etc)
this is looking at how to apply a certain effect to an individual layer. this is so that you can apply changes to a layer - eventhough it is the finished version imported from photoshop.
select individual layer > underneath preview panel on the right is the "effects and preset" panel. this is where all our effect options are. it also has a helpful search panel meaning you don't have to search through all the options. when you have found the effect you want - drag it (the actual words) out from this panel into either our composition panel or the actual individual layer in our time line/layers panel.
now in the same area as our projects panel - there is now a new tab for our effects.
you can now adjust your individually selected layer - use drop down arrows to adjust and edit the layer. These option are always live to come back and make changes too.
once an effect has been added the "Fx" switch( to the right of the layer name in the time line/layer panel) you can click this "Fx" switch to temporarily turn off these adjustments to speed up your ram preview. This area can also be used for key frames. you can animate any of these effects using key frames and you can set different value to appear/disappear over different periods of time. once an effect has been added to a layer - the effects adjustments can also be edited and used for key frames - down in our time line/layer panels. we can now use these effects at certain moments in time. (the little stop watch clicker in the "transform" drop down enables key frames.
An easy way to get rid of the effects is select the "effects" area in our time line panel and hit back space.
if you want the whole animation to have just one effect (instead of each layer having different ones) the half black/half white circle switch means you can create a layer which contains the whole. this works well with solid layers.
whole adjustment layers
layer>new>solid> "make comp size" makes a layer the size of the whole composition. this new layer is now on top and at the front of all our layers. so on this new layer we have created for effects, click the little black and white circle switch which now means this layer has now become transparency for us to add our effects too.
search for an effect in the effects panel (e.g hue and saturation. then drag this onto the composition panel (with our new layer still selected) we can now adjust the hue and saturation in the projects panel. because this layer is ahead of all the other layers beneath it - what ever adjustments we make to this layer - makes the same adjustments to all of the other layers beneath all at once.
each effect has its own drop down which stay live throughout. something to think about at the end of the animation - to apply to all layers for finishing and consistency.
This layer again can be used with key frames in the same way as everything else. not only can this layer be adjusted so that effects can be edited - but the time these effects show/hide and how long they last etc can also be edited with key frames.
the last layer switch (the ones to the right of the layer name in the time line/layers panel) is the cube switch - working with 3D.
At the bottom of the "layers" side of the bottom time line panel:toggle switches and modes changes switches to reveal additional options. under the mode area is a drop down (currently selected on "normal". this is helpful for making other adjustments to your layer.
next to the mode column is the TrikMat.
composition> new composition.
import > file > import file which is a simple shape in photoshop on a transparent back ground. could be text.
going to use this layer to adjust how much of the layers beneath it we can see. often this is called a mask. have to have 2 layers.
select the layer in our time line panel and under the Trikmat column click the drop down. select "alpha matte" and this creates a mask and uses the shape to do this. selecting the shape layer in the time line panel and adjusting its layer "transformations" via key frames allows this mask to be animated.
see exported video.
file > import file
or double click in empty area of project panel - import file
if you have a series of still images - each one an be imported individually.
Any thing that is going to operate a as single layer - "Import as - footage" drop down
each file with then be uploaded as an individual layer in After Effects.
Shortcuts:
select layer property that we need to work with
select layers area P = position
a = anchor etc
don't over complicate layers
______________________________________________________
Layers
In photoshop - work with layers as normal with every element we want to animate on an individual layer in photoshop.
got to After Effects - file > import
AE has chosen to import file as ""footage"
this gives you the option to import a "flattened" layer file from photoshop.
you have the option to merge the files together - or can choose an individual layer from the split up photoshop file
"Import as" drop down on import file dialogue box. - composition> open
leave layer style on in the dialogue box that comes up
now this has been added to the projects panel
that is the difference between importing at "composition" and "footage"
initially ignore the folders in the projects panel with the individual layers in.
double click on the "composition" file in the projects panel and this now opens into our composition panel with access to all the layers. - the individual files are there for us but this is an already made version.
when you have imported a photoshop file as a composition. (ones comp has been double clicked
go composition> composition settings to check that everything is working at the same size etc)
check presets and check duration!
now we can access layer properties and use our key frames.
a background layer in photoshop might have been made bigger in photoshop to use "pan" and track for instance. when the files are imported to AE - the background will be cropped to the frame size so the ability to "pan and track" will no longer be possible. In this case you could just import the individual back ground "cloud" file in this case. file>import> import file as footage". so just see our composition as a starting point - can import as many extra files as you want and build up image this way.
file>import>import file as composition retain layers (the other drop drown settings):
ignore the layers folder that now appears in the "project" panel. This layers folder is the just the reference files for your composition. rarely need it.
double click on the composition and this now opens our project in the composition panel.
when each layer is selected down below - different elements of the composting are selected in composition panel.
select all layers and use R for rotation. it will apply this property for all the layers.
so when all the layers are selected, choose one layer property drop down and adjust the properties.
rotate/pan etc
if i was to have just gone file>import>import file as composition only (as we did before). the whole image and layers would have been adjustable together - working together. one rotation point etc when transforming the layers.
this way (retaining the layers in the compositon) means each layer is independent of each other - with their own anchor point and adjustablity using the "transform" option in the layers panel. each layer is more adaptable in terms of the individual elements you are working on.
working with externally paired files
similar to in - design we need to save and keep the files together with the photoshop files so AE knows where they are. so to make this easy - keep all the files and AE project in the same folder so that AE can refer to them. If a file has been lost or moved - you can see what file is missing by opening your after effects project and in the project panel - you can see the missing layer/file as it is the one with colour bars only. Everything about this layer that we have adjusted is still the same and editable - its just the actual file is missing.
Right click on the missing file with the colour bar, and "replace footage." You can also replace "footage file" with other footage files. So even if you loose the original source file -you can get anything back without any of the layer settings and adjustments being affected.
The key to AE is keeping organised.
Keeping files in different locations
How to gather everything together that you are using
file> dependencies>collect files
Copies any of the working assets/projects into a new workable folder.
________________
composition > new
layer>new>solid
next to our layer in the bottom layers palette are little square check boxes.
the first box to the right of the layer name is the "shy" switch. this allows us to hide layers that we don't need to see. for instance if you have loads of layers and you are editing all the layer properties in the layers part of the time line/layers panel. Any layers that we have "transformed" and are exactly how we want - we don't need to see them anymore so this enables us to hide them.
there is a master button/switch that looks very similar in the line above this shy switch that will hide all the layers that we have hidden by pressing the shy button previously. this basically allows you to see only the layers that you are still working on.
the next switch to the right of our layer name in the time line/layers panel looks like a star. This switch is useful if yo are working with illustrator files. It is called "continuously rasterize".
file>import>import illustrator vector file.
checking this switch means your Illustrator file will retain smooth edges no matter what scale like vectors normally do.
you could use text in this way.
when working with photoshop files - this option is not available to use this star switch.
***note: if you want something to appear on the same composition: file>import new footage file. this new file now appears in our projects panel. with the composition page we are working on selected in the project panel - then drag and drop the newly opened file onto this composition window and now both files appear in the same composition.
The next switch to the right of the layers name in the time line/layers palette has a diagonal dash . This switch is the quality switch. diagonal line is full quality and if you carry on clicking it will temporally decrease the quality of that individual layer - this is helpful for "ram preview" see previous session notes.
next switch fx - touch on later but its hue and opacity etc
the next is a film reel switch for working with video.
The next switch a circle repeated 3 times. this is the motion blur switch. this allows you to simulate motion blur. This can help to simulate position and create an effect that looks realistic. if you add motion blue to layers- this will increase your ram preview time. the motion blue master switch above this initial button will turn this off - to help with the preview play back when doing the rest of the animation.
the half black half white circle switch - the "adjustment layer". this is all to do with the effects. this is the same with what you can work with in photoshop. (contrast, brightness etc)
this is looking at how to apply a certain effect to an individual layer. this is so that you can apply changes to a layer - eventhough it is the finished version imported from photoshop.
select individual layer > underneath preview panel on the right is the "effects and preset" panel. this is where all our effect options are. it also has a helpful search panel meaning you don't have to search through all the options. when you have found the effect you want - drag it (the actual words) out from this panel into either our composition panel or the actual individual layer in our time line/layers panel.
now in the same area as our projects panel - there is now a new tab for our effects.
you can now adjust your individually selected layer - use drop down arrows to adjust and edit the layer. These option are always live to come back and make changes too.
once an effect has been added the "Fx" switch( to the right of the layer name in the time line/layer panel) you can click this "Fx" switch to temporarily turn off these adjustments to speed up your ram preview. This area can also be used for key frames. you can animate any of these effects using key frames and you can set different value to appear/disappear over different periods of time. once an effect has been added to a layer - the effects adjustments can also be edited and used for key frames - down in our time line/layer panels. we can now use these effects at certain moments in time. (the little stop watch clicker in the "transform" drop down enables key frames.
An easy way to get rid of the effects is select the "effects" area in our time line panel and hit back space.
if you want the whole animation to have just one effect (instead of each layer having different ones) the half black/half white circle switch means you can create a layer which contains the whole. this works well with solid layers.
whole adjustment layers
layer>new>solid> "make comp size" makes a layer the size of the whole composition. this new layer is now on top and at the front of all our layers. so on this new layer we have created for effects, click the little black and white circle switch which now means this layer has now become transparency for us to add our effects too.
search for an effect in the effects panel (e.g hue and saturation. then drag this onto the composition panel (with our new layer still selected) we can now adjust the hue and saturation in the projects panel. because this layer is ahead of all the other layers beneath it - what ever adjustments we make to this layer - makes the same adjustments to all of the other layers beneath all at once.
each effect has its own drop down which stay live throughout. something to think about at the end of the animation - to apply to all layers for finishing and consistency.
This layer again can be used with key frames in the same way as everything else. not only can this layer be adjusted so that effects can be edited - but the time these effects show/hide and how long they last etc can also be edited with key frames.
the last layer switch (the ones to the right of the layer name in the time line/layers panel) is the cube switch - working with 3D.
At the bottom of the "layers" side of the bottom time line panel:toggle switches and modes changes switches to reveal additional options. under the mode area is a drop down (currently selected on "normal". this is helpful for making other adjustments to your layer.
next to the mode column is the TrikMat.
composition> new composition.
import > file > import file which is a simple shape in photoshop on a transparent back ground. could be text.
going to use this layer to adjust how much of the layers beneath it we can see. often this is called a mask. have to have 2 layers.
select the layer in our time line panel and under the Trikmat column click the drop down. select "alpha matte" and this creates a mask and uses the shape to do this. selecting the shape layer in the time line panel and adjusting its layer "transformations" via key frames allows this mask to be animated.
see exported video.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)