Messing with Adobe After Effects 2018 to do an animated Logo for my videos/films etc.
I'd lost the original files of the re-colored version... in fact, I've had a persistent issue with these files. I'd colored & re-colored this sketch so many times, and had to start over multiple times over the years. There's multiple color versions of this in my gallery.
The lighting effects were done in several layers in various versions of Adobe Photoshop:
6.0, CS5, CC 2016, CC 2017, CC 2018.
But, this one started with a partially colored version, which was the only one I still had left on back-up in CD-ROM DVD-ROM. I thought I had it on my thumb-drives, but couldn't find it.
Pretty much all these are Photoshop techniques that can be applied in layers in Adobe After Effects. I can do it in Premiere also, but After Effects is MUCH BETTER.
I wanted to play with particles, so here's the first one:
I've also done similar Adobe After Effects motion graphics/effects animations with other old Photoshop artwork files. I had to re-paint and edit them for HD in the new Photoshop CC 2018.
I will most likely re-cut this, for a more graphical looking video/animation. It's a bit to dynamic yet frozen in mid movement for such a slow piece. This is the downside of my art/drawing style... I'm kinda dynamic.
Misc. Notes:
* My Fursona is the Black UniGryphon (BlackUniGryphon) but she actually has a name: Valour Nikee. I just often don't use her name.
* The Black UniGryphon, Valour Nikee, is actually a shape-shifter character.
* She also had a Goddess shaped version
As far as I can tell, I'm basically DONE at UMASS Boston. I have an exam on the 19th. And, I will still finish up my Work Study job in the Biology lab probably for Winter & Spring semester. But, basically I'm NOT enrolled in ANY classes. This stuff is so exhausting, and very expensive in both money and physical energy. I was trying to get an RA position job. But, they never called me, nor interviewed me, and I'm more than sure I was the 1st one. I got stuck with a debt of about $6K on my credit card which included a massive tuition charge and fees. I'd only JUST paid off my AIPH student loan from 2001 in July of this year.
Taiji Chuan Class at UMASS Boston
But, I ended up with so much B-ROLL, and I'm working on an independent film in Brockton, and 2 of my own Animated films with my daughter. So, It's all good.
This instructor had a film demo day, Eric Levine, in my Experimental Film Class and he had a comment about not just studying and majoring in Art, but BEING AN ARTIST, and he said don't bother doing it unless you really NEED it, because as an artist, the whole reason for doing art, and BEING and Artist, was because you really MUST DO IT, or you will DIE. WOW! That is SO TRUE.
Anyways, since I'd shot SO MUCH B-Roll and footage, and several ideas burning within me, I came back to an earlier project that I'd cut, re-cut, and re-edited so many times, due to sheer pickiness. Most of the footage was stuff I shot in the winter of this year (Jan-March 2017) . The Full story/stats are HERE.
I'd managed to finish it up in Sept/October when I was sick.
Production Still from my Video
I'd also managed to do a short animation based on some Ancient Greek Art: the Dipylon Krater:
And I also ended up making a Jack-'O-Lantern based on the Ancient Greek Artist Exikias' Ajax & Achilles:
I have no idea how the heck I pulled them both off, because I could barely even fit any of it in. imagine what they'd have been like if I'd had more time, and didn't rush.
Then, I got to also come back to revisit some older works and go from there in After Effects animation Experimentation:
Part of the reason I did these was because I figured I could use it in my Experimental Film Final. So, I did. The Full details are HERE.
Here's the Documentary footage:
Here's the clip I did for the presentation:
I also managed to go back to my old footage I shot in Fall 2016 (for UMASS Boston) and I edited it with some ambient music I made this year to make a mediation video which was a dream of mine for a few years. Full Details are found HERE.
I would like to also cut some of the other leftover footage/B-Roll and audio design a new version of this song for an evening setting.
I also managed to shoot a few photographic things also: Eclipse Bokeh (August 2017):
July in Mount Laurel New Jersey:
July in Weymouth, MA:
September:
New 6 point star/cross filter for SLR Photography
I also shot some Cosplay of WottyX ^_^ at the UMASS Boston Anime Club.
Taiji Chuan Class at UMASS Boston
I didn't do as much creative things as I would've liked. The muses were tugging on me a lot.
Some massive drama also went down on the Film I was working on. I'd started as just a Production Assistant (PA), and had been promoted to an Editor by Summer, and also Graphics, and often had to stand-in for the DP. Well, the DP fired herself in a blaze of glory because some bad stuff happened to her. It was another dramatic moment on the film, and we'd already had a number of those with cast. It resulted in my being Promoted to the Director of Photography (DP).
The entire drama was so traumatic for the Director, and since I was fulfilling the semester at UMASS, the entire film mostly went on hiatus. But, since being promoted I changed a few things. I can't disclose much, but I will be insisting on a Lighting Director hence forth. Production will resume in Spring of 2018, however, the Producer/Director & I will be starting to Edit footage soon. I'm also putting in a lot of creative input for audio as well now even tho I'm DP which is more visual. I'm STILL 1 of the main Editors.
"Ying Qilin" promotional Graphic
Barefoot at UMASS Boston
Doing Homeork Outside at UMASS Boston
Other than that, I still want to peruse more Life Drawing practice, and wish to also wrap up "Maple Bacon" animated short with my daughter for my Qilin Animated Film project I started in the summer to learn Adone's Animate program.
I also still have several experimental animation ideas I'd like to play with in Adobe Effects. I really want to get ALL of that stuff out of the way, before I can fully move onto my Qilin project.
UMASS Boston Art Department
I'm very much torn between working with cameras & video like Filmmaking, and Drawing and Animation. Animation and drawing is my GREATEST LOVE & PASSION, but I soooooooo enjoy cameras, and video editing, and all that stuff. I don't believe I will ever give them up. The other things I do creatively are just supplemental because I'm an artist.
I have no idea why so many set-backs keep on rolling out, one after the other. It's not as tho' I'm lazy, because I'm on the go CONSTANTLY. I HATE being caught unprepared. if something CAN be better, then it SHOULD JUST BE BETTER, especially when it's something SIMPLE.
A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on
And, STILL, my daughter has no end to her bloody literal problems. Today there was the drama of her Niagara nosebleeds. STOP FRICKIN' CALLING ME IN THE MIDDLE OF CLASS! I've been w/her and the spouse at the hospital TWICE this week already, and NO there is NO REASON why BOTH parents ought to be there.... A fricken NOSE BLEED? It's called WINTER! I get them too! They go away when summer starts. It means ya don't have enough vitamin C, zinc, and antioxidants. DUH! The cure: pomegranates, oranges, pine needle tea, cranberry juice, animal livers. In fact, I was bleeding in my nose yesterday slightly. It's because of the extreme cold, then going into warm buildings, PLUS heaters make the AIR DRY which makes the skin dry, and after a few days to a few weeks of this the membranes of your nose get thin, especially when ur vitamin C levels are depleted from being in the cold air and breathing it. It's NOT rocket science. My family got this problem, and I'm not the only one.
SO, THIS, had no problem rendering out:
This was the footage I came up with Originally, but I need to re-edit it again and fix it up, because this is a rough cut:
My instructor insisted that I re-shoot it, and he's a really nice guy, and even gave me his own paper... So, I was looking forward to re-shooting it based on his suggestions on Tuesday... even tho' I already liked what I was doing... he's also, kinda an aloof social butterfly... typical video people...
I missed school on Monday due to A.) having to go early to the hospital to get the kid an ultrasound, then B.) FUCKING SNOW + MIXED WEATHER! DAMMIT!
A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on
Then, after going to the hospital ALL THE WAY IN BOSTON, I couldn't go to the shooting studio which I reserved since last week on time. FEK! So, sentimental kid dude swoops in and takes the studio instead... fine, I can work on my editing... then, he's like: OK, it's all yours, but like EVERYBODY left, so I had to try n shoot the whole stinkin' thing MYSELF...
BUT, 1 of the light bulbs was broken. WTF!
So, then, I was blinded by the only bulb left, had to shoot almost totally blind, AND the lens focuses manually. I was SO proud of myself thinking I got it right, but ya never can really tell... I was off by like 2 mm so THE ENTIRE thing was OUT OF FOCUS. Not only that, but I shot EVERYTHING upside down! WTF! There's no other way to shoot it!
AND, the 1 light bulb despite being ULTRA BRIGHT was viewed by the camera components as shadowy... WTF? If It'd shot it with the bulb OFF it would've actually looked better... for lack of a better word... WASTE OF MY DAMN TIME! And, I'm OUT OF PAPER NOW! ALL DONE!
A video posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on
I was already mad, and I didn't want to waste more time being mad so... I go to take back the video equipment n fetch tech dude whom wasn't even supposed to leave yet, n told me he was in the photo room, only to be NOWHERE... and the window was CLOSED.
SO, I'm stuck w ALL this thousands of dollars with of EXPENSIVE technology! AND I gotta take it ALL HOME, IN THE RAIN, on the TRAIN... don't even get me started on that... but, it gets worse... Mr. Wang makes me go to work... so, I gotta lug all THIS stuff, plus the stuff I lugged To school like Chinese calligraphy everything, in a luggage thingy because I hurt my back AGAIN. }:-(
I'm so sleep deprived, plus I gotta organize Biographies... lucky me... generally easy.... but my brain is drained...
Anyways, before I went to work, I manged to get some editing in and that's when stuff started not working right.
THIS bugger here went through several renders before it would work right!:
WHY???? I have NO idea! But, it kept squishing to 1444!
TODAY:
Anyways, I am frustrated as Hell w/Adobe because the updates screw stuff up OFTEN.
I
figured this week once I was on a roll: hey! I'm slick! I got this
stuff down! I'm nearly done, maybe I can still try n figure out that
butterfly bit I want to do after all! YAY! :D
Right?
Then, out of nowhere, Adobe doesn't feel like rendering things in the correct size, or sometimes without audio...
I kept assuming IT WAS ME! USER ERROR! WTF AM I DOING WRONG???
So, I grabbed Jon, the tech dude... over an hour later even he can't figure out why it's not working...
I lost so much time trying to trouble shoot, and NOTHING could be done to fix it! Not a single thing!
I started out by fixing up and reprogramming THIS:
It was KINDA amazing because I kinda felt like I WAS IN THE ZONE! Like I had the magic touch! It looked SO BAD before, and I made this version with the faster more liquidy ripple already, but the Butterfly body needed fixing. And, it just all happened like amazingly well! But, I got so caught up in tweaking it n playing with it because I could've done several things with it... this was what i finally settled on. SO, it looks good, I render it out, and all is well....
But, on my other rough cut edit with these butterfly bits strung together with my audio arrangement was missing the original project file, so I found another one similar to it... I had to adjust it because my instructor didn't like the way the Chinese characters seemed "distorted" as he put it... SO, I did actually fix that yesterday, but I lost some of the resolution quality, which bugged me when I resized the image overlay in Photoshop. That was a simple matter of just creating a new layer, and starting over... so i did. No Biggy...
Once I got to THIS MOFO Everything stopped working right:
See how it's the right size? 1920x1080!
But, I must've rendered a dozen times! This one when imported, even tho' it's the correct size if viewed by Adobe Premiere as a squished video even tho' the file plays correctly when NOT in the program, and the other files work properly also.
It rendered without sound, even tho' I didn't make it do that.
It should've been done BEFORE 3PM. I figured, OK, this looks fine. Let's render, then pop it into the full film sequence to edit it together as a rough cut and screen it to get a feel for the overall flow of the film so far... THEN, I intended to move onto trying, HOPEFULLY, to get the other 3D butterfly thingy I wanted for it. Otherwise, I gotta come up with more stuff like this to re-cut w/this audio.
While it was rendering, I had a tutorial open, and ready to watch hoping to really figure it out, as soon as THIS sucker was done as a place holder...
After 6PM NOTHING was done.
I even switched to a different computer. Then, THIS file started working right on it, just NOT in Premiere.
I HAD planned on going back tomorrow.... but, I'm SO exhausted...
I'll try to go back on Monday.
Today was technically the last class... but we have to come back on the 20th to screen our films.
I was told we were going to play it in the theater... but, now it's just being played in the video room...
I'm not EXACTLY sure what I'm doing for my Final Project in my video class (UMASS Boston) yet, but I have a lot of ideas, and they;re all coming together, n swimming in my mind.
I've been experimenting with Adobe After Effects since last month, and it's often frustrating, and I am so ignorant of so much of the program, interface, and so on... but, it's starting to go somewhere...
I have a ton of all kinds of great stuff, including lots of video footage from 2 different CANON cameras, and multiple lenses, and filters, and even a fisheye. The final is mostly widely open, and I'm still stuck on this video mapping project that I want to just punch, because I'm so frustrated with projectors. I'm STILL not done yet. And, I've been busting my butt over it.
Anyways, since I had a bunch of downtime, and wasted time waiting, waiting, waiting, and waiting for anything and everything and things to work, but never did... so, I started mixing some of my After Effects rendered animation in Premiere n messing with different audio. I had a whole bunch of audio that I dug up, but even tho' I liked the audio edit I originally did, I felt like I needed to make this clip shorter, and cut out my 303 acid audio to just keep this simple sonar audio.
But, I think I'm starting to come up with some concepts inside my mind that I am really feeling, and really want to go with. I just want a certain kind of weird, and beautiful. And, more and more, it's starting to make me want to go more surrealist/surrealism...
I already have quite a bit of audio clips I've already been compiling...
A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on
I'm hoping I can use these in my Final Project for my video class. At the moment I'm still hauling ass for my waterfall video mapping instillation art video project. Talk about cramming & pressure!
A photo posted by Kandice Kathleen Zimbleman 任思麒 (@blackunigryphon) on
I actually have so many ideas, and I wanted to do a lot more with these experiments, but I had limited time, money, and access to time 1 on 1 w/my instructor. I also don't Own After Effects, nor a computer modern enough to handle the newer versions of Adobe CS programs, or Davinci Resolve.
Anyways, I am starting all over to create an entirely different project, and altho' I LOVE these, I will be creating a Projection/projector Video Mapping style Installation Art project.
My OTHER video project I created for my UMASS video class is HERE.
