Cosmo Planetarium Animation is exported and live!
This was a really challenging project I think I've found that After Effects is not yet my forte, I think to learn the software it takes a lot of dedication to the project and starting off the Cosmo project I was excited to create it but I wasn’t necessarily invested. I needed this investment to really work through all the possible animations for the project and really delve deep into the experimentation that AE required.
After Effects is definitely a software with its challenges but I've learned it a lot of experimenting and understanding each tools benefits to the projects. Tools like CC Sphere, 3D Stroke, 3D Channel, CC Ball Action, Cameras, Null Objects, CC Mr. Mercury were the more tedious tools then the average trim path, opacity, rotation, warp, taper, scale, ease in and out and glow. It was critical understanding each layer, shape and stroke made up the animation. So understanding After Effects and its tools was understanding design in motion not necessarily animation.
At the beginning of the project I outlined a few boundaries and criteria which after completion I do believe has some success. The boundaries of the project included my skills in AE and the time allocated to the project. Though I had done research and gave a good crack to practical experimentation I do think more time and dedication could've been spent nudging out the little details and even creating a longer sequence to include more scenes.
In the project brief it elaborates that the animation must ‘demonstrate an understanding of the fundamentals of motion design, the application of design thinking and research.’ I made it a mission to continually research the fundamentals of motion that are required and always remembering to follow the design process as that will keep the project on track which as a reflection could have been more planned out. The process being I first define, then research, ideate, prototype, select, implement and learn (Ambrose & Harris, 2009).
Another fundamental development was acknowledging that some things I just can't replicate. Even if I had dedicated time to the sequence of the planets going in an upward direction rotating the sun I do believe I'd be more satisfied with my dedication the project. However, the inspiration for this scene wasn't quite the outcome in my animation (see above). I think this was a challenge in the sense that I had the idea of this sequence drilled into the project I spent a long time trying to understand the tools required and continuously got frustrated. Although frustration came to visit it somehow inspired me to add more elements that weren't originally planned. This being the rocket zooming up with the planets as the graphic elements were now no longer in this rotating scene they could be placed here (see below).
I do believe motion design is a very big part of being a graphic designer in the forth coming future so moving forward for my own benefit I will employ the skills and techniques I've learnt to continue creating motion graphics. A crucial development in my understanding was trouble shooting the idea that it's not animation but motion design which has been in the used in the past and is very much part of being a graphic designer. I want to be able to create revolutionary work that engages the audience in forward thinking and understanding motion design and the influence it could have was a fundamental step in this thinking.
Until Next Time, Live and Laugh,
Comments