Welcome to this week’s Tip of the Week feature in a brand new video format. After Effects has great tools for character animation called the Puppet tool. The Puppet Pin tool places a mesh over your footage using the alpha channel. You can add points to this mesh that allow to distort it and animate it, using gestural animation with your pen or mouse. This provides some really natural movement for your animations and motion graphics projects. You’ll see an example of what can be done with the Puppet tools in this video.
Access the entire library of video2brain training via this amazing Training via Subscription Promo and you can have all the video training you’ll ever need for as little as 35 cents a day – that’s even cheaper than a bottle of water!
Before now if you wanted to access my training, you could buy individual workshops from my store or the video2brain store. You can still do that but if you prefer you can subscribe to video2brain for as little as $10.75 per month (Annual Subscription).
As you may know I create all my video training workshops with video2brain. In my previous post I talked a bit about why I work with them, here I’d like to explain a bit about the brand new subscription options for accessing the training.
With a video2brain training subscription, not only will you get access to all of my workshops but also all the other titles, by other authors that video2brain has to offer. Here are a few more compelling reasons:
Get complete access to an extensive training library: video2brain training subscriptions give you easy, affordable, unrestricted access to the full range of video2brain courses â a library with more than 130 courses, and nearly 500 hours of training, and over 5,600 lessons. With access to the entire library, you can watch lessons from dozens of trainers and get a wide variety of perspectives and approaches to rich topics.
Stay up to date: Todayâs knowledge may be outdated tomorrow. The video2brain library will be updated several times a month, and all new courses will be included in our subscriptions as theyâre released. In addition to covering current technologies,the video2brain library will offer courses on some upcoming software releases and technologies, helping you stay ahead of the curve.
Enjoy an exceptional value: As individual products, the courses in the video2brain training library have a value of well over $4,000. With a video2brain training subscription, you get unlimited access to all the videos in the library for the duration of your subscription at a fraction of the cost.
Benefit from introductory pricing: Weâre launching the library with low, introductory pricing, and weâre thanking early adopters with a three-year price guarantee, to ensure that you can enjoy that benefit in the years ahead.
Experience world-class training: video2brain has been creating video training for nearly 10 years. Our library offers world-class training from a team of some of the best trainers in the business. Our authors are not only top experts in their fields and working artists, photographers, designers, and programmers, but just as importantly, theyâre skilled and passionate instructors. All video2brain courses undergo rigorous quality assurance, and are presented in our easy-to-use, feature-rich interface. And weâre committed to continuously improving your learning experience by adding new features throughout the year.
Learn anywhere, anytime you want: Your video2brain subscription lets you access the library anytime youâre online, and even from different computers. Our unique Platinum subscription includes the option to download courses for offline use. It makes no difference whether youâre at work, at home, or traveling. And all titles in our library work equally well on your Mac, Windows, or even Linux computer, as well as on popular tablets, including the iPad and iPad 2.
Go at your own pace: One of the fundamental advantages of video training over other approaches to learning is its flexibility. You can watch a whole course or just the lessons that interest you. And when you need a break, just click Pause and come back when youâre ready.
Scale our training to suit your needs: video2brain subscriptions are available in multiuser licenses too, making it easy for your organization to find the solution that fits your needs and budget.
Invest your technology budget wisely: The comprehensive video2brain training library lets you learn about new applications and new releases before you invest in expensive software. Our authors give you concrete advice on what these programs can and canât do and how they might fit into your workflow, so you can make informed decisions and invest where it counts.
Explore new areas: Even if you sign up to enjoy our courses on topics like digital imaging, design and video editing, your learning doesnât have to stop there. The video2brain library includes workshops on making eBooks, mastering green screen techniques, the art of craft photography, kinetic typography, and Facebook, iOS, and Android application development, and more! And your subscription gives you the freedom to explore any areas that interest you, grow in new directions, and reap the benefits of new and upgraded skills â without spending another penny!
Learning is a lifelong adventure. I and the team at video2brain would love to help you make the most of it.
I’m very excited, something’s happening in Europe that’s going to be fantastic for all of us – I think you’re going to love it! First of all, let me set the scene for why I’m telling you this.
Once in a while, if you’re lucky, you end up working with a bunch of really special people – I’m so lucky it’s happened to me. I create video training workshops with the fantastic team at video2brain which is led by one of the nicest men I have I ever met, Gerhard Koren.
Gerhard and I used to be demo artists for Adobe, traveling to trade shows and events, speaking about how we used Adobe software in our work. We clicked right away, Gerhard was so knowledgeable and talented, and as with most truly gifted people – humble and genuine with it. He always took time to help people to really understand the software and went out of his way to be friendly and kind.
Gerhard set up video2brain in 2002 and it quickly became established as Europe’s premiere go to place for video training. They gained a reputation for quality and innovation that has never been matched.
In 2009 they started creating English Language titles and were joined by Dan Brodnitz who came in to head up the amazing English language team. Dan has an extensive experience in the publishing industry having worked at Lynda.com, O’Reilly and IDG. As well as bringing his publishing expertise to the table, he also brings a passion for creativity, ideas and people. Like Gerhard, he’s what we call in the UK “a top bloke”. Friendly, full of ideas and he cares about quality and integrity.
I’ve worked with video2brain since 2009 when I created my first After Effects Learn by Video product with Adobe’s Todd Kopriva. Since then I’ve created lots more titles and made many more friends at video2brain who I’d love to mention by name but are too numerous to list (you know who you are and how much I love working with you!) We have gradually built a fantastic team of English language trainers who you can find out more about here.
2011 marks another great landmark for video2brain which will be announced this week. I wish I could tell you now but my lips are sealed. All I can say is please keep an eye on the countdown on our video2brain website. And if you want to get an idea about the kind of video training we offer, take a look at some of the 600 plus free tutorials we offer online as a taster of what’s to come.
– a typography video-training workshop on the principles of designing text.
I’ve just finished recording my latest workshop with the fantastic team at video2brain. It’s a workshop with a difference.
If you want the salient points delivered to you quickly so you can get on with your work, this product is perfect for you. It’s a series of short videos that form an educational and enjoyable workshop that you can sit back and enjoy – imbibing my knowledge as you go!
It’s based upon the Typography chapter from my book, Design Essentials for the Motion Media Artist. Not everyone likes to read books or needs the level of detail covered in Design Essentials so this provides an alternative.
It provides a quick-reference guide in the format of a video presentation. All the essential key principles of Typography that every designer needs are covered. And it won’t bog you down with too much detail (that’s what the book is for right?) it’s fast-paced and illustrated throughout with helpful animated diagrams and examples of work.
Learn about the history and anatomy of type as well as the terminology used to describe the components of text. Discover the difference between typefaces and fonts, glyphs and characters, serifs and sans serifs, kerning and tracking, leading and baseline shift. Find out when and why you would use specific fonts based on  aesthetics, cultural associations and characteristics.
This workshop expands on the content of the book with additional software exercises to improve your typographic software skills. Youâll learn how to apply the principles of typography in practical ways to graphic design projects. Software exercises will show you how Adobeâs Character and Paragraph panels can help make the most of your text, creating unique and exciting effects.
Iâll also teach you lots of neat tricks like animating text along paths in After Effects and making text write on the screen. In Illustrator weâll use operators to customize lettering, giving it a hand drawn look,. Weâll create 3D Text in Photoshop and add Layer Styles to brighten up our graphic designs. In InDesign youâll make the most of its powerful Open Type features such as ligatures, glyphs and other special characters.
With this comprehensive typography video training workshop you can simply sit back and watch as I present the principles for you. If you feel like following along, all the exercise files are provided. The videos are short and easily digested and you wonât get bogged down with technical jargon as I explain difficult concepts using easy-to-understand, real-world terminology.
If you’d like to be notifies when this title becomes available please click on this link.
I’m pleased to announce the release last week of the new Wacom Masterclass series of workshops. I’ve worked with Wacom tablets for years and love the creative flexibility they provide to my work. In these tutorials I share some of the techniques I’ve learned over the years.
If you want to check out some free lessons from these workshops please use the highlighted links listed below. Subscribers to my newsletter qualify for a 20% discount on this course through to the end of December. You can sign up for my newsletter here.
Join Angie Taylor and Steve Caplin for this multifaceted collection that includes a basic course covering the tabletâs tools and settings as well as lessons on beauty retouching, optimizing your architectural and landscape images, and image retouching with Photoshopâs healing and cloning tools. Youâll also get crash courses on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom and Apple Aperture, designed to get you working right away. Each class features lessons with picture-in-picture live footage of the artist working with their pen and tablet, enabling you to see and learn from their techniques up close.
Join Angie Taylor, Daniel Lieske, and Uli Staiger for this information-rich collection that includes a basic course covering the tabletâs tools and settings as well as lessons on drawing and painting in Photoshop, photo illustration, and drawing in Illustrator. Youâll also get a crash course on Painter, designed to get you working right away. Each class features lessons with picture-in-picture live footage of the artist working with their pen and tablet, enabling you to see and learn from their techniques up close.
Join Angie Taylor, Uli Staiger, and Daniel Lieske for this unique collection that includes a basic course covering the tabletâs tools and settings, an extensive video tutorial on motion design with After Effects, and crash courses on 3D with Photoshop, SketchBook Pro, and ZBrush, designed to get you working right away. Each class features lessons with picture-in-picture live footage of the artist working with their pen and tablet, enabling you to see and learn from their techniques up close.
This exceptional value includes all of Volumes 1â3 of the Wacom MasterClass collection, including lessons from artists Angie Taylor, Steve Caplin, Daniel Lieske, and Uli Staiger. In addition to a basic course covering the tabletâs tools and settings, you get training on everything from beauty retouching and painting in Photoshop to drawing in Illustrator and motion design with After Effects. The package also includes crash courses on Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Aperture, Painter, SketchBook Pro, ZBrush, and 3D with Photoshop, all designed to get you working right away. Each class features lessons with picture-in-picture live footage of the artist working with their pen and tablet, enabling you to see and learn from their techniques up close.
I recently published my Kinetic Typography Techniques for After Effects course. In it I used a wide selection of fonts that are freely downloadable from various websites, just to make sure everyone following the tutorial could get access to the same fonts.
Unfortunately one of the websites I recommended is no longer in operation. Below I’ve providing alternative links to all of the fonts used in these workshops. I cannot guarantee that these links will always be maintained as they are from third-party sites so I’ve also included the font names so that you can search for them using your favourite search engine, should the links expire.
When downloading these shareware fonts please take a few minutes to click on the Donate button for each of them. Even if you only donate $5 it will help make sure that these hard-working font designers get rewarded for providing us all with very low priced fonts to experiment with. This is particularly important if you are going to be using any of the fonts in paid work. It’s good karma and will make you feel good that you’re helping out a fellow designer!
If you’re interested in understanding more about the financial struggles that all designers are facing, please check out this entertaining graph by Jessica Hische which determines whether a designer should work for free! Jessica is a font designer and letterer who campaigns for fair pricing for fonts and other design work.
The fonts presented here are their authors’ property. They are either freeware, shareware, demo versions or public domain. The licence is usually positioned near the download button but please check the readme-files in the zipped packages or check the author’s website for details. You can contact him/her if in doubt. If no author/licence is indicated it means that information is not available. It doesn’t mean it’s free, it is your own responsibility to find out more if you want to use it commercially.
I was asked to create a workshop on Kinetic Typography techniques for Adobe After Effects by several people including the lovely people from video2brain who produced this epic workshop for me. I’d like to thank them all for their patience and professionalism throughout this long project!
I’m pleased to say that I have finally finished this epic workshop. It was originally planned as a one-hour tutorial but has developed into a full-on, eight-hour workshop covering all sorts of weird and wonderful techniques.
I started off by covering essential kinetic typography techniques such as automatically creating text layers by importing content from a text file – using Variables and Data Sets in Photoshop and Scripts in After Effects. I demonstrated how to format text, making use of typographic controls like Kerning and Baseline Shift to get creative with negative space. In the latter stages I applied some of the free Animation Presets, created and adapted complex text animators to help you understand how to control them.
"That Day" Music by Richard Walker
While creating this piece I just couldn’t help but get creative and I slightly strayed away from the task in hand. As a result this workshop also includes techniques you may not immediately associate with traditional kinetic typography. In the included lessons we have fun animating and lighting layers in 3D space. We recreate an animated version of the Sgt. Pepper album cover using After Effects’ vector Shape Layers.
Welcome VideoIntroduction to Kinetic Typography
We even recreate an ancient stone circle from 3D text layers! You’ll also learn techniques for creating your own backgrounds, aged-film and dust and scratches effects by combining some of the built-in After Effects filters. Of course I also cover popular, requested techniques like animating handwriting on screen.
I use typography in my every-day work as a motion graphic designer but the artform of kinetic typography is different. The purpose of text in motion graphic design is to deliver a message. Generally, the text needs to be legible and on screen for long enough for the viewer to read and there are several other “rules” that are sensible to apply to motion graphic design. Kinetic typography as an artform kicks those rules into touch.
Editing and Looping AudioVariables and Data Sets in Photoshop
My understanding of kinetic typography is that the words should be used to convey moods or feelings, they don’t need to be the message, they are just there to support it. My feeling is that the words should echo the spoken words rather than simply repeat what’s being said.
In my interpretation of Richard Walkers “That Day” (a poem set to music) I wanted to portray what I took personally from the piece. I understood it to be about the dissatisfaction we have with the present moment and how we avoid enjoying it by always thinking about the past or the future. This avoidance leads to confusion, frustration and general unsettled feelings.
In this workshop you get all my project files along with my creative musings about how these ideas developed. I hope that you can enjoy working on some of my own files and diving into my own personal creative project. Here are some sample movies from the workshop to give you an idea about what you can learn.
In this week’s newsletter I’ll be giving away a complete workshop about using the Stereoscopic 3D workflow in After Effects CS5.5 (offer ends 26/09/11). That’s four chapters – a total of 16 training movies absolutely free to subscribers of my software tips and tricks newsletter. Sign up today to make sure you don’t miss out. The lovely people at video2brain have created this workshop for me if full, fabulous HD quality for your viewing pleasure. You can find out more about their high quality productions here. Any the wonderful team at Artbeats have donated some fantastic Stereo 3D footage absolutely free so you can build this opening title graphic sequence is glorious Stereoscopic 3D.
In the “Introducing Stero 3D” chapter you’ll find out what stereoscopy is, why those funny glasses are used to view S3D and how After Effects re-creates the illusion of depth for 3D broadcasts.
In the “Faking 3D tracking” chapter you’ll discover how to combine 3d animated elements with Stereo 3D video footage from Artbeats.com. I’ll show you how to track the footage in 2D and then âfakeâ 3D tracking by cleverly combining the tracking data with additional 3D animation. Once the shot is designed youâll add 3D cameras and lights that will help the text combine well within the shot and and add effects to bring it all together.
In Effects, Transparency and Style chapter we’ll add effects, blend modes, and layer styles to the graphic elements so that they appear to blend into the shot.
Finally in the Stereoscopic 3D workflow chapter youâll build a Stereo 3D rig that automates the comp structure required to create an anaglyphic image for 3D broadcast. We’ll look at the effects you can use to adjust the settings so that they are just right for your individual needs. We’ll also look at ways of adding even more depth and realism to the scene with Depth of Field and Motion Blur effects.
This week I’m giving a 20% discount to anyone who wants to buy the fantastic new workshop on Motion Tracking & Stabilisation by Todd Kopriva which is now available to buy from my video training store. Just enter MOTION into the Coupon Code box when buying from my shop. It’s valid till July 15th 2011.
This workshop covers all the tools and techniques used for motion tracking and image stabilization in After Effects, including the point tracker, the Warp Stabilizer Effects, and mocha-AE. The contents of this course include:
Introduction
This chapter introduces you to motion tracking and shows you frame-by-frame how manual motion tracking works.
Motion Tracking with the Point Tracker
Once you determine what kind of motion you want to track, youâll need to decide what you will apply the tracking data to. This chapter explains your options and shows you how to remove tracking markers when youâre done.
Motion Tracking with mocha-AE
This chapter walks you through using mocha-AE, a standalone application that can export tracking data for use in After Effects.
Stabilizing Motion
Ever been frustrated working with shaky footage? This chapter shows you how to add stability to your projects by using the new Warp Stabilizer effect.
The lessons are wrapped in a feature-rich interface that lets you jump to any topic and bookmark individual sections for later review. Full-Screen mode provides a hi-def, immersive experience, and Watch-and-Work mode shrinks the video into a small window so you can play the videos alongside your application. This course also includes project files so you can follow along and try out new techniques as you learn them.
I was very pleased to get a call from John Davey, the organiser of the amazingly successful and entertaining “Flash on the Beach 2011” conference, asking me to speak at his event.
It’s an annual conference, held in my home town of Brighton. Bringing together the best designers, developers and minds in the Flash, design and web community, it’s a conference with a difference. It attracts an interesting and diverse mix of people and is focussed on the work that we do as well as the tools that we use.
I’ll be doing a session on creating Kinetic Typography animation in Adobe After Effects CS5.5. I’ll be featuring a breakdown of a real-life art project that I worked on in collaboration with Artist Richard Walker titled “That Day”. In this session I want to focus on the design process and demonstrate how After Effects allows creative flexibility throughout a project. For my more geeky attendees, don’t worry! I’ll also share plenty of my software tips and tricks as well as important techniques for structuring projects and optimising workflow in Adobe After Effects.
I’ll also feature some extracts from my book “Design Essentials for the Motion Media Artist” and will be giving away a copy of it, plus a copy of my “After Effects CS5 Learn by Video” training DVD. There are always lots of great parties, dinners and other networking events structured around Flash on the Beach and you’re guaranteed to meet and interesting and eclectic mix of creatives and geeky types. So why not book a place now, it sells out fast every year!
I’m giving away lots of goodies this week. In this blog I’m offering you some free sample movies from my ‘2D Character Animation in After Effects’ workshop from video2brain. I’m also pleased to announce some fantastic discounts on my training courses in London in March.
A one-off funding offer means that there’s currently a massive 80% off my Photoshop and After Effects courses at the Bridge Training. You can find out about these offers here. Just to give you an idea of the sort of savings on offer, my After Effects training 2 day training courses (Fundamentals, Intermediate and Advanced) have been discounted from the usual price of ÂŁ504 to the incredible price of ÂŁ108 for anyone based in the London Westminster area. Please contact The Bridge Training here to book a place.
I’m so excited to be able to introduce a set of video training products specifically aimed at character animation in Adobe After Effects CS5. I’ve included a link to a free sample from this workshop here, just click on this link to watch it in HD. There are also some other free videos available here.
As a freelance illustrator and motion graphics designer, I use After Effects every day to create artwork and animations of various styles. As a result, I’ve developed some powerful techniques for creating quick but compelling 2D animation, and in this workshop I share them with you. Youâll learn how to import layered files and paths from Illustrator into After Effects and how to animate flat vector artwork in both 2D and 3D space.
Topics covered include:
Setting up After Effects for creating 2D character animation
Using input devices to capture motion and apply it to your characters
Creating animation and lip-syncing with audio files, using expressions and scripting to make the process easier
Applying grouping techniques and using parenting to create hierarchical animations
Following the best working practices for outputting your animations for the web, TV, and mobile devices
All this is presented in a series of short, focused, and solution-oriented videos that steer clear of technical jargon. Whether youâre a motion graphic designer, animator, storyboard artist, video editor, or illustrator, if you want to create 2D animation from flat, vector-based artwork, this is the workshop for you.
The lessons are wrapped in a feature-rich interface that lets you jump to any topic and bookmark individual sections for later review. Full-Screen mode provides a hi-def, immersive experience, and Watch-and-Work mode shrinks the video into a small window so you can play the videos alongside your application. This course also includes project files so you can follow along and try out new techniques as you learn them.
Wow, what a busy week. I’ve just finished the first day of Broadcast Video Expo 2011 where I’ve been presenting After Effects and the Production Premium workflow on the Adobe booth. It’s been great being back with the Adobe UK team again and seeing lots of friendly faces.
I’ve also got a brand new product released today. My new Character Animation with Adobe After Effects workshops with video2brain are now on sale. You can check out some free sample movies here by clicking the link. Enjoy and please let me know what you think.
