This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book:
"CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield.
The exercise can be found on page 78.
Instructions: "Is That a Diamond-Studded Coffee Mug?"
"Each one of us has dreamt, at some point in our lives, what it would be like to be rich and famous, living in Beverly Hills, shopping on Rodeo Drive, walking an overtly pink poodle with more bling around her neck than the NBA bench-warmer down the street.
We've imagined, if even for a moment, what that life of luxury is really like.
Oh, the crazy things we would own!
Let's imagine it one more time, if even for just this exercise.
Your task is to write down 10 things a single woman living in Beverly Hills might own."
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book:
"CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield.
The exercise can be found on page 77.
Instructions: "Sharpie; Shirt Pocket; Laundry Bill
If the old saying is true, "every picture tells the story," then three pictures should tell the story even better.
Your task today is to tell a story in three photographs. The idea is to create three consecutive pictures that tell a story.
The pattern is "object," "action"and "effect."
For instance, if your first photo was your empty chair at work, and your second photo was your boss in your office looking at his watch, the third photograph might be your personal items box up on your desk.
Create three separate photo-stories using this method. Just make sure you're on time when you start!"
My photo story is called "The Missed Alarm"
Photo 1 (Object): Close-up of a glowing phone screen: alarm set for 7:00 AM, and now reading 10:26 AM.
Photo 2 (Action): A guy jolting out of bed, wild hair, shocked expression, fumbling for pants while holding the phone.
Photo 3 (Effect): Him setting disheveled in front of a job interview door that says "Closed - Interviews Finished at 10:00 AM."
Instructions:"Combine original footage/images with the Special Effects you presented in class on Wednesday to create an effective 15-30-second promotional social media post.
Videos should be in the correct aspect ratio for the intended platform (google if unsure), generated at 30 FPS, and rendered using h.264 or h.265 to create a .mp4. "
For my social media posts, I chose the Instagram format. Reels, Stories, and live videos are recommended to be at a 9:16 aspect ratio, typically 1080x1920 pixels.
I also included the CC Tiler effect that I showed on Wednesday.
File format is MP4 and MOV videos, Codec is H.264 for video and AAC for audio.
Frame rate is recommended to be 30 FPS.
File size: try to keep it under 4 GB.
Cropping: Be aware that Instagram may crop your video if it doesn't fit the recommended aspect ratio for the specific placement. For example, a 9:16 Reel might be cropped to 4:5 in the main feed preview and 1:1 in your profile grid thumbnail. Plan your important visual elements to be in the center of the video to avoid them being cut off.
Project - Social Media Post 1
My first social media post was for the iPhone, highlighting three different models.
Project - Social Media Post 2
My second social media post was for Apple's education discounts for the iPad and MacBooks. They are currently running a special where you can get free AirPods or an eligible accessory of your choice when you buy mac or iPad with education savings.
"Watch and create a short video based on a specific tutorial you watched from the Adobe After Effects getting started videos. In your post, mention which tutorial you completed and what you learned from doing the tutorial."
To place text, select the Type tool in the Tools panel, click in the Composition panel, and type. Use the Selection tool to set the text layer.
Choose fonts, size, color, justification, and other text properties in the Character and Paragraph panels.
Preview fonts by clicking a text layer in the timeline, then scroll through the font family drop-down menu in the Character panel.
Text layers are generated within After Effects and have their own parameters in addition to the normal transform properties associated with every layer.
2. Animate efficiently with text presets
Apply and edit prebuilt text animations.
Find and search for text presets in the Effects & Presets panel.
Browse animation presets using Adobe Bridge.
Drag and drop a preset from the Effects and Presets panel directly on a text layer to apply. The first keyframe of the preset will be placed at the location of the Current Time Indicator (CTI).
Slide keyframes to change the timing of the animation. Stretch or squash multiple keyframes by holding Alt (Windows) or Option (MacOS) and dragging the first or last keyframe with all keyframes selected.
3. Animate text letter by letter
Create per-character animation.
In the timeline, open the layer parameters by clicking the triangle to the left of the layer number. Text layers have their own set of parameters in addition to the normal transform options for the layer.
To the right of the text layer parameters (Text) look for the word Animate. Click the button to the right of the word Animate and choose a parameter to animate. Once a parameter has been chosen, a Text Animator will be applied to the text.
Scrub Range Selector parameters to preview possible parameters to animate. Animate type by adding keyframes to different range selector parameters.
To remove an applied parameter, range selector, or animator, click directly on the words in the timeline and press Delete.
"Watch and create a short video based on a specific tutorial you watched from the Adobe After Effects getting started videos. In your post, mention which tutorial you completed and what you learned from doing the tutorial."
In the menu bar, choose Composition > New Composition to create an empty composition. Use the preset drop-down menu in the Composition Settings dialog box to choose a preset resolution. You can customize a preset by typing in your own values, like width, height, frame rate & duration
Drag footage onto the new composition icon in the bottom of the Project panel to automatically place it in a new composition, matching the footage settings exactly.
Compositions can contain layers generated within After Effects and layers from external files such as files from Illustrator or Photoshop.
Compositions are composed of a stack of layers in the Timeline panel.
Layers can be moved vertically to change appearance in the stack, and horizontally to change the appearance of layers over time.
2. Explore techniques to position layers in a composition.
There are many ways to position layers in a composition:
Layer handles (in Composition panel with selected layer): Click and drag inside the handles to reposition a layer in the Composition panel. Click a handle to scale or distort a layer. Hold Shift when dragging handles to keep proportions.
Tools (upper left under menu bar): Press W to select the Rotation tool to rotate layers in the Composition panel. Press V to choose the Selection tool.
Layer parameters (triangle on the left side of a layer in the timeline): Click on triangle to open, then open Transform properties by clicking its triangle.
Quick Access parameters (keyboard shortcuts): Press P for Position, R for Rotation, S for Scale, T for Opacity, A for Anchor Point
Adjust Layers (using parameters in the timeline): Scrub on parameter values to change parameters. Hold Shift when scrubbing on a parameter to change values 10 times faster.
3. Record multiple keyframes to create animation.
CTI (Current Time Indicator) shows what frame you're viewing in the Composition panel. The CTI also determines where keyframes appear when they are added to a parameter.
Stopwatch (appears to the left of a parameter): Click on a stopwatch to record a keyframe of that value at the location of the CTI in the timeline. Click on a stopwatch of a parameter with recorded keyframes to remove all keyframes from that parameter.
Keyframe (typically displayed as a diamond in the timeline) is a method of recording the value of a parameter at a specific point in time on a timeline. Record two or more keyframes (with different values) on an individual parameter to create animation.
Preview (spacebar): A green progress bar will indicate frames loaded into the cache at the top of the timeline as the preview begins to play back. Look at the Info panel in the upper right corner of the interface to check the playback framerate.
4. Animate layered Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop documents
Import assets for use in a project.
Double-click in the Project panel to open the Import dialog box, navigate to the files accessible to your system and choose a PSD or AI file to import.
With a file selected, choose Import As > Composition -- Retain Layer Sizes to create a layered composition comprised of the original layers created in Photoshop or Illustrator.
The duration of a composition created from a layered PSD or AI file will always be the same duration as the most recent previously created composition.
Layer transparency and blend mode settings will be maintained between After Effects and the originally created PSD or AI file.
5. Add detail with effects
Apply and adjust effects.
Effects are extra customizable settings you can apply to any layer in a composition.
Effects can be applied to a selected layer by choosing an effect from the Effect menu in the menu bar. You can search effects in the Effects and Presets panel, and you can drag and drop those effects from the panel directly onto any layer in a composition.
Access effects in the timeline on a selected layer by pressing E on the keyboard.
Effect settings are available in both the timeline and the Effect Controls panel.
Toggle an effect on or off by clicking the fx button in the upper left corner of the Effect Controls panel, or by clicking the fx button in the switches section of the timeline.
Delete an effect by clicking its name in the timeline, or in the Effect Controls panel, and pressing Delete on your keyboard.
"Watch and create a short video based on a specific tutorial you watched from the Adobe After Effects getting started videos. In your post, mention which tutorial you completed and what you learned from doing the tutorial."
The Start screen contains a list of previously opened projects.
Click the New Project button on the Start screen to create a new project, or the Open Project button to open a project file.
2. Get to know the interface.
Active panels are highlighted in blue. When you click any panel you make it active and are able to access its options.
Menu bar (at the very top) shows the File, Edit, Composition, and other menus that give you access to a variety of commands, adjustments, and panels.
Tools panel (under the menu bar, upper left) contains tools for adding and editing elements in your compositions. Similar tools are grouped together. You can access related tools in a group by clicking and holding a tool in the panel.
Project panel (upper left corner below the Tools panel) is the area where you import, search, and organize assets in your After Effects projects. In the bottom of the panel you can create new folders and compositions as well as change item and project settings.
Composition panel (center) is a viewport showing the currently loaded composition. Compositions contain one or more layers of video and or graphic elements stacked in the timeline.
Timeline (bottom) displays layers of the currently loaded composition.
3. Import assets for use in a project.
In the menu bar, choose File > Import > File to open the Import dialog box, navigate the files accessible to your system and choose the elements to import.
Double-click in an empty area of the Project panel to automatically open the Import dialog box without having to go to the menu bar.
Imported files are not embedded in your After Effects Project. Their location is referenced by the project.
All files imported into a project don't have to reside in a composition.
4. Create order for assets in the Project panel.
Dragging an element in the Project panel down to the New Folder icon will create a folder and add the dragged element directly into that new folder.
Labels are another method for organizing and selecting multiple elements in a project.
You can browse and organize elements using columns in the Project panel.
The search field in the Project panel can help you find specific assets.
Dragging an element in the Project panel down to the trash icon will delete the file from the project.
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book:
"CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee
Oldfield. The exercise can be found on page 74.
Instructions: "Tick, Tick, Tick, Tick,
Sounds surround us every day. Many have become so common to us that we
have stopped hearing them altogether. If visual perspective can be
obtained by investigating more closely the common visuals we see every
day, then the common sounds we hear every day should be examined as
well.
That will be your task today: create visuals for the following
sound:"
Instructions: “What I Learned - Only Students Not Involved with Parody Project
If you have not been involved in the Parody Project, this is your assignment. Example: Create a 60-120 second video showing what you learned this month. The video should be created at 1920 x 1080 @ 30FPS and rendered as a .mp4.”
This week’s assignment is to create a short video showing what I learned in Adobe Premiere Pro this month. I learned a lot, and I am sure I am forgetting some things, but I will try to cover the major things that come to mind. The video is also longer than 120 seconds.
I learned how to record and capture my computer monitor as I was doing tasks.
I learned the basics about Adobe Premiere Pro user interface: project panel, source monitor, timeline panel, program monitor, and the properties, effects, and essential sound subpanels.
I learned how to import media clips, preview the clips, and develop a timeline to produce a finished video.
I learned about video transitions and audio transitions to place in between clips.
I learned how to convert video clips from 59.94 fps to 30 fps.
I learned how to remove pauses (silence) in my video and audio clips.
I learned how to unlink video from the audio clip and use audio transitions > cross fade > constant power, and the audio clip keyframe line to increase or decrease volume for background music.
I also learned how to use Audio Ducking in Adobe Audition to control voice and background music to levels in my clips.
Finally, I imported the video clips from the Adobe Premiere Pro tutorial, “Ordering and Making Lattes” and created my version of a parody for the song “Bang The Drum All Day” by Artist: Todd Rundgren titled “I want to drink lattes all day” and added it to my Project 6 video.
Note: I moved the MP3 of the song I like underneath the audio of my on-screen videos and made it background music. I then added the parody song audio to the tutorial videos.
I hope you enjoy!
I want to drink lattes all day (Parody)
LYRICS:
I don't want to work
I want to drink lattes all day
I don't want to play
I just want to drink lattes all day
Ever since I was a brand-new frosh
I skipped my classes just to sip and slosh
I do not want no pizza, I do not need fries
Just a caramel swirl with extra shots to energize
Because…
I don't want to work
I want to drink lattes all day
I don't want to play
I just want to drink lattes all day (Yes I do!)
When I got older, I still never slept
The prof said “Stay awake!” but I just yawned and crept
She caught me slouched, cappuccino in my hand
But my drip was so fresh
She said “I finally understand!”
And that's why…
I don't want to work
I want to drink lattes all day
I don't want to play
I just want to drink lattes all day (That's right!)
Digital Video and Audio Editing - Creativity Blog Post 4
Digital Video and Audio Editing
Creativity Blog Post 4
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book:
"CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee Oldfield.
The exercise can be found on page 76.
Instructions: "I knew he had a book of potions, right?
We are a society of lists. We make lists for everything from groceries
to daily chores. There is comfort and security in lists. There are also
ideas buried at the bottom of lists, ideas that we never would've found
if we didn't make the list. We can all improve our ability to make
lists. Your task is to make a list, not of produce or rooms to vacuum,
but something far more sinister. Make a list of at least 10 items of
things you would find in a mad scientist's lab.
H E ' S A L L L I I I I I V E !
10 Things Found in a Mad Scientist's Lab
Cracked glass beakers with glowing green liquid
Tesla coils sparking with static energy
A massive lever labeled "DO NOT PULL"
A small robot assistant
A chalkboard full of cryptic formulas and conspiracy doodles
Shelves of dusty old books titled "Forbidden Theories Vol. 1--13"
"Create a 60-120 second video teaching us how to do something. This could be a software skill, or you could do something physical. Export at 1920 x 1080 @ 30 FPS. Upload it as a .mp4 or upload it to your YouTube channel and add a link to the discussion."
For my how-to video, I created the Penrose triangle in Adobe illustrator. It is also called the "Impossible triangle" because it is an optical illusion.
Digital Video and Audio Editing - Creativity Blog Post 3
Digital Video and Audio Editing
Creativity Blog Post 3
This week, I did a creative exercise found in the book:
"CAFFEINE FOR THE CREATIVE MIND" by Stefan Mumaw and Wendy Lee
Oldfield. The exercise can be found on page 74.
Instructions:
"Sounds surround us every day. Many have become so common to us that we
have stopped hearing them altogether. If visual perspective can be
obtained by investigating more closely the common visuals we see every
day, then the common sounds we hear every day should be examined as
well.
That will be your task today: create a visual for the following
sound:"
