teaching.elliottbrennan.com

Week 1: Introduction and Review.
Digital image basics:

* Resolution and Aliasing
* Bit depth
* Color spaces
* Alpha channels

Photoshop review:

* Curves
* Layers
* Alpha and blending
* Fonts in Photoshop

Illustrator review:

* Vector graphics
* Bézier curves
* Anchor points
* Fonts in Illustrator

Asset management:

* File suffix review
* Organizing files in the Finder and Bridge
* Consolidating projects in the After Effects and Final Cut

After Effects Interface:

* General introduction
* Working with tabbed palettes
* Setting and resetting workspaces

After Effects Project Window:

* Importing Files and Footage
* Handling image sequences
* Straight or premultiplied alphas

After Effects Timeline Window:

* Project duration
* Object duration
* Adjusting characteristics
* Keyframe basics

After Effects Composition Window:

* Playback for resolution
* Playback for frame rate
* Understanding space and scale in After Effects
* Aligning and distributing layers

Handouts: Hotkeys and modifiers for After Effects.

Homework: Abstract shapes & concrete poetry.
Create two three minute pieces: one with expressive text, one with expressive shapes.

Week 2: Timeline and Keyframes
Chroma and Luma keying
Photoshop review: mastering Alpha channels
Illustrator review: mastering Bézier curves
Thinking about curves over time
Moving keyframes with Pan Behind
Adjusting curves with the Graph Editor

Week 3: Working with Video I
Video review:

* Capturing video in FInal Cut, Premiere, etc.
* Frame rates, timecode
* Compression formats for animation and live action workflows

Photoshop Workshop:

* Scanning and shooting to create panoramic background and foreground elements
* Retouching and dustbusting for clean plates

Green Screen Workshop:

* Shooting and lighting for greenscreen
* Compositing characters
* Creating moving silhouettes

Week 4: Working with Sound
Quick sound review/intro:

* Different mic patterns
* Using flash recorders
* Audio Hijack
* Sound Libraries

Soundtrack/ProTools workshop:

* Basic edits and exports

After Effects workshop:

* Audio keyframes

Reading excerpt: The DV Rebel's Guide, Stu Maschwitz

Week 5: Working with Video II
Video review:

* Compression formats

Quick video workshop:

* Ripping DVDs for motion sources

After Effects workshop:

* Cleaning up DV video artifacts
* Onlining, grading, color correcting
* Working with 3:2 pulldown
* Motion tracking

Week 6: Working with Text
Title design
Concrete Poetry
Font review: serif, sans serif, weight, size, character, etc.
Text as foreground/background mask

Screening:
"Intonation" by Jarratt Moody
Various title designs by Saul Bass, Kyle Cooper, Maurice Binder.

Week 7: Physics and Expressions I
Real world physics
Cartoon physics
Anticipation/Exaggeration/Follow through
Puppets using anchors
Nesting
Parenting

Field Trip: Nature Lab, Construction Site

Week 8: Cameras and Lights
Light shapes, focus, etc.
Camera moves
3D objects
Re-learning the Composition WIndow
Limitations of 3D in After Effects

Week 9: Physics and Expressions II
Using the wiggler and smoother
Working with paths from vector graphics
Puppets using puppet tool

Week 10: Workday/Review/Screenings
Workshop:

* Exporting for web

Screenings:
Works in Progress

Week 11: After the End
Workshop:

* Managing the completed project

Final Project