Anybody know what software was used to create this video?

[daiweb]

Anybody know what software was used to create this video?

Im having a hard time pinpoint which software was just to make this. Looks like a feature was used. If you know please let me know!
http://www.break.com/usercontent/2009/5/shopcms-shopping-cart-script-722793.html

[poisondeathray]

You can do that in after effects

[daiweb]

Thank you so much for your quick response. I really appreciate it.

Do you know if there is a specific plug in used?

[poisondeathray]

It can be done within after effects, no additional 3rd party plugins are necessary. It comes with 100's of effects & plugins

Rotation & panning/movement in 3d space can be done simply keyframing the camera layer, the text on the left & right side can be done by keyframing the opacity and using a linear wipe effect or write on effect. The shimmering grid effects and rotation at the end can be done with layers

This won't be as easy as pushing a button....and presto it's done... it's a bit of a learning curve. Even if you are familiar with the program it will still take you 20-30 minutes to do this. There are 100's of free tutorials on the net if you search.

[daiweb]

great I will take a look around ... I use premiere so I will make my after effects purchase to go along with it.

[edDV]

great I will take a look around ... I use premiere so I will make my after effects purchase to go along with it.

That was a pro job. Better to hire someone who already spent the three years or so to get proficient with After Effects.

You won't know where to start unless you've mastered splined keyframes and compositing with Alpha in another program.

[daiweb]

3 years to learn how to do that? :/

[poisondeathray]

No, not 3 years...

Realistically it will take you a few days to learn the basics if you are starting from scratch. If you already know about layers, transparency with photoshop then that's a big bonus, otherwise factor in another learning day. Planning and preparation of the assets are critical, the actual animation and effects are not that difficult to do once you have the basics down.

In addtion to the 100's of free video tutorials online (check out creativecow.net, videocopilot.net, a few others) there are learning materials and courses you can take through www.lynda.com or www.totaltraining.com and several other learning websites

If you need it within a certain timeframe then seriously consider outsourcing this to some professional service

[daiweb]

I definitely understand the concepts of layers and planning out the video I already create similar videos in premiere and use the motion tool to move the objects . I was just wondering if there was a more logical way to do so.

The basic are covered In terms of getting things started. I'm assuming its really the "how 2 do it in after effects " type of thing. This is just for me so I will be able to take something time to get it right.

I will start with the tuts that you have been so kind to share btw its much appreciated it!

[edDV]

Three years or so to get proficient in the CS4 Suite. I wouldn't hire anybody that didn't have that level of experience.

There is a lot going in that clip. I'm just trying to warn you that it isn't a push button effect.

[lordsmurf]

No, not 3 years... Realistically it will take you a few days to learn the basics if you are starting from scratch. If you already know about layers, transparency with photoshop then that's a big bonus, otherwise factor in another learning day. Planning and preparation of the assets are critical, the actual animation and effects are not that difficult to do once you have the basics down.

I'm sorry, but "a few days" is so overly optimistic to pretty much be a pure lie. Maybe in a few months, if you spend a lot of time learning everything, diligently, hours and hours a week with an almost OCD-like persistence.

[poisondeathray]

I'm sorry, but "a few days" is so overly optimistic to pretty much be a pure lie. Maybe in a few months, if you spend a lot of time learning everything, diligently, hours and hours a week with an almost OCD-like persistence.

I never said you'd become an expert in a few days. I said you can learn the basics in a few days which is the absolute truth. A few months to learn the basics is overstating the case. You can easily do a course over the weekend. It might take a few more days to get a bit more proficient, and of course it would take years of use to become an expert.

This particular video isn't that difficult to do in the spectrum of After Effects projects. You're making it to be rocket science or something... and daiweb is already familiar with keyframes , layering and Premiere already. There's 4 basic things that need to be done, and they are all covered in the basic-intermediate level tutorials.

@daiweb:
In After Effects, each layer can be made 3d , so they have x,y and z coordinates and can exist in 3d space. You can animate each layer but that example was probably done primarily with a null object. You simulate movement and panning/zooming/orbiting by using a camera and parenting (linking) that to a null object. You animate that null object with keyframes (just like you would in Premiere) and the camera follows. So you can rotate around each layer, zoom around, etc...The big difference compared to Premiere is is z-space, but it's not a huge quantum leap or anything...

The change in velocity (acceleration) between keyframes can be done in several ways - by time remapping, timewarp effect, or using the graph editor (most precise control). The difference between mediocre animation and great animation is the spatial interpolation between keyframes. Things in nature don't move with constant linear interpolation. Forces like gravity, acceleration, deceleration, resistance should affect movement to make it look "natural". Advanced keyframing is truly the key (haha pun!) to animation, but you don't need to play with much of that in this example

The text effects can be "revealed" by keyframing opacity, and/or using animated masks to gradually reveal, or using effects such as write on, stroke , or linear/radial wipe.

The shimmering grid pattern can be done with separate layers and keyframing opacity as the camera is rotated around the layers. The shimmering/flickering can be made to look "random" by using expressions like "wiggle" which is just a random generator. Many of the tutorials go over the use of wiggle expressions.

I would start with the 10-part basic training on videocopilot.net (free) or with one of the "essentials" courses from Lynda.com or Total Training.

Good luck

[edDV]

I'm sorry, but "a few days" is so overly optimistic to pretty much be a pure lie. Maybe in a few months, if you spend a lot of time learning everything, diligently, hours and hours a week with an almost OCD-like persistence.

I never said you'd become an expert in a few days. I said you can learn the basics in a few days which is the absolute truth. A few months to learn the basics is overstating the case. You can easily do a course over the weekend. It might take a few more days to get a bit more proficient, and of course it would take years of use to become an expert.

This particular video isn't that difficult to do in the spectrum of After Effects projects. You're making it to be rocket science or something... and daiweb is already familiar with keyframes , layering and Premiere already. There's 4 basic things that need to be done, and they are all covered in the basic-intermediate level tutorials.

@daiweb:
In After Effects, each layer can be made 3d , so they have x,y and z coordinates and can exist in 3d space. You can animate each layer but that example was probably done primarily with a null object. You simulate movement and panning/zooming/orbiting by using a camera and parenting (linking) that to a null object. You animate that null object with keyframes (just like you would in Premiere) and the camera follows. So you can rotate around each layer, zoom around, etc...The big difference compared to Premiere is is z-space, but it's not a huge quantum leap or anything...

The change in velocity (acceleration) between keyframes can be done in several ways - by time remapping, timewarp effect, or using the graph editor (most precise control). The difference between mediocre animation and great animation is the spatial interpolation between keyframes. Things in nature don't move with constant linear interpolation. Forces like gravity, acceleration, deceleration, resistance should affect movement to make it look "natural". Advanced keyframing is truly the key (haha pun!) to animation, but you don't need to play with much of that in this example

The text effects can be "revealed" by keyframing opacity, and/or using animated masks to gradually reveal, or using effects such as write on, stroke , or linear/radial wipe.

The shimmering grid pattern can be done with separate layers and keyframing opacity as the camera is rotated around the layers. The shimmering/flickering can be made to look "random" by using expressions like "wiggle" which is just a random generator. Many of the tutorials go over the use of wiggle expressions.

I would start with the 10-part basic training on videocopilot.net (free) or with one of the "essentials" courses from Lynda.com or Total Training.

Good luck

I think you are supporting my point. Or did you learn all this in a week from scratch?

After Effects works in 3D space with a 2D result.

Anyone looking to hire an After Effects designer should first evaluate their portfolio and check references that this was his/her work.

[guns1inger]

I agree that for someone who knows after effects (or Combustion, or Fusion, for that matter) this is pretty bread and butter stuff. However for a newbie this is not that straight forward. There is a fair bit of planning required, prep work for all the assets, and getting the camera moves smooth and targeting correctly is not easy.

No plugins, other than the basics that come with AE, are required to do this.

Many of the individual elements in this are covered in different video copilot tutorials, and it is certainly a great place to start learning. But I would not sit down tomorrow in front of AE for the first time, and expect to be doing something that smooth in a week. Not unless you are prepared to give up everything else for that week, work you way through most of the VC tutorials, and really put the effort in.

[lordsmurf]

Also give up eating, sleeping, working, etc -- impossible. Not in a week.

[poisondeathray]

I think you are supporting my point. Or did you learn all this in a week from scratch?

My comments were directed at lordsmurf, perhaps he misread what was written. I said you can learn the basics in few days, which is exactly what I did by taking a course; and it certainly doesn't take months or years just to learn the basics LOL. I never said it would take a rookie only a week to learn how to do that from scratch.

Good point on hiring though, I would much prefer to hire based on portfolio and previous client work & comments, than say "x" years of experience.

The first sequence was pretty much plagarized from a aetuts tutorial
http://ae.tutsplus.com/tutorials/motion-graphics/create-a-stunning-website-demo/

And that last sequence was pretty much plagarized from tutorial #82 of Videocopilot, with sure target, grid, mosaic, fractal noise etc...

They basically tell you what to do, not much originality here...