Faking stop motion in AE 1515 Responses

Last post: 4 months, 2 weeks ago | Thread started: May 24, 08, 11:53 a.m.

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• Meeklo

  Ok, I have this project to work on, and there is no time do it the way I would like to (w/ photographs) but I would still like to achieve the look.

  I know its a far stretch and it won't be as real but close will be good enough. I exported the clip at 5fps, I added a flicker (which I'm not too happy with yet) and a bit of random movement to the camera.

  Anyone has some tips to improve this?
  http://www.shikakufx.com/accent/…
  when explaining consider that I'm a bit of a noob to AE.

  Gracias!

  May 24, 08, 11:53 a.m. – Permalink

• Meeklo

  Oops
  here it goes
  http://www.accent.tv/client/maxi…

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 11:54 a.m. – Permalink

• CyBrain

  This is a bit subjective, but I think it would be more realistic without the flicker and random movements. Also, experiment with a different framerates.

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 11:58 a.m. – Permalink

• pepe

  yeah the frame rate feels too slow almost, as oppose to like 12 fps or something. more dramatic flicker and even some subtle grain would help sell it if thats the look you are going for.it looks almost too perfect from a digital sense at the moment.

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, noon – Permalink

• Milky_joe

  The ficker doesn't work cause it should only be on one frame or so it last a little too long, I see that you were trying to simulate the change of light it would work way better if you only had the light change last a very short time each time it flickers.
  the eye balls need to have a couple of keyframes added to them to make the movement a little more random on the same line but just a little less well animated perhaps move one eye very slightly up on a frame or two. Apart from that it works very well well done man well done, if you can't be arsed changing the eye movement do the light thing as this will make it look all to more realistic. :)

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 12:08 p.m. – Permalink

• ismith

  Here's what I would do...

  1) get the frame rate to a good speed (I'd go faster, maybe 10 or 12fps)
  2) remove flicker
  3) export all frames to jpg or other still image format
  4) batch modify frames to vary exposure per frame
  5) import frames as if they were stop motion

  For step 4, the best way I see of doing it if you can't find an application to do it for you is select every 6 files, batch modify with the same exposure shift. then move your selection over one and repeat.

  • wow.. that seems like more work, but you might be on to something.. I will go for 12 fps then, thanks!– Meeklo1/4

    I did a lot of stop motion and fake stop motioning for freshman projects.– ismith2/4

    I did one true stop motion at 30fps... that was hell.– ismith3/4

    like he said, but instead of exporting the jpg's, add a lightource and put an variable expression on the light– tank024/4

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 12:09 p.m. – Permalink

• Meeklo

  Thanks for responding.

  CyBrain:The flicker and random movements exagerate the look a bit, if done right, stop motion doesn't really have that, but I'm ok with using it as a resource in hopes that the animation its not fluid.

  Pepe: I did try it at 12 fps, which is commonly used in animation but I wasn't too happy w/ the results, cause it was too fluid..

  Maybe I been looking at this thing for too long, I just want to make it better, I appreciate your imput and I might go for 12fps if that is what it takes..

  anyone else?

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 12:12 p.m. – Permalink

• Douglas

  You might want to add an expression to randomize the position ever so slightly.

  • I used the wiggler, is that not random?– Meeklo1/3

    are you using the wiggler to a precomp of the whole project? Maybe seperate wigglers to individual elements?– Douglas2/3

    I agree with the random movement on everything, I was gonna suggest that too, rather than just on the camera alone.– kalkal3/3

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 12:23 p.m. – Permalink

• drgs

  i think random movements should happen to the objects, not the camera

  • word.– Douglas1/2

    feks the face frame should be still, while the position of the eye parts imperfect each frame
    – drgs2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 12:56 p.m. – Permalink

• oozie

  the flicker just looks like it's fading, make it faster and it'll look more natural and film like. otherwise it looks hand made i'm just thinking the keyframes could be tweeked make it slicker and smoother, needs quick then slow movements, right now it's just like 'eyes move, blinks, eyes move, camera shake' you know not like "look here!, moves, look here!" ... i'm saying something i just don't know how to write it. no drama to the characters movement i guess

  • camera movements really sells the handmade look just make it more subtle– oozie

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 1:47 p.m. – Permalink

• oozie

  by the way i'm working on an animation that uses various frame rates for various layers using the posterize effect, that way i'm keeping some of the natural full movements with curves etc combined with jittery elements. when done right it gives the entire thing the impression it's in a slow frame rate while keeping the more stylish animation bits, sort of like a combination of old techniques and sophisticated digital animation.

  • the eyes could be in a regular frame rate for example while the blinks and body etc is at like 8 frames a second– oozie1/2

    that way the viewer would be drawn to the eyes moving around realistically while maintaining the handmade feel– oozie2/2

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 2:21 p.m. – Permalink

• epete22

  thats creepy

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 3:59 p.m. – Permalink

• mikotondria3

  that's well nice, that. I can only second adding some grain, moving the camera less, a randomizing expression on the alpha of a dark layer with blend mode overlay over it, maybe also some very slightly random blurs, just to aid with the 16mm film effect.
  Stop motion is a pain in the ass to actually do, and even if you think youre being really careful, one frame is always slightly blurrier or differently exoposed than the next, but that actual camera position itself can remain remarkably consistent even if you've just nailed it to the bench. I really liked what you'd done of it. :)

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 4:42 p.m. – Permalink

• oozie

  http://www.nfb.ca/webextension/m…

  this film is unreal, might give you some ideas. looks similar with the character and the eyes. the entire thing is actual stop motion then combined with real eyes.

  • wow– sea_sea

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 4:58 p.m. – Permalink

• lvl_13

  

  • enough– TREBIO1/4

    lol– jevad2/4

    for some reason I cannot get enough of this– Point53/4

    Good work– Privat4/4

  

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  Dog-earMay 24, 08, 10:06 p.m. – Permalink

• Meeklo

  oozie. that is too well done. I want to capture the stop motion characteristics from the amateur perspective. I'm more interested in stop motion that is not that fluid (from a few decades ago). the link you posted is very nice, but its so well done that it does not look like traditional stop motion, you know what I mean?

  I do see the benefit in adding random movements to the elements, that is something I have not considered.. but once I add more elements I will do. (right now I have only eyes going on.

  thanks!

  • just a thought, they remind me of eah other is all.– oozie

  

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  Dog-earMay 25, 08, 1:50 a.m. – Permalink