AE Pre Wedding Slideshow Book & How To

[momoffduty]

In the past year (and recently) I have received several emails asking how to make this. Updated my notes & screen shots. My project panel was disorganized at the time since I only had AE a few months and was a bit overwhelmed.



Photo Book — AE Updated 10.2010

Set up background, left page & right page. Left and right pages were closest to the 0.0 Z position with the background behind. Leave space between the pages and background for the large photo and filmstrip that will be placed later.

Add camera. 35mm and No depth of field.

Add null and parent camera to null.

Make sure the background is large enough to place photos later that are off the pages. Maybe 2000x1600. Can scale up if smaller.

No lights. Initially I set up the light and parented it to the null. All the pic layers were set up to receive lights. When the light was turned on when the project was finished there was major flickering. Tried several things, but ended up taking the light out and adding drop shadow to all of the pics and made a faux light vignette with a mask on a black solid
2d layer.

Elements: Background was a rectangle file, book pages cut out, and photos. The photos were resized to 1024x768, but ended up scaling them down a lot to about 14 to 20% so they don’t need to be that large. The only large ones needed are the couple intro & end photo and Jared’s large photo. I had to scale up the background in AE and the left/right pages were at 100%. The couple intro & end cutouts were sepia tone. The title was brown. The flourishes were individual layers and brown and can bring them into AE as layers.

My workflow is generally to set the keyframe for an element where I want it to end and then move up the timeline and set the entry keyframe.

Null’s keyframes were the X,Y,Z Position and the Z Orientation.
Photos’ keyframes were the X,Y,Z Position and the Z Rotation. Not Orientation.

*Null’s keyframes easyease (F9) and a continuous bezier if needed on the rotation pivot point when moved around the ends of the book. The Vimeo video isn’t easyease, I changed on the Final DVD. Be sure to use easyease as you work because it will effect the timing.

Position the null to see the left page with the couple and title. Set position keyframe about 7 seconds in the timeline. Go back to Home and move null and set another keyframe. I leave a bit of time for a fade in which is done in PrPro later.

Used CC Image Wipe on the title & the couple photo with about a 34% softness. Used the Multiply Blend Mode. Can play with the opacity if needed.

At about 8 or 9 seconds add another keyframe for Null’s position and Orientation. Move down timeline and add Nulls position & orientation keyframes for the start of the left page. Move down timeline and move null’s position to the crease of the page and set Position & Orientation keyframes. Check playback to see if the speed is okay to the music. Move the end keyframe up or down the timeline to adjust pace.

Move in the timeline and place first photo on page when & where you want it to end. Set its Position & Z Rotation keyframes. Leave some Z space to add flourishes later. Move up time line and move photo off of the page with a slight rotation. (Keyframing backwards setting the landing position first.)

Copy the Position & rotation end keyframes and apply to the next photo. Adjust the photo for the new position and place slightly above the value of Z’s position keyframe. That way when this photo is brought in it will be above the previous layer in the comp panel. I copy & past keyframes to save time positioning in Z space otherwise all items are brought in at the default values.
*Alternative method: Control+D the photo and Alt+drag to replace the new photo and adjust keyframes for the position. Make sure you are on the keyframe before changing otherwise additional keyframes are set.

Repeat for the photos for that page.

Move the null from the crease and rotate/position and set keyframe. Move null to the far end of the right page. Check speed graph to see if it is about the same as when you moved the null for the left page. Preview and sometimes you have to go by what you see and not necessarily the numbers in the speed graph. Slide the end keyframe up or down the timeline to get the right pace.

Add the next pages photos same steps as before. Try to keep the photo’s Z space about the same 10° value range. Again leaving space to add flourishes later. I did have my background way too far back than needed. Trim & shy layers as you work.

Ross suggested Easy Ease keyframes (F9) on the Null. I changed mine for the final project and it did make things smoother. You could probably apply Easy Ease to the photos’ keyframes, but I wanted it to look like the photo was thrown down.

PreComps

Obviously the moving photos and the couple dancing with stars are PreComps. Added a drop shadow to the cut outs. Bring into Main Comp and make 3D.

Old Photo paper with Jared’s large photo 2D PreComp:
1. Old Photo_Paper.psd
2. Jared photo with track matte luma
3. Old Photo_Paper.psd

Bring into Main comp Jared Old photo Precomp and make 3D. Position into place between book and background. Copy its Scale/Position/Rotation properties values.
Add Old Photo_Paper.psd as layer. Paste the values.

Apply CC Image Wipe to the Jared Old Photo PreComp.


Adding Flourishes

Place on left page or right page. Apply Linear Wipe w/feather setting at 24. Blend mode to Multiply. Opacity at 50%. Adjust to taste. Scale in flowers.

Faux Light Vignette Mask

Black solid with oval mask and mask expansion to taste.

Note: I did parent the pages and background but this wasn’t necessary since the Null moves and not those elements.

[Steve Grisetti]

Wow! Great tip, Cheryl!

[John 'twosheds' McDonald]

Brilliant. Thanks Cheryl. Another idea for me to copy/adopt (read steal )

[Bob]

I only had AE a few months and was a bit overwhelmed.

We are getting greater numbers of members who have After Effects. There are probably many that are still feeling overwhelmed. Nothing helps better than a good example to stimulate the imagination and help show the way.

[momoffduty]

I only had AE a few months and was a bit overwhelmed.

We are getting greater numbers of members who have After Effects. There are probably many that are still feeling overwhelmed. Nothing helps better than a good example to stimulate the imagination and help show the way.

Thanks Bob. Yes, AE is overwhelming at first. The first few months I had to look everything up as I made a project and then it all just clicked. And still refer to my notes to refresh my memory. I think there is too much to retain at first as with any program (like starting with PrEl). There are some great AE tuts out there and watching someone work is very helpful to learn to navigate the interface. Same goes for Chuck & Steve's tuts here on PrEl.

John, steal away! And thanks Steve!