Inside an Animator's Mind
This is my contribution to the collaborative project "Inside and Animator’s Mind” organized by Ben Marriott featuring nearly 30 artists.
Leading up to this project I had been experimenting with various faux 3D techniques in After Effects. This project is the culmination of those techniques. Although there are some 3D-enabled layers in the project file, everything rendered on screen is from a 2D layer.
My favorite technique uses the createPath() expression to calculate 2D paths from points in 3D space. For example, the monkeys’ arms are stroked paths whose points are linked to 3D-enabled nulls.
Multiple friends told me this project would be easier to do in a 3D program like Cinema 4D. After spending days in After Effects wrestling with complex expressions, path animation rigs, and carefully stacked effects, I can confidently say that they were right.
Process
Development
Faux 3D Monkeys
Each monkey's arms are stroked paths whose points are linked to nulls moving in 3D space using the createPath() expression.
3D Spinning Monkeys
Each spinning monkey comp is attached to the same 3D circle which rotates at the same speed the monkeys spin.
FUI
The layered look is achieved by using multiple instances of each screen with layers turned on/off using Essential Properties and offset Y positions.
Mandala
The primitive manadala shapes are made with the createPaths() expression so they're still visible when perpedicular to the camera.
Faux 3D Diamond
Each face is drawn using the createPath() expression which attaches the path points to nulls in 3D space.
The Stage
The graph editor glyphs are in their own long precomp and composited using the CC Cylinder effect.
Layer Tornado
Each layer of the "Layer Tornado" is two copies of the same precomp with CC Cylinder applied. The top copy has Render set to Outside in the CC Cylinder options, and the bottom is set to Inside. The length, color, position, and marker visibility are controlled by Essential Properties.
Final Touches
The background stars are created using multiple instances of the CC Starburst effect staggered and faded together to loop. The clouds are made with looping fractal noise. Lastly, the scene rotation is controlled by an Angle Control effect and time remapping.
Full Project Time Lapse (60sec)
