Best way to do this?

[spinningheartstrings]

Hey everyone!

First time poster, long user of photoshop, here to ask you some advice on a creative project. What is the best way to create a video like this for a poem I have?

Twenty-Three | Courtney Peppernell - YouTube

I have my own drawings already, and can create frame animations by hand. I just wouldn’t know how best to bring the video all together. MovieMaker would be painstaking for each word, and PowerPoint completely amateur. The general consensus has been Aftereffects for the animation and/or Illustrator. None of my friends have this skill set so I want to be sure I talk to the experts first. I have someone lined up on UpWork to potentially do this project but it is costing a good amount (understandably so!), and I want to be sure their skillset with these programs would be the best way to do this before I hire them.

Realistically, for someone with only animation experience with MovieMaker and limited Timeline effect experience on Photoshop, is it going to be very difficult to achieve this myself? Your counsel is much appreciated!

Thanks,

[Mo Moolla]

Hi

This sort of animation is relatively straightforward in AE.

Perhaps you should look into some learning modules and try doing it yourself and saving yourself a pretty penny

imeilfx​ could you point OP to some useful beginner tutorials plz

Mo

[imeilfx · Accepted solution]

As you ve said that kind of animation is made with basic AE tools, there is nohing special here and nothing complicated.
Because I'm not sure how your graphics are prepared I will try to expain how to do what you need in most common ways:
a) text showing up word by word:
- if your text is a flat image (hand written text scanned and imported as image - just masking and revealing it word by word
- if your text is a font there is two ways:

• a) by animating source text - word by word - short text
• b) opacity animator with word by word range selector - and that would be what I would recomend with longer texts

some tuts on that: Text Animators in After Effects - YouTube​,  AE Basics 37: Animating Source Text - YouTube , Create and customize shapes and masks in After Effects

b) As for those red lines (crossed out words) or swirly selection hand made lines. Just import them without background (on separate layer from PS and then use stroke effect. The Handwriting Effect in After Effects CC - YouTube 

c) rain drops - simple position and opacity animation on separate rain drops

d) girl under the tree (coffe mug etc.)  - just imported stopmotion (hand drawn frame by frame) animation

e) last scene with jellyfish - also simpe position animation with gentle puppet tool animation  Make Characters Come To Life in After Effects - Puppet Tool Tutorial - YouTube

All of the rest is based on absolutelly basic position/opasity and scalling.
And if as you have said - you are PS user so going and play around with AE should be much easier for you than for someone that does not know any Adobe software.

And also I also recommend basic AE tuts from here:

After Effects tutorials | Learn how to use After Effects CC

[spinningheartstrings]

I just want to say a resounding THANK YOU!!! This was unbelievably helpful and reassuring. I can’t be more appreciative for how you broke each step piece by piece. I have already checked out a few links and really love what I saw. Thanks so much again.

[imeilfx]

Thats ok. I'm glad I could help. If you have any more questions - don't hasitate.

[spinningheartstrings]

Thank you so much for the swift response. I really appreciated what you said and that you brought in others to help as well.

[OussK]

Really this kind of animation look very easy and i think a beginner can do something similar to this animation, anyway why you don't try yourself and see if you can understand AE and start do this kind of animation. try to check the basic tutorial from adobe as a first step After Effects tutorials | Learn how to use After Effects CC. than if you need any help for some steps you can always ask here and all the community always ready to help

[spinningheartstrings]

Thank you so much for the quick reply and vote of confidence! I saw that tutorial and other YouTube videos, and it broke it down very nicely.

[Byron Cortez]

This is not at all difficult, my direction is that you learn 5 things in After Effects and with that you will know what it does without complicating your life:

- Precompose

- Mask

- Stroke (filter)

- Parentals

- Image sequence

[spinningheartstrings]

Thank you so much! This helps make it a lot less intimidating than the original opinions I solicited from my creative friends circle.

[Byron Cortez]

You're welcome!