Here you are some of my very first experiments in After Effects CS6, for testing the new Ray-traced 3D renderer. Lot of thanks to Adobe for having given me the chance to try in advance an early version of its lovely software. I was trilled to have a new dimension for motion graphics and type animation. I’m also happy that a few of the videos published here were selected for showcasing in the Adobe booth at NAB 2012.

I tested the new render engine on my Mac Pro with 32GB of Ram and a NVIDIA Quadro 4000 card: it has been already quite useful for accelerating Premiere Pro, but now it also makes a big difference for rendering complex ray tracing calculations with CUDA powered GPUs. What really impressed me is that all my CPUs were almost free when rendering via GPU: I was able to work productively in other applications while After Effects was processing heavy renders in background.

Wait the blue bar progressing (except of navigation from a mobile browser) for having the following videos preloaded, play and enjoy them!

Adobe Vintage Logo extruded in 3D with reflections

For my first test of an extrusion, I immediately thought about the old Adobe logotype. I imported an eps in Illustrator, saved it as Ai file and imported it in After Effects CS6. After converting the vector layer in a shape layer, I made the extrusion regulating the bevel. I enabled reflections and set shadows quite soft.

Opening title sequence with 3D Camera tracker on Red aerial footage

One of the coolest new features in CS6 is the 3D Camera tracker, which is able to recreate in After Effects a Camera matching the movement of the one used to shoot a certain video. This aerial clip was perfect for testing an epic opening title sequence, where the typography could have been realistically immersed in the surrounding ambient. I found super handy the command “create a shadow catcher”: it creates a layer with only the shadows casted by other 3D layers in order to make it easy compositing shadows of objects added in post.
Original 4.5K footage courtesy of Jarred Land, from Red.

3D Menger cubes with a cartoon style look

A test created with a couple of textures, assembled in 3D with the script Create3DMengerSponge, by Charles Bordenave. What I think is special in After Effects CS6 is that in a single piece of software you can immediately combine and reiterate post-production with 3D renderings. I found super effective, for example, the use of adjustment layers with filters like Color Finesse: the preview of an immediately post-produced rendering while regulating 3D settings saved me a lot of time and gave me an easier way to explore more selectively all the parameters in materials or lights.

Wall-e paper model cut in Photoshop and animated in After Effects

This is a project created 3 years ago in After Effects CS3, now reopen and re-rendered with the new Ray-tracing engine. When pushed to the limits the old Classic 3D showed some evident imperfections in planes intersecting and casting shadows. The new ray tracing in AE CS6 solves all the problems I encountered in the past and renders with a far greater precision shadows, camera depth of field and surface intersections.

A frame from the animation that was inspired by a paper model: it was supposed to be printed on paper and cut in the real world. Instead of playing with scissors and glue, I cut the paper model in Photoshop and assembled the pieces in After Effects, thank also to help of a couple of my students. With some 3D pre-comps become easier to animate our 3D character, even if we hadn’t time to properly animate the tracks…

Photoshop 1.0.7 on System 6.0.8 screenshot gallery

About Photoshop 20th anniversary

Other resources with more celebrations around the world and info on the history:

Video interview about start-up memories: tv.adobe.com/go/photoshop-20th-anniversary
Official anniversary site from Adobe: www.photoshop20anniversary.com
People Twitting about #PS20: twitter.com/search?q=#PS20

I’m pleased to announce a Video Master Class in Malta, in collaboration with Digital Arts Expo. It will be fully dedicated to video editing and post-production, particularly with Premiere Pro and After Effects. The class is scheduled for 13, 14 and 15 July 2009. What are you waiting for? Book your place right now!

Who / Adobe Certified Expert Teachers

I’m the teacher for the Video Master Class, Lorenzo Colloreta is the teacher for other two classes: Digital Workflow for photographers (9-10 July) and Production techniques for designers with Adobe Creative Suite 4 tools (13-14-15 July). We are both Adobe Certified Expert and AdobeGuru collaborating with Adobe Italia.

What / About the training course

It is a specialized training for professionals, video enthusiast, videomakers, directors, animators or photographers using a DSLR with video capabilities and interest in experimenting with it. The target level is intermediate/advanced, so the ideal student has a minimum experience or comprehension of digital video.

When / Schedule for Video Master Class

Monday 13, Tuesday 14 and Wednesday 15, July 2009

Training day 1: On Location, Bridge, Premiere Pro
Training day 2: Premier Pro and After Effects
Training day 3: After Effects, Sound booth, Media Encoder, Encore

Check out DA Expo’s site for schedule and info about other classes.

Where / In the beautiful frame of Malta

Context: Malta is a fascinating archipelago of seven islands situated in the Southern European areas of the Mediterranean Sea, 93 km off the coast of Sicily (Italy).

Location: Computer Domain
Street: Constitution
City/Town: Mosta, Malta

Booking and information

The price for the 3 days of the Video Master class is just 350€, with two coffee brakes included in the price.

There are only 12 spaces available per course, call today on +356 2142 2314 or send an email to info{at}digitalartsexpo.com for more information and bookings.

Official site of Digital Arts Expo: http://digitalartsexpo.com/creativity.asp
Event page on Facebook: facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=89313127939

Program for Adobe Video Master Class

• Workflow: overview of tools from shooting to encoded delivery, integration between applications and Adobe dynamic Link, end-to-end metadata workflow, reviews with Adobe Clip notes.

• Shooting: introduction to direct-to-disk recording and monitoring with On-Location CS4.

• Video Editing: project and workspace customization, rapid import and effective assets management, scenes scouting and selection, editing with multiple and nested timelines, colour correction and main effects, keyframing controlling time and acceleration, export and integration with After Effects.

• Sound Editing: basic audio editing and mix in Premiere, sound scores, noise removal, audio cleaning, mix and multi-track in Sound booth.

• Post-production & Motion graphics: post-production intro with Photoshop Extended. Post-production with After Effects: proxies and efficiency tips, footage stabilization and motion tracking, refining colour grading, masking and rotoscoping, compositing, paint with tablet, graphics and titles, animation techniques, advanced render options.

• Encoding: formats and codecs options, batch encoding in the background, techniques to optimize video before encoding, fine tuning compression settings.

• DVD authoring: importing assets and projects skipping intermediate renderings, controlling the navigation and interactivity, creating pictures slideshows, controlling errors and preparing a Master, converting a DVD project to a Flash minisite.

What

Adobe attends at DEJ 2009 with a live performance called “Be a human pixel”. By this experience the attendees have the chance to experience “how is life being a pixel” and get the exclusive t-shirt. To join the live performance please follow the instructions in this page. The video recorded and the pictures taken during the performance are going to be used to create the video “I ♥ CS4″. The video will be published on the site www.adobe4dej.com.

When

Friday 24th April 2009, schedule: 18:00 – 22:00 – Performance with shooting
Sunday 26th April 2009, schedule: 18:00 – 22:00 – Performance with shooting
Monday 27th April 2009, schedule: 18:00 – 22:00 – Video screening of the work in progress

Where

In the auditorium of Museo della Scienza e della Tecnologia “Leonardo da Vinci”, Via S. Vittore 21, a Milano. Look at the map to get at the museum.

Who

Anyone who is at least 18 years old and has signed the form (at the entrance of the auditorium) can participate to the performance. The projection of the work in progress is open to everyone.

Why

Join this exciting performance and try to be a human pixel. Join to have an engaging experience, be part of the shooting and get your name in the closing titles. Last but not least, to collect the cool t-shirt “I’m a human pixel”, designed for the event. Don’t miss it!

How

1) Go to the Adobe’s desk near the auditorium and fill the registration form
2) Present the signed form in the auditorium’s hall and get your t-shirt
3) Wear the t-shirt and wait instructions for entering in the teathere
5) Once you are in your position, smile and wait for instructions before moving
6) At the end of one shooting session (nearly 20 minutes) exit from the theatre
7) Go to another event at DEJ or join in the next shooting session (with the same t-shirt)
8) Come back to this site in order to follow updates and wath to the final video

After receiving some feedbacks for my Lightroom preset black & white infrared 01, I decided to test it on other shots and to compare it to three other B&W presets from Inside Lightroom. The samples should give some reference for spotting scenarios of use and the result with the various presets applied.

First of all, thanks to all the people who wrote me. Someone didn’t recognize the look as similar to real infrared. He is probably right since I didn’t plan to realistically simulate infrared photography in my first preset. I just tried to reproduce some aspects that I really liked in some infrared pictures, as those skies and water surfaces pretty black. Here you are a sample on flickr (from Loupiote) of what I mean.

There are some great presets which simulate infrared photography with higher fidelity. I really like them, but for some pictures I wanted a different effect, so instead of using or tweaking them I created my Lightroom preset following another path. I got the look that I was looking for, even if I went a bit beyond the original reference of infrared. (Do you think that I should rename my preset in something else?)

Let’s go to the Lightroom presets comparison. In all the following stripes you’ll find a picture plus four presets applied. The first image is always the original shot. The second and the third show the application of two B&W infrared presets from Inside Lightroom. The fourth shows my black & white infrared 01 preset. The last one shows another preset from Inside Lightroom, which simulates red filters.

To summarize what you’ll see in the following stripes:
1) original shot without any preset
2) preset: BW Infrared 1, by Richard Earney (from Inside Lightroom)
3) preset: BW Infrared 2, by Martin Evening (from Inside Lightroom)
4) preset: GA BW Infrared 01, by GAntico (download it here)
5) preset: BW Red Filter, by Black Bird Blue (from Inside Lightroom)

Find the mentioned presets from Inside Lightroom in its section Black and White Presets. Enjoy the comparison and click on the images to zoom.

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

1 Original pict - 2 BW IR1, R. Earney - 3 BW IR 2, M. Evening - 4 BW IR 01, GAntico - 5 BW Red Filter, B.B. Blue

About Adobe Photoshop Lightroom ACE Exam

For who has never heard about the Adobe Certified Expert (ACE) certifications, plenty of information can be found in the dedicated section on the Adobe site. For sample questions and a quick overview on the specific exam for Lightroom, there is an handy introductory guide in PDF.

For a discussion about the reasons for getting certified, there’s a quite commented post on Photoshop Lightroom Killer Tips. I only add that I worked with various training centers and schools that gave good attention to the “piece of paper”.

How did I prepare for the Adobe Certified Expert exam?

I went back to Lightroom 1.0, I read the whole help once and I challenged myself a few times with an ExamAid. A couple of days were enough for everything, but I guess that the previous intense and passionate use of Lightroom has helped me a lot. Questions had their difficulties, but I found the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom ACE Exam more reachable then the one in Photoshop CS3.

I wasn’t sure about the exact 1.x minor release to concentrate on. I had a fresher memory of Lightroom 1.4, so I just prepared myself with Lightroom 1.0. Probably it wasn’t necessary: I’m sure that a couple of questions were about features introduced in LR 1.1 or 1.2. This is the case of “the painter”, that replaced the “keyword stamper” in LR 1.1.

I confirm that reading the software help is an absolute must for any ACE exam: questions are pretty coherent and aligned with it. It’s advisable to pay attention on features that you don’t usually use in your daily workflow. In my case it was the whole slideshow module.

I took advantage of the Adobe Photoshop Lightroom ACE Exam Aid, which was effectively propaedeutic. Basically it gives a you a good idea of the exam structure/topics and previews possible tricks in questions, like “which of the following options is NOT…” I would have probably passed the exam even without the aid, but I felt more secure with an earlier test. My notebook was not in love with its Java requirement: some restarts solved the issue. Recommended even if a bit pricey.

Few curious things learned while preparing the ACE exam

In my daily work in Photoshop I’ve been preferring TIFF files over PSD since several years ago and I kept this habit even with Lightroom integration. I realized only through Lightroom help that it’s recommended also by Adobe itself: “The TIFF format provides greater compression and industry compatibility than Photoshop format (PSD), and is the recommended format for exchanging files between Lightroom and Photoshop.”

I thought that differences between PC and Mac versions were inexistent, actually there are a couple of “sweeties” more on Mac. One is the spell checker (Edit > Spelling > Check Spelling). Another is a shortcut for special characters (In the Library module, Edit > Special Characters). Well, for Windows users not in love with the “Character map”, there is a web alternative. Last one for slideshow: you can choose music from iTunes playlists only on Mac.

I remember the first time that I played with Lightroom: I felt like a pioneer while experimenting with split toning for recreating a cross processed look. Besides the fact that probably many others has done it before me, I just faced with the help of Lightroom 1.0 talking about split toning sliders: “You can also apply special effects, such as a cross-processed look, to a color photo.“

Here you are my first Lightroom preset for simulating black and white infrared photography. Basically, it converts a coloured picture in Gray tones, with vivid brightness for tints coming from reds, yellows and greens, while tones coming from blues are strongly darkened. It pushes grain, contrast and shadows.

This is the shot from which I started the development of the preset: I wanted to make the tree bright against the black of the sky. I worked on the tone curve, Grey scale and Detail. I also tweeked the Camera Calibration for a more interesting and appreciable infrared look: you might enjoy playing with the tint slider under Shadows for quick variations.

~

In order to see if the preset could have worked even for other pictures, I tried with a portrait. I like the look of the skin: the conversion has lightened and softened its tones. The darkening in the shadows is deep (shadows: -52) and the consequent rise in contrast is strong, but not as much as in the preset “Creative – B&W High Contrast” (it’s one of those given with Lightroom by default).

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In this still-life the highlights had an azure dominant: they got converted into black. I don’t dislike this “collateral effect”: it gives a kind of an allusion to a negative film. Here the grain it’s clearly visible: I pushed on purpose detail to +53. In this case the result seems good, but if you try to apply the preset on a picture with nasty noise (like one taken at 1600 ISO) it might be better to reduce detail.

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Here another example suitable for applying my black and white infrared 01 preset. The landscape has yellow, orange and green, the sky is cloudy and blue. The conversion rise the contrast between the land and the sky, giving some drama. Ok I confess, here I added also a bit of extra vignette (amount: -30, midpoint: 38), which is not included in the preset.

~

Download the preset for Lightroom

Download the preset Black & white infrared 01: GA-B&W-infrared-01.zip

How to install the preset in Lightroom: open Lightroom’s preferences, go to Presets (it’s the second tab) and click on “Show Lightroom presets folder“. Open the folder “Lightroom“, open the sub-folder “Develop Presets“: copy here the file extracted from the zip file downloadable in this page. Restart Lightroom and your presets’ list will be updated. Note: it has been tested in Lightroom 1.4 and Lightroom 2.0

It was meant to be used for corporate presentations of Mariella Burani Fashion Group. They design, manufacture and distribute a wide range of fashion products, leather and jewelery. Some of their brands are Mariella Burani, René Lezard, Valente, Braccialini and Baldinini. The agency is Twirl, the Art Director is Lara Seregni and the Motion Designer is Giovanni Antico (that’s me). Music is Yellow bird, from Soundbooth library, (added for portfolio purpose). Here you are the video:

[flash /media/2008/02/MBFG-2007.flv w=640 h=480 mode=2 p={menu;true|quality;high|allowFullScreen;true} f={image=/media/2008/02/MBFG-2007-stillframe.jpg}]

Find the same video on Vimeo or YouTube.

Software backstage: a tip for After Effects

The following screenshot shows the composition used for the final montage in After Effects. Well, yes in this case I did it all in After Effects, but I used Premiere for selecting some clips used at the end of the video. I found extremely handy to share at the beginning the footage with Adobe Clip notes, in order to identify quickly the right scenes.

Expression used to animate Text in After Effects

I used a lot of shape layers, but I want to mention a tip for the animation of the numbers at the end of the video. I used a few lines of code in order to have the numbers raising automatically during the play, but limiting them to a certain value and starting at a certain frame. The following code was attached as an expression to the property “Source Text” of the text layer with the number to be animated. This was handy because the same code was used in the various animated texts: I just had to change the variable “targetValue” for adapting it to each case.

var targetValue = 32;     // final desired value
var startShift = 25;      // frames to skip before starting
var display = 0;          // starting value to display

var internalTime = timeToFrames(t = time + thisComp.displayStartTime, fps = 1.0 / thisComp.frameDuration, isDuration = false);
if (internalTime - startShift > targetValue) {
     display = targetValue;
} else if (internalTime - startShift < 0)  {
     display = 0;
} else {
     display = internalTime - startShift;
}
display;

Before jumping to launch the easter egg, I recommend to save and close any open project (you will be asked to do it anyway). I also take advantage of this post to remind you that After Effects 8.0.2 is now available but it might be savvy if you wait for updating to QuickTime 7.4. [Edit 2008-02-07] It was just released a patch from Apple that solves the rendering issue with After Effects (and other sw like Final Cut): QuickTime 7.4.1 Fixes Rendering Bug.

Here you are the sequence for the easter egg hidden in the 8th release of After Effects. While pressing the Alt key (Option key on Mac) open the menu “Help” (“After Effects” on Mac) and click on the voice “About After Effects” before releasing your finger from the keyboard. When you release the mouse, a new project will appear: “metal.oaf” (note that the codename for After Effects 8 is just “metaloaf” and not “meatloaf” as it wrongly appears in several sites…).

[flash http://www.gantico.com/media/2008/01/after-effects-15th-aniversary.flv w=360 h=270 mode=2 p={menu;true|quality;high|allowFullScreen;true} f={image=http://www.gantico.com/media/2008/01/after-effects-15th-aniversary.jpg} style={float:right;margin: 0px 0px 5px 10px}] Two comps will come into sight. The first will contain a text layer with the full credits of the people that worked on Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional, with a simple animated background. The second will add some goodies like a 3D Camera, several lights, shape layers, 3D per character animation, layer styles…

If you render it, you will complete your celebration for the fifteenth anniversary of After Effects, honoring its authors and getting the animation shown here. A hundred more of great years to After Effects!

Watch the video on YouTube.

Another cool showcase of Flash Video is Flash on, a section on adobe.com with an intriguing interaction. It’s still on-line also the first Flash Video Gallery, that was created 4 years ago but that was updated in Action Script 3 some months ago. Its source files were published on Adobe Devnet.

I’m happy to see that I’m still mentioned for a showcased site: Video Talk, created in the far 2003. I remember it with a lot of joy, because it was one of my first commercial project with Flash Video and because of the fascination for working with the European Space Agency.