I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?

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I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Ian Dillon on Mar 29, 2012 at 8:02:43 am

I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
I shot a girl sitting outside and the camera tilts up. I want the sky to become flowing chocolate. Then I shot chocolate bars against green screen which I want tilt down from the sky with the flowing chocolate as background. Any ideas?
I first thought of animating swirling chocolate vectors, but it's time consuming and I'm not that skilled at that. Any plugs that might be good? or maybe a tip or link on animating vectors like that? I've used the Paint On effect before, and have seen the tutorial for that, but certainly there's got to be a better way!

Thanks in advance,
Ian.

Mac Pro 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
8 GB Ram
Blackmagic Decklink Studio 2 Card

Playroom Creative
We are an Orange County Video Production and Marketing company.
http://www.PlayroomCreative.com

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Dave LaRonde on Mar 30, 2012 at 12:43:00 am

I kinda hate to say it, but you got the process backwards. These are the kinds of question you ask BEFORE you shoot.

You start with a storyboard, planning out your shots and how you want them to look. Then you investigate the shooting techniques, the software and the effects you'll need to accomplish it. Asking questions is part of this step.

You may find that it's beyond your means to accomplish it, so then you start revising. Eventually you get to the point where you're confident you can do it. You shoot & run tests if there's any question in your mind.

And that's when you shoot for real. You know you can do it because you've already done it.

Furthermore, your idea of what flowing chocolate from the sky looks like and our idea may be miles apart; hence the storyboards. I'm still scratching my head over how you intended to get from chocolate bars shot on green screen to gallon after gallon of liquid chocolate pouring out of the sky. But then, I probably got it wrong, because I'm not putting the same pictures to the words as you are.

Maybe someone else can better interpret what you wrote, but sadly, I don't have a clue.

Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Ian Dillon on Mar 30, 2012 at 7:10:48 pm

I actually have enough experience to know ahead of time that I will come up with something that will look good for the background. I guess I was just hoping someone would say, "You should check out this plug-in", or "instead of using the "paint/write on effect for your spinning chocolate vector swirls, try this..." . I was being broad with my explanation because I wanted the community to look at my idea broadly. The client is expecting some sort of chocolate background to replace the green screen background I shot the chocolate bar product shot against. I've done some cool stuff with spinning vectors in the past, but it is sooooo time consuming. That is what I would like to avoid.

Ian.

Mac Pro 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
8 GB Ram
Blackmagic Decklink Studio 2 Card

Playroom Creative
We are an Orange County Video Production and Marketing company.
http://www.PlayroomCreative.com

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Dave LaRonde on Mar 30, 2012 at 9:54:27 pm

I have to come back to the fact that we don't know what this is supposed to look like. "Swirling Vectors" isn't exactly part of the AE Lexicon, so we don't know what the look entails.

But if you want something that's going to impart a flowing look, give Me. Mercury a shot. Or maybe the Puppet Tool, Mesh Warp or one of the other Distort Effects.

Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Ian Dillon on Mar 31, 2012 at 12:04:53 am

Thanks Dave. I'll check them out!

Mac Pro 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
8 GB Ram
Blackmagic Decklink Studio 2 Card

Playroom Creative
We are an Orange County Video Production and Marketing company.
http://www.PlayroomCreative.com

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Ian Dillon on Apr 3, 2012 at 8:43:59 am

This is what I came up with without spending too much time. I gave up on the swirling chocolate vectors.

Mac Pro 2x2.66 GHz Dual-Core Intel Xeon
8 GB Ram
Blackmagic Decklink Studio 2 Card

Playroom Creative
We are an Orange County Video Production and Marketing company.
http://www.PlayroomCreative.com

Return to posts index

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Re: I want to create a flowing chocolate effect but don't want to animate vectors. Or do I?
by Dave LaRonde on Apr 3, 2012 at 1:51:19 pm

It's always good to have a PlanB!

Dave LaRonde
Sr. Promotion Producer
KCRG-TV (ABC) Cedar Rapids, IA

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