The backgrounds, foregrounds and characters were all brought into an After Effects project and arranged from top to bottom with the objects furthest away on the bottom. Some of the layers (usually the characters) would be in comps of their own. These nested comps could be opened with an option click and worked on. The characters were lined up correctly (with the head on the neck, the hands on the arms the arms on the body etc.) and a pivot point was set where the head or arm would rotate. These pretty much correspond to the way a real human (or animal) body works. Arms rotate at the shoulders, elbows and wrists, legs at the hip, knee and ankle. After Effects allows you to chain parts together so that you can move the arm at the shoulder and the lower-arm and hand with rotate with it but you can still go in and adjust the lower-arm rotation and the hand rotation. The character is moved and a key frame set then the time is changed and another key frame set. The computer will add the in-betweens.
Layers can also be made into 3D objects/planes and moved apart from each other. When animated using the 3D camera the perspective will change in a very natural manner. We used this feature numerous times in Freedom Dance.
Freedom Dance, an animated documentary produced by Craig Herron and Steven Fischer, is narrated by 2006 Emmy winner Mariska Hargitay. You can find out more about Freedom Dance at:http://www.freedomdancethemovie.com
Craig
Herron is a filmmaker and artist who loves the world of visual effects and matte painting. He has worked on many indie movies as well as local commercials. His first two, award winning, shorts; A Fall From The Clouds, and Freedom Dance were full of 2d, 2.5D and 3D animation, matte paintings and other VFX. His current project Bermuda Triangle ― A Love Story is all green screen and pre-shot location backgrounds. He is the owner of Herron Designs.
