Information Design / Project 2 - Motion Graphic

Week 2 - Week 5 (11/02/26 - 04/03/26)
Felice Jolin (0373636)
Information Design / Bachelor of Design (Hons) in Creative Media
Project 2 - Motion Graphic

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TABLE OF CONTENT

Instruction

Lectures

Flip Class Exercise

Task

Feedback

Reflection 

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INSTRUCTION

 
Fig 1.1 Module Information Booklet

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LECTURES

Lectures available in Exercise blog 

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FLIP CLASS EXERCISE

Week 3
Chart Animation 

During online class, Mr.Martin showed us tutorial to animate donut, bar and line chart. While watching, I tried to directly execute the animation in After Effect as below:

Key things to use while editing is trim path and easy ease. 

 

Fig 2.1 Donut Chart Animation (Week 3, 16/02/26)

Fig 2.2 Bar Chart Animation (Week 3, 16/02/26)

Fig 2.3 Line Chart Animation (Week 3, 16/02/26)

Week 4
Vector Animation 

Fist step is to separate layers in Illustrator to easily edit per person in AE. To animate the people, I play with the position for the woman and the man standing while changing the scale for the man sitting down. 

Fig 2.4 Vector Animation (Week 4, 25/02/26)

Fist The next step is to make the man standing waving his hand. I separete the hand from the body layer in Illustrator. Then export as a footage into AE. Then I parent the hand layer to the man standing layer to follow the position. Afterward, I change the anchor point to the centre of the palm and add wiggle rotation. 

Fig 2.5 Wiggle (Week 4, 25/02/26)

The next step is to animate the woman head nodding. I add puppet pin tool and change the keyframe for the head, then I copy and paste the keyframe.

Fig 2.6 Puppet Tool (Week 4, 25/02/26

 

Fig 2.7 Vector Animation (Week 4, 25/02/26)

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TASK

Exercise 3: Kinetic Typography

This is a group task. We were assigned to pick one song and do the lyrics animation. First, Let me introduce my group: 

Fig 3.1 Group Pink (Week 1, 02/02/26)

First thing first, we decide on a song. Initially, we chose 'APT' by Bruno Mars and Rose, however we didn't felt quite connected with the song and were blur of what art direction to persue. As a result, we change into 'LUTHER' by Kendrick Lamar & SZA.

Next we decide on the art direction. We searched for  typography, color and style references and compile them in Canva whiteboard.

Fig 3.2 Moodboard (Week 3, 13/02/26)

Next, team leader separate teh lyrics into section and for task delegation. Here each of us get around 4-5 lines on lyrics to do the animation. After dividing parts, we had offline meeting to discuss about the application of typography, color and style for each section and decide on how each section will flow naturaly. Click here for details in spreadsheet

Fig 3.3 Task Delegation (Week 2, 13/02/26)

Above is my portion and I were assigned with 4 lines. To start, I directly proceed to photoshop for the images. I convert all to black ad white and placed a white outline for the images except for the love image I decided to make it blue as my part were mentioned to emphasize blue color. Below are all the images used for my part. 

Fig 3.4 Photo Edit (Week 3, 14/02/26)

For the first part, I add (distort) wave wrap effect for the text but with sqaure pattern so it has an effect of glitching. The second image, I used sqaure pattern for the text above and sine pattern for the text below. I also include the shape with white background and blue outline to emphasize the color. 
  

Fig 3.5 Process (Week 3, 15/02/26)

Next, I add null object to swipe into the next section, here I add blur effect for the text.  

 

Fig 3.6 Process (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Next, I did masking the text. Since the lyrics relate to 'loud', when the text appear, I made the megaphone image to be zoom in and out. I also apply null object here to make the transition.

 

Fig 3.7 Process (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Fig 3.8 Result - Individual Part (Week 3, 20/02/26)

On week 4, we did the very last offline meeting to compile all our clips together. We discussed on what transition to be applied to smooth each clip. However, when we try to combine it manually without transition, it just flow in a good way, therefore we decided to just go with that. 

 

Fig 3.9 Meeting to Finalize Work (Week 4, 24/02/26)

Fig 3.10 Final Result (Week 4, 24/02/26)

Exercise 4: Chart

We were assigned to animate a chart. Everyone is assigned with different chart either donut, bar or line to be animated. I was given line chart and the information given is as below. 

 

Fig 4.1 Graph Reference (Week 3, 16/02/26)

I start off at After Effect with the background color then apply and retype all the nesscessary information.

Fig 4.2 Process (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Then I draw the line add trim paths, 0% to 100% and key frame easy ease.

Fig 4.3 Process (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Then I also add shape for the points and adjust the time so it appear at the riight time when animated.

Fig 4.4 Process (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Fig 4.5 Final Result (Week 3, 20/02/26)

 

Exercise 5: Vector Animation

We were assigned to do vector animation. The assets is given by Mr.Martin and everyone gets either vector A,B, C or D. I got vector A and the assets is as below:

Fig 5.1 Vector Animation A (Week 4, 28/02/26)

First, I separate each object in different layer in Illustrator to easily edit later in After Effect. 
 

 

Fig 5.2 Separate Layers (Week 4, 28/02/26)

 After separating the layers, I bring them into After Effect as a composition. i begin animation one by oneso the mountains, trees and grass will get in frame simultaneously as I set different timing for each element.

 

Fig 5.3 Background Animation (Week 4, 28/02/26)

For the car, I did the animation of it getting in frame from left to right, I also added wiggle effect when the car is moving. When it stops, I dont want it to wiggle anymore, so I copy another layer for the car and start the keyframe from the car stops till the end of the clip.

 

Fig 5.4 Car Animation (Week 4, 01/03/26)

 For the man, other than animation to slide into the frame, I also add puppet pin tool for his shoulder from downards into pointing up 90 degree to show the thumbs up. While for the woman, I did puppet pin tool also to do the waving hand and leg.

 

Fig 5.5 Man Animation (Week 4, 01/03/26)

 

Fig 5.6 Woman Animation (Week 4, 01/03/26)

Fig 5.7 Final Vector Animation (Week 4, 01/03/26)

 

 FINAL COMPILATION

  

Fig 6.1 Exercise 3 - Kinetic Typography (Week 4, 24/02/26)

   

Fig 6.2 Exercise 4 - Line Graph (Week 3, 20/02/26)

Fig 6.3 Exercise 5 - Vector Animation (Week 4, 01/03/26)

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FEEDBACK

Week 4: For the kinetic typography group project, Mr.Martin mentioned our work is okay, not too much graphic and he can focus on the kinetic type. 

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REFLECTION 

Experience
I had great experience for this 3 weeks with After Effect. Although it is not an easy work to do animation, I've just realized that I actually find it fun. I am also very grateful for Exercise 3 Kinetic Typography my group is cooperative, we had smooth communication and finalized our work on time. For the other 2 exercise, I also had fun playing around with the animation.

Observation
I've relialize that doing animation need a steps of rundown, especially during group project for the kinetic typography of a song. Starting from the art direction, typography and color combination used for every phrase, it need to be dicussed for the overall song to be harmonized. Doing animation need a lot of patience as each keyframe needs attention and the whole project can be ruined also just by a keyframe.

Findings
I've found that doing too much for animation is not a good thing as it can overwhelm viewer. Doing simple but consistent aniamtion will work better. Being slow where in means not in rush is important for doing animation as it require a lot amount of details. 

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