After Effects: Character Animation Techniques
1h 7mIntermediate2019-06-18
Authors

Angie Taylor
Directory, Illustrator, Motion Graphic Designer
Course details
Discover how easy it is to bring your characters to life in Adobe After Effects. Join Angie Taylor as she shares tips and tricks for animating within this powerful motion graphics and compositing application. Learn how to set up anchor points, link the different parts of your characters together in a parental hierarchy, and create a simple character rigging system. Get tips for using the Puppet tool, including how to create a sense of depth in your animations and fix glitches with Starch pins. Plus, discover how to link master properties to your Puppet tool rig; leverage RubberHose, a rigging script for After Effects; and easily automate a lip-sync animation.
Learning objectives
Setting up anchor points
Linking layers together in a parental hierarchy
Creating rigs with master properties
Motion capture with the Puppet tool
Improving your Puppet animations
Using a temporary layer to adjust values
Rigging the Puppet tool
Working with RubberHose
Triggering animation with audio
Learning objectives
Setting up anchor points
Linking layers together in a parental hierarchy
Creating rigs with master properties
Motion capture with the Puppet tool
Improving your Puppet animations
Using a temporary layer to adjust values
Rigging the Puppet tool
Working with RubberHose
Triggering animation with audio
Skills covered
Character AnimationMotion GraphicsAfter EffectsRenderingMotion Graphics and VFXVisualization and Real-TimeAdobeAECProduct and ManufacturingAnimation and IllustrationDeep Dive (X:Y)
Concepts
0. Introduction
- 01 - Design creative character animations in After Effects
1. Traditional Layered Setup
- 02 - Set up anchor points
- 03 - Link body parts with parenting
- 04 - Group body parts with nested comps
2. Rigging and Structures
- 05 - Set up Master Properties
- 06 - Use Controller layers
- 07 - Graph Editor and keyframe interpolation
3. Puppet Tool
- 08 - Motion capture with the Puppet tool
- 09 - Use bend pins and advanced pins
- 10 - Fix issues with Starch pins
- 11 - Create depth with Overlap pins
- 12 - Tweak Puppet tool animations
4. Advanced Rigging
- 13 - Use layers as adjusters
- 14 - Rig the Puppet tool
- 15 - Rig with Master Properties
5. Rigging Scripts
- 16 - Overview of RubberHose
- 17 - Overview of Duik
6. Audio Tricks
- 18 - Automate lip sync
- 19 - Trigger animation with audio
Conclusion
- 20 - Next steps
Related courses
- After Effects CC 2021: Character Animation Essential Training
- After Effects Guru: Integrating Type into Video
- The Art of Rotoscoping
- RubberHose Animation with After Effects
- After Effects Apprentice: 06 Type and Music
- Integrating Real 3D Objects in After Effects
- Motion Graphic Design: Animation
- After Effects: Compositing Animation from Animate CC