Gopher Golf: Animating in Photoshop and After Effects

Some scenes in the film 'Gopher Golf' will be animated using a mix of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe After Effects, as well as traditional stop-motion animation. The scenes animated on the computer will be those involving just the props, not the actors (or puppets) which will be filmed in stop-motion. Together these methods will create a unique style for my film; a bright, colourful world to suit the comedic nature of my film.

The biggest advantage to animating in After Effects was being able to create effects that otherwise, when using stop-motion techniques, would create heavy time constraints. One such effect is being able to add motion blur to a golf ball flying through the air, completing the effect. Such effects can be done in stop-motion using an overhead rig, although given I am working to a deadline for my project, I have to consider the easiest and quickest methods to use - which luckily, in this case, are also the most effective. The other main (and most important) advantage is that I can start filming on the project whilst the Golfer puppet is still under construction.

The above screenshot shows what live, 3D objects will look like against my 2D backgrounds. The whole film will be done in this style. Officially, the definition of a "prop" in live-action is anything which interacts with an actor. So, for my film, any props in 3D will be props which interact with the characters. All other visuals in the film will be 2D.

Gopher Golf: Building the Golfer Puppet - Part #6

Here are some further pictures showing how the Golfer's clothes were knitted from scratch. Three alternative tops were designed for the Golfer, two including different colours of crests on them. All of the tops were mostly green in colour, as per the original design.

Gopher Golf: Building the Golfer Puppet - Part #5

Here are some more pictures from the production on the Golfer puppet.

Range of colours tried out before green (as per the original design) was decided on.

Paper which has been cut to serve as a visual aid for creating the Golfer's trousers.

Temporary casing for the Golfer, until his puppet is complete. This is mainly so as not to spoil the clothes.

Nuts and bolts are included in the Golfer's feet, to help him stand up correctly.

Gopher Golf: Background and Set Designs #2

The following screenshots, created in Adobe After Effects, show tests of what the backgrounds in 'Gopher Golf' may look like, albeit currently lacking final detail.

These backgrounds both combine drawings, sets and props I've created using Photoshop. Using these backgrounds I can now create some of the more simple shots in the film - the shots which don't require the main characters to be present. Shots such as the golf ball flying through the air and over the fence can now be done easily animated in Photoshop or After Effects.

I did consider using Hornby grass for the main character to stand on, as I mentioned in a previous post but, in this particular scene (at home in his garden), the Golfer is never actually seen interacting with the set. The only other props he needs to interact with are his golf club and the golf ball, which will be filmed using a combination of stop-motion animation and Photoshop / After Effects animation.

Gopher Golf: Rigging the Gopher

Now that the ending of the film has been changed to give the Gopher a larger role, the Gopher's puppet needed a new armature for a better performance in animation. Initially, the Gopher was just to be featured in two shots in the entire film, so there was no need to create a complex armature as with the Golfer.



Here, the Gopher's armature from the previous version of the film is being re-used and re-worked to be made more sturdy. I am using pieces of foam polystyrene to fit in the lower jaw, the paws and the back of the main body. These were sanded down to the correct shapes and attached on with Araldite glue. A cut had to be made in the back of the Gopher puppet in order to fit the armature inside properly, which will be stitched back together again later.

Gopher Golf: Building the Golfer Puppet - Part #4

The clothes for the Golfer puppet were recently finished. These were all hand-knitted by a friend who worked from an original design I completed, except for the trousers - we felt that it would be more realistic for a golfer to have trousers than shorts, plus it saves time by not constructing visible legs for the character.

Here the Golfer is seen holding what will be used in the film as a golf club, specifically for distance shots. The golf club is fully detachable.

The Golfer's hands were also completed this week - two hands were completed from the same mould using foam latex, cooked in a kiln then painted to a pale skin colour.

The final steps for the Golfer puppet are to attach his hands and shoes, and to create a head. The head will be created from foam polystyrene with magnetic replaceable mouths.

Gopher Golf: Background and Set Designs #1

Here are some background and set designs which were drawn out first and then coloured and rendered in Adobe Photoshop. The background, foreground, Flash animation and stop-motion elements will all be created separately then combined together in Adobe After Effects.

All the stop-motion scenes (involving the Golfer and Gopher) will be filmed separately against a green screen, or blue screen if the characters are standing on green grass. All background elements will be hand-drawn then scanned in digitally.

This last pic is a demonstration (minus shadowing) of what these drawings may look like against a real Hornby grass mat, which may be used in the final film.