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Animation/Questions Answered by Expert Joseph Silver
| Subject | Date Asked |
| Blender rendering hiccup | 1/21/2012 |
| Q: I am using Blender 2.61 for a BPA project and have successfully aquired most knowledge for use of ... A: this question is out of my expertise given that I don't use Blender - and also work primarily on a ... | |
| software convertor | 11/16/2011 |
| Q: I m asking about softwares convert from 1-natural pics to sketch 2- natural pic to portrait 3- ... A: There are various techniques you can employ using Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Photoshop to take a ... | |
| Motion graphics | 11/9/2011 |
| Q: Sir , In motion graphics, Can we cut face of an object and add another object (in same video) A: Yes, it certainly is possible to do this, in fact, this is done all the time to great comic effect, ... | |
| Creating an animation film | 5/16/2011 |
| Q: I want to create a 5 - 10 minute animation film like Toy Story, Cars etc. (of course simple one :)) ... A: It sounds like you want to create a 5-10 minute 3d animated spot. Sounds fun! I would first ... | |
| Animation-Digtal Image Manipulation Class | 2/8/2011 |
| Q: 1) What are the advantages of creating a tween? Describe some of the ways you might use tweening to ... A: Melissa, It used to be that animators drew key poses then had their understudies draw the positions ... | |
| Video Reverse Playback | 11/23/2010 |
| Q: i am new in after effects, i know the video reverse method in adobe premier but i don't find this ... A: Make the 'Stretch Factor' -100. This will time-reverse the layer. Alternatively, you can do this by ... | |
| Looking for a professionals opinion... | 9/17/2010 |
| Q: While this is somewhat "going out on a limb" for me, for years I've wanted to hear from an ... A: Hey Eddie, Thanks for sharing. Motion graphics are often used to enhance live events, whether for ... | |
| followup question | 8/7/2010 |
| Q: I had recently asked you a question (about After Effects and motion tracking), and you did reply it, ... A: Yes, you can motion track a moving head, as long as there are distinct spots on the head to track. ... | |
| followup question | 8/5/2010 |
| Q: I had recently asked you a question (about After Effects and motion tracking), and you did reply it, ... A: Is your video footage very shaky? Does your face move around or remain stationary? If it remains ... | |
| detailed person motion tracking in after effects | 8/3/2010 |
| Q: I'm just wondering, is motion tracking a person possible? I have shot live video footage with me ... A: Motion tracking a person is possible, but you need to find a distinct part of them to track. Since a ... | |
| animation | 7/10/2010 |
| Q: My cousin wanted to start an animation.what are the pre-requisites and software required for ... A: There are a bunch of software involved in digital animation. A good place to start is Photoshop and ... | |
| multimedia project | 6/16/2010 |
| Q: Sir, The multimedia based project we are planning to do is a "COMPUTER ASSEMBLING TUTORIAL".We ... A: Your project sounds fairly complex, which is probably why so many software have been recommended to ... | |
| 2d animation | 5/7/2010 |
| Q: i am very much interested in 2d animation but i do not know where to do it. can you help me to know ... A: 2D animation is a broad term that encompasses various types of animation, including computer ... | |
| photography question | 4/25/2010 |
| Q: I have a question regarding photography and adope photoshop. i want to be able to take a picture of ... A: once you take your photo, open it in photoshop and enable 'Rulers'. you can do this by going to View ... | |
| advertising | 2/24/2010 |
| Q: What is visualisation in advertising? A: madhab, i haven't heard this phrase before. previsualization refers to creating animatics (sometimes ... | |
| PP | 11/17/2009 |
| Q: I am located overseas, and I created a power point document that has 80 photos, taken with my ... A: it sounds like you need to enlist the help of an online file hosting service. these are basically ... | |
| making a gif image | 11/11/2009 |
| Q: i want to make a animated gif or a slideshow image out of a few jpeg pictures i have but everytime i ... A: do you have access to photoshop? i realize you are probably trying to create the animated gif with ... | |
| Some level-headed advice please Joseph! | 11/9/2009 |
| Q: I just wanted some level-headed advice. I am searching the internet for 3D apps that will integrate ... A: hey sergio, the question you pose is a common dilemna for artists deciding which 3d program to ... | |
| how to be | 11/4/2009 |
| Q: At the movement an doing a course called (Dida)Design in digital application level one but i haven't ... A: it sounds like you need some direction on how to become an animator. i recommend exposing yourself ... | |
| basic questions to enter into animation | 10/4/2009 |
| Q: love watching movies with special fx, animation & I would love it if I were a part of the making of ... A: 1) if you are the type of person who comes up with ideas and has the motivation to develop them, in ... | |
| animation questions | 9/9/2009 |
| Q: My Name is Carven. I am a college student am considering majoring in a design-related education. ... A: 1) the animation field has been hit hard, just like most other fields in the current recession. ... | |
| Adding Flash Videos to a Website | 8/23/2009 |
| Q: 2 Questions please 1. How can I create and add video effects such as those seen on ... A: hey lala, it appears in the video that craig was shot against bluescreen/greenscreen, then keyed in ... | |
| AE timeline | 6/29/2009 |
| Q: I'd like to make changes to a short movie in After Effects, but it only renders a small portion of ... A: if the length of the timeline is shorter than the length of the clip, then you need to extend the ... | |
| Q | 6/13/2009 |
| Q: I never used any of these software's. I just found them recently in the market. I need to buy some ... A: each of the adobe programs fills a specific need. premiere is used for editing, although it has some ... | |
| Master's degree | 4/11/2009 |
| Q: i am rahul.Rihgt now I am about to complete my bachelor's degree in computer science engineering at ... A: sorry i am not too familiar with academic programs in india, so i'm not sure exactly which one to ... | |
| best resolution? | 2/9/2009 |
| Q: What is the best resolution (for possible enlargement to a 35mm print) to render a clip in After ... A: then i think your best option would be to use the 'Film (2K)' preset when you create your comp in ... | |
| beginner level 3D animation software | 12/23/2008 |
| Q: I have a 14-year-old who is interested in making short 3D animation videos. I am looking for the ... A: sorry to say, but i am probably not the best person to ask when it comes to choosing between iClone ... | |
| laptops | 12/23/2008 |
| Q: which laptop do you think is the best for animation?i have heard a lot about alienware ... A: personally i love the laptops made by apple computer. although it is preferable to work on a desktop ... | |
| What's the best way to start learning about animation? | 12/10/2008 |
| Q: I'm a newbie on animation. I like to draw, I draw a lot. However, I have no experience whatsoever ... A: to start, you will want to have a good handle on adobe photoshop and illustrator. when it comes to ... | |
| animation | 10/4/2008 |
| Q: I'm quite interested in a double major of Animation and Cinematography/Video Production. I would ... A: digital techniques have transformed the entire industry, sometimes replacing old-school techniques. ... | |
| About my career in an animation | 9/8/2008 |
| Q: i would like to ask that as i am doing now A-levels(Cambridge university).can i go to animation ... A: animators come from many different backgrounds. most do not study mathematics or physics. generally, ... | |
| how does NBC Olympics 2008 do the graphic overlays? | 8/16/2008 |
| Q: I've searched but cannot find a story about how NBC does the graphic overlays seen during their ... A: such as those provided by chryon, are used to generate the real-time graphic overlays that you ... | |
| animating image sequence | 8/9/2008 |
| Q: I imported a series of PNG pictures that make up an animation into After Effects as a "sequence" and ... A: in after effects, time-stretch your .png sequence to shorten it. for example, in the time-stretching ... | |
| career in animation | 8/7/2008 |
| Q: I am not sure whether to go for 3d animation or 2d animation or any other animation. Can you please ... A: my advice is to find an area of animation that interests you. ultimately, i believe you will excel ... | |
| After Effects animation | 7/23/2008 |
| Q: Any way to do frame by frame (traditional) animation on After Effects? I recently got the program ... A: then import the sequenced artwork into after effects. for example, you can create a sequence of ... | |
| After Effect photo | 4/1/2008 |
| Q: How can I save as a still image, or photo in After Effects? A: 1) Go to the frame in your timeline that you want to turn into a still image. 2) Up at the top, in ... | |
| vfx | 3/20/2008 |
| Q: I want join in VFX. Is it compulsory full knowledge in MAYA like Modeling, Rigging, Texturing, ... A: some employers want a generalist, others want a person who knows a very specific area, such as ... | |
| animation | 3/17/2008 |
| Q: I want know that i have not comleted of my gradustion(commrse) so you have think that my carrear ... A: in my experience, an animation degree is always a plus, but more important to getting a job is a ... | |
| Vfx? | 12/6/2007 |
| Q: If I don't have the knowledge of premiere. Can i work only with after effects and combustion for ... A: although there are also some built-in effects. for more complicated VFX, many people use after ... | |
| animation and game designing | 11/26/2007 |
| Q: I want to be a game designer and an animator and I wanted to know if its hard work bein these things ... A: so i can't speak specifically to that market. in general, while there are some who hit it big, i ... | |
| VFx and 3D | 11/16/2007 |
| Q: Sir, I am a Tibetan nationality very much intrested to study the VFx and 3d. How should I start? I ... A: maya is quite complex for someone just starting off. you will be lost for a while. the best thing is ... | |
| VFx and 3D | 11/12/2007 |
| Q: Sir, I am a Tibetan nationality very much intrested to study the VFx and 3d. How should I start? I ... A: i don't personally use combustion, but i know it's functionality is more like after effects than ... | |
| VFx and 3D | 11/10/2007 |
| Q: Sir, I am a Tibetan nationality very much intrested to study the VFx and 3d. How should I start? I ... A: I suggest that your learn a 3D package, such as Maya, 3D Studio, or Cinema 4D. All of these software ... | |
| digital vs stop frame | 10/29/2007 |
| Q: what are the benifits of digital animation over stop frame animation? A: You can make mistakes and go back and fix them before doing a final "render". Another huge benefit ... | |
| animated heads | 10/16/2007 |
| Q: I was just wondering how they put Tom Burgerons head on America's Funniest Videos, on a movie ... A: but I imagine that they probably cut his head out from a photo using a program like Adobe Photoshop. ... | |
| Learning animation | 8/3/2007 |
| Q: I know basic C++ what should I do to learn animation? Will knowledge in C++ help me? A: They primarily use 2D/3D animation programs (Maya, 3D Studio, After Effects, Softimage, etc.). If ... | |
| animating design. | 7/18/2007 |
| Q: Hey joseph, im an artist and am trying to create a site of my own for my artwork. im an abstract ... A: It sounds to me like your best bet is to scan your artwork, then use the scan as a template to ... | |
| Animation,multimedia and graphics | 7/2/2007 |
| Q: Mr.Joseph.I m Neha from India.I m doing the Animation course from Arena Animation Academy.Tell me ... A: My general feeling, however, is that you should select a school where you can get a general ... | |
| studio questions | 7/1/2007 |
| Q: Joseph, Actually, my question was more about designomotion. I was amazed by your demo reel and was ... A: i usually find them quite instructive. also, "peachpit press" puts out a series of books for various ... | |
| motion | 5/29/2007 |
| Q: I hope you can help me with this. My wife wants to learn how to make pictures with motion. Such as ... A: or perhaps Apple Motion. Please keep in mind that there is a bit of a learning curve for these ... | |
| ? | 5/27/2007 |
| Q: http://www.metacafe.com/watch/262863/cardiff_at_night/ what do you think? is it fake? A: yes, this is a fake. the "roll" in the video looks like a pretty common "video distortion" effect. ... | |
| adding moving bubbles to jpeg images | 5/1/2007 |
| Q: I use Ulead MovieFactory 6.0 with Vista Home Premium on a Toshiba laptop. After returning from ... A: i usually create bubbles in a program called Adobe After Effects, using a plugin called Trapcode ... | |
| best animation program | 4/21/2007 |
| Q: what is the best animation program to use to make a cartoon? A: I suggest scanning your artwork using registration pegs, then doing inking and painting in a program ... | |
| hello | 4/7/2007 |
| Q: i would like to know which universities are the best for study animation in canada thanks for your ... A: i'm US based and don't know specifically which universities in canada have the best reputation. in ... | |
| Swirl effect in A.E | 4/4/2007 |
| Q: First, your web site is very nice and your 2007 reel is awesome. MyI am trying to create a simple ... A: Without storyboards or visual reference, it's a bit hard for me to picture exactly the effect you ... | |
| Stabilization | 3/24/2007 |
| Q: "Hello, I have river clips which were shot on the boat, so a little of it shake. I try to use ... A: and should enclose a distinct feature. For example, if you were on a boat, and there is a lighthouse ... | |
| Can I do it myself | 2/15/2007 |
| Q: I have been looking for a cartoonist, but I can not find out that is not outrageously price. I am a ... A: If you do not have prior illustration or cartooning experience, I suggest you hire a professional. ... | |
| Animating ECG | 2/1/2007 |
| Q: Please let me know how to animate (from the begining to the end of the trace) a single trace of ECG ... A: There are a bunch of freeware Animation Gif Builders on the internet. Animated Gifs, I am pretty ... | |
| Gifs | 1/28/2007 |
| Q: I have tried to combine a couple of my animated pictures (gifs) using my Paint program but when I ... A: First, I would make sure whether your Paint program is capable of creating animated gifs. Secondly, ... | |
| animation | 1/27/2007 |
| Q: a friend of mine is having a major birthday next week. we would like to make a video for him as a ... A: Hey Mike - What you want to do is known as "tracking". This is when you take an image/video and ... | |
| am i aiming for a dream? | 11/19/2006 |
| Q: I'm a sophmore in highschool living in Wisconsin, I've had a strong desire to have a career in the ... A: A lot of traditional cel animation is outsourced to India, South Korea, and other countries where ... | |
| Displacement map ... AFX ... | 11/14/2006 |
| Q: It mean if our displacement map is stil (not animated) then will it work without precomose ?Sir, i ... A: Yes, a stillframe that is not animated will still work as a displacement map. However, the ... | |
| precompose in AFX ... | 11/14/2006 |
| Q: Sir, i want to know why we need to do precompose to Displacement map's layer? (you know, when we ... A: I believe that the reason for this has to do with the ordering of how After Effects processes the ... | |
| warping in AFX ... | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: What is warping in AFX ? and how it works... please explain it with some exemples. A: Warping is when you distort an image. AFX has a bunch of plugins that do this, all found under ... | |
| Displacement map ... AFX ... | 11/13/2006 |
| Q: Sir, i want to know why we need to do precompose to Displacement map's layer? what the Technical ... A: I believe that the reason for this has to do with the ordering of how After Effects processes the ... | |
| Mattes In AFX... | 11/6/2006 |
| Q: sir, may I know about Mattes in After Effect ? what is matts (travelling matte, alpha matte, etc.). ... A: Mattes are used to reveal or hide. They are used in many different ways; one common use of mattes is ... | |
| Special effect v/s Visual Effects | 11/6/2006 |
| Q: I want to know difference bitween Special effect and Visual Effects, is these are deffrent or same ? ... A: I understand visual effects to be a subset of special effects. Special effects is broader in scope, ... | |
| gif enlargement | 10/13/2006 |
| Q: I recently downloaded Microsof gif animator. It's alright and all, but my gifs come out too small ... A: Amanda - Are you sure your "export" or "save" settings don't have an option for how large the gif ... | |
| animation | 9/11/2006 |
| Q: 1. how often do you create new pieces? 2. If you can't think of any ideas, what do you do? 3. Do ... A: 1) On average, I work on 3-4 new animation projects per month. 2) When stuck, I find it useful to ... | |
Animation
Answers by Expert:
Joseph Silver
Top Expert on this page
Expertise
Ask any motion graphics, broadcast design, or After Effects questions.
Experience
Learn more about Joseph Silver and his work at Designomotion
Joseph Silver is the creative director of Designomotion, a motion graphics design studio located in New York City. His work has played in Times Square, the 2004 Olympics, and the 2006 World Cup, as well as being aired in commercials and show packages for ABC, CBS, MTV, and many other television networks. His studio has over ten years of experience creating customized broadcast design and animation for leaders in network television.
Education: Columbia University
Awards and Honors: Gold and Silver Broadcast Design Awards (Promax/BDA, Tribeca Film Festival)
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