Design Decisions: Video: Projects: Rotoscoping

  • How accurately do I need to draw to animate a video to tell an effective story?

What am I making?

  • An animation created from video footage

  • example Rotoscoping page you would put on your Google Site

How do I make it?

Steps

  1. Find Footage to Draw Over:

    • In YouTube, find a video with clear motion. Like "cat pouncing." Scenes with too many actors are harder to do.

    • Go full screen

    • Find the start point and pause it

  2. Create at least 24 Still Image Screenshots from your Footage

    • Take a Screenshot of each frame you want using Command-Shift-3

    • use the . (period) key to move frame by frame (can skip frames here and there if you want, if some look too similar)

    • Repeat those steps 24 times

  3. Gather Screenshots into a Folder

    • In the Finder, do File menu, New Folder and type a name to replace "Untitled Folder"

    • Move all Screenshots into the Folder

    • Open the Folder, View menu, as List.

    • Click on/select first screenshot, push Space Bar to preview it, and the up and down arrow keys to see the sequence

  4. Create your Drawn images with Brush Ninja or Illustrator or similar tool

    • In Brush Ninja, use the Background button at the bottom to upload Screenshots, then use that button to Remove Background when you're done; click the Speed icon at the bottom to set your desired frame rate, then Save and Export at the top

    • In Adobe Illustrator

      1. make an empty Rectangle as your frame

      2. use File menu, Place... command to import your Screenshots

      3. use the Blob Brush to draw inside your frame

      4. then select everything and do File menu, Export Selection..., format PNG, specify a folder

      5. import your next Screenshot before you delete the drawn objects and draw the new frame (use the Object menu, Arrange, Send to Back to help with placing the next Screenshot)

      6. Use an online GIF maker such as EZGif Maker to upload your exports and create an animated GIF

  5. On Google Sites, under Pages, create a new page called Rotoscoping.

  6. Add the GIF image of your animation

  7. Write about what you learned doing this assignment, mention skills and techniques.

  8. When done, push the Publish button, review the settings, and publish.

  9. Then click the chain-link button, Copy the link for your page, and paste it into Google Classroom to "turn in."

Grading

  • Animation has at least 24 frames drawn

  • Drawn objects are consistent from frame to frame

  • Enough is drawn to show the story clearly

  • What I Learned is specific and connected to your learning experience, something you can apply in the future that you haven't done in the past

Career Connections

  • Animation, Film/TV Industry

Resources