Last summer I got to direct and animate looping onstage graphics for
@hopscotchfest Music Festival. So much fun, and a great chance to document my strategy for making looping animations using basic math - plus some effects and compositing tricks!
LOOPING STRATEGY
- Divide your total run-time into smaller and smaller pieces. This allows you to make a pattern or rhythm of multiple smaller loops.
12 seconds at 12fps divides cleanly into 6, 4, 3, 2, 1.5, & 1 seconds and 9, 6, 4, 3, 2, & 1 frames. (Other numbers are of course divisible, but 12 gives you more options.)
- Enable Time Remapping and use the loop expression for each of your “mini-loops” - LoopOut(“Cycle”)
- Offset the mini-loops by any of the same numbers that your total run-time is divisible by, and they’ll still be seamless!
LOOPING TEXTURE
-Make a new composition, at least 20 pixels larger than your working comp. 4 fps, 1 second in length.
- Add a gray Solid, then an Adjustment Layer. Apply the Add Grain effect to the Adjustment Layer.
- Add the Grain Comp to your working comp. Enable Time Remapping and apply the loop expression.
COMPOSITING A
- Add a Displacement Map to each Layer you want to effect, with the Grain Texture set as the Displacement Layer.
- Use the Luminance Channel for both X & Y.
- NOTE: Displacement Maps do not recognize scale changes. For best results, design/animation comps should all be the same size - and both design comps and texture comps should be at 100% Scale.
- Composite in any way you like, using blend modes, opacity, track mattes, etc.
COMPOSITING B
- Apply the Extract effect to the Grain texture to remove either the blacks or whites.
- Apply a Fill or Gradient effect to change the color.
Then I add a glow(s) and use Hue & Saturation to correct back to brand color.
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