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Rotoscope
Animation

Rotoscoping is a technique where animators trace over live-action footage frame by frame to create realistic and lifelike animated sequences, making the characters and movements look authentic and natural in the final animation.

Your Task

Create a 5- to 10-second rotoscope animation.

You must make the video yourself (or get someone else to while YOU act it out)

Keep it Simple

  • what can you do in 10 seconds?

  • will you be bold or subtle?​

  • when animating, stick with line drawings.  Don't worry about shading.

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Stage 1:

From Video to Frame

  1. Plan what you want to do for your video.

    • Since this animation is so short, you do not need a storyboard.

    • You may want to use a phone mount to keep it stable while filming.

  2. Make your video, then edit it down to between 5 and 10 seconds long.

  3. Transfer it to the computer (eg. share to your cloud storage)

    • Move your video into a new 'Rotoscope' folder in your Media Design folder​

  4. Extract your frames  from your video:

    • A) Open Photoshop

      • Create a new document (size doesn't matter)

      • Go to 'Window' - 'Workspace' and select 'Motion.'​

    • B) Extract Frames​

      • Go to 'File' - 'Import' and click the option 'Import video to layers'​

      • Select your video

      • In the pop-up, choose 'from beginning to end' and

        • check 'Limit to frames'​ (the smallest number PS will allow)

        • check 'Make Frame Animation'

      • A new file will open:

        • All of your frames will be on different layers and on the timeline​

        • A 10-second video clip will generate ~159 frames this way.​

          • To save you some sanity in the long run, delete all of the even-numbered layers​

          • Then delete the frames from the timeline that now have empty thumbnails.

          • To delete multiple at once, CTRL+Click to add to your selection

  5. Organize your Project​​​

    • Select your remaining layers and group them into their own folder 'VID'​

    • Create another layer folder 'DRAW' for your drawings

    • Create a new layer and drag it to the bottom of the layer stack. Fill it with a solid colour (press g for paint bucket) to be your background

Stage 2: 

Start Drawing

  1. In the timeline/animation panel, click the options button (≡) in the upper right

    • disable 'New Layers Visible in All Frames' is checked.

    • This means each new layer you make will only be visible in the selected box in the timeline​​

  2. Click on the first frame in the timeline​

    • Click on your DRAW layers folder, and create a new layer.​

  3. Select the brush tool and start drawing on your video.​

  4. Once you finish the first frame, click on the second one, and repeat the process until you draw them all.

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Looking for an added challenge?

  • Consider adding colour and details to your rotoscope.

  • If you go this route, they will need to be added to every frame. 

  • Choose your details carefully. Rather than the whole face, perhaps one feature.

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If you choose to colour:

  • Make a new layer group COLOUR

  • You do not want to colour on the same layer as your drawings!

  • You want to leave your metaphorical escape hatch open, just in case you get sick of colouring halfway through.

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  1. Hide your VID folder (press the little eye icon to the left of it in the layers panel)

  2. 'File' > 'Export' > 'Render Video'

  3. Add a title and export it as a GIF. Select 8 frames per second.

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Stage 2.5:

Detail and Colour

Stage 3:

SAVE

Get Inspired

Assessment

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