Puppet Tool Tips
February 10th, 2014


In our recent blog show on volumetric light, I created a short animation with the puppet tool because I wondered what would the twitter logo be like if it was alive... In this short video I explain how I setup the project file to animate the logo.

Download the project file too! (CS6)

UPDATE: According to twitter guidelines it is not permitted to "add special effects" to the logo. Sorry.

If you are not on twitter, be sure to follow us @videocopilot

Andrew Kramer
POSTED:
11 years ago
39 Comments
Bio
10 years ago
Gente porque eu não tenho o "Puppet" no meu After Effects? o que tenho que fazer para ter este plugin?, me ajudem por favor.
Thank you so much .. Always amazing tips Andrew Kramer ...
maxman02
10 years ago
Awesome!!! Thank you for your tutorial
Maximilian
11 years ago
Many thanks for the lesson. The result was a logo here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-x8IxGH86mI&feature=youtu.be
P.s Hello from Ukrain(Kiev)
Matt
11 years ago
A few questions... If I through a light on something with the puppet tool. Will the shadows follow the animation? (I tested this quickly and they don't seem to follow the mesh)

Also is there a way to use this puppet tool with an extruded shape layer while using Raytracing? (I tested this too but couldn't get it working).

Just wondering if anyone has any tricks or work arounds to achieve these things?

Thanks
11 years ago
as always, you are the best, thanks for the tips
11 years ago
This is an awesome effect for video intros! Thanks Andrew.
Stephen Kennedy
11 years ago
Just a quick tip. For REAL-TIME animation of the puppet tool, hold down Ctl and drag your animation point(s)!

This starts recording your manual animation in real-time starting from your current frame in the timeline. It is a great way to start your basic animating, and then fine-tune afterwards the more traditional way.
11 years ago
You are awesome, Dude
11 years ago
this is simple, but genious!

i'm working on a short thriller. please LIKE our fb page to get more insights!

fb page: http://facebook.com/delusiveshortfilm
video statement: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjlqHp5P02k
Wieslaw
11 years ago
Only Puppet Tool,Png photographs,and Humour and of course Element 3D
See please until the end.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5CRtkBpMF3o
Ken
11 years ago
Here's a amazing animation that my co-worker, Steve Smith made last year.

https://vimeo.com/53901807
11 years ago
Nice! This was very useful to me actually
Christiaan
11 years ago
Do I see E3D v2 in action in the SORRY sign.
Shadow from the gun?
Deformed object of the bird?
I sure hope so!
Christiaan
11 years ago
OOOHHH YESS I DO!!
Tom Dooley
11 years ago
Are we going on with this lame shows now, like birds, cutting out paper or lame logo animations, or are we going to see this promised behind the scenes tutorials with challenging after effects VFX combined with other chalenging programms????????
Tob
11 years ago
Whats the problem? short, informative and fun Turorials. Good for Beginners, funny for advance users. And think about the upcoming hologramm Table experiment.
photobackflip
11 years ago
It's free.

If you think you can do better, go right ahead.
Hassan dar
11 years ago
Very nice Andrew.Every one Plz Watch and advise on my short film https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXedDG0RKz8
Jake Jabbs
11 years ago
Thank you for everything you do, Andrew. Your videos are always very useful and interesting.
11 years ago
Very Good Andrew kramer
11 years ago
At first, I found the puppet tool to be a little confusing - mostly because I often was not able to revert wrong actions. But this post helped a little bit
11 years ago
Nice Andrew! Recently I made this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q89rCVFxc3g Plugns - Element 3D (but not real shadows ), trapcode particular 2, Action Essentials 2, and Optical flares. Please comments!
JMS
11 years ago
That is seriously impressive stuff...one of the best yet. Great work
Emmanuel
11 years ago
Always amazing... quite creative.... very impressive
Simon.D
11 years ago
If that's the case, the BBC are gonna be in trouble then:
http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/72479000/jpg/_72479102__68162161_twitter%281%29.jpg

hahahahaha.. The image you created was a suitable response to the corporate Hitlers, nice one !
walid
11 years ago
thnx man. very helpful
11 years ago
hahah Andrew can you post a 2560x1440 version of the suicide bird? I want a new wallpaper!
monproduction
11 years ago
your last tutorials is very boring Andrew..
photobackflip
11 years ago
It's free.

If you think you can do better, go right ahead.
11 years ago
Wow andrew that was awesome tip , thank you
11 years ago
oh my god ! you've read my thoughts !! i was wondering if we can get a tuto about that ! thanks a lot ANDREW
ibrahim
11 years ago
always amazing tips Andrew.. you awesome
11 years ago
Sometimes while working with puppet tool was so confusing for that i have to make many layers and joints as well but this tutorial gave me Solution's to all my problem ....Great going VC..
Willmer
11 years ago
Great show. I am jumping on this tomorrow evening with my son to recreate your magic.

Thanks again for being awesome!
11 years ago
Thanks so much for this Andrew! It always surprises me that you can pack so much useful information into such a small amount of time!
11 years ago
Really nice, any chance of a tutorial showing advanced use of the puppet tool?
11 years ago
Awesome as always! Thanks again Andrew!
JK
11 years ago
Cute tutorial, thanks andrew
John
11 years ago
Thank you so much ..always amazing tips Andrew...
Carl L. Marxer
11 years ago
Hello Andrew-
Fun animation, and good to find out ore about the puppet tool, but...
The Twitter logo guidelines are very specific about their logo:
https://about.twitter.com/press/brand-assets

Don???t:
Rotate or change the direction of the bird
Animate the bird
Flock the bird with other birds or other creatures
Change the color of the bird
Overprint or obstruct any part of the bird
Anthropomorphize the bird
Add special effects to the bird
Use speech bubbles or words around the bird

...just so everyone knows that you don't really want to make the bird's wings flap.
Thanks!
11 years ago
I don't want to hurt their feeling but...
Parody:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parody

Fair Use:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fair_use
Lee
11 years ago
Hey Andrew don't forget to add that its ok to use for educational purpose's as well.. If they don't like it Ill send them a tissue
al board
11 years ago
BTW, it doesn't say VISUAL effects. So, an explosion composited next to the bird should be ok. As long as it doesn't "obstruct any part of the bird". ^^
Kay
11 years ago
Hahahhhh!!Intimidating Dooooog!! I'm going to turn upside down twitter ass logo,What!! i got Catapulte. Andrew,thanks Buddy for the amazing tut.
Sujith Sivan Dubai
11 years ago
Super tutorial as usual....
alex
11 years ago
looks fun, checking it out! greetings from HAITI
11 years ago
WOW!!! awesome! great job Mr. Andrew... but hey look at the titles... the "I" in TIps are capitalized