Subtle Character Animation in After Effects | Workflow & Process

In this After Effects workflow & process video, I breakdown my workflow and process for creating this subtle character animation. I'm using this amazing illustration from the talented illustrator & animator Adrien Ghenassia. I will also share my take on how to receive feedback and make adjuments to the project. Please leave a comment if you'd like me to explain anything I skimmed over.
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►Music:
Massive thanks to madmomentsgo for providing that amazing music for my intro!
check out his other brilliant work here: bit.ly/2ER0bJF
"Magic Scout - Farm" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License
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[@Futsureno]

I am so glad the music isn't obnoxious and loud as is in so many tutorial videos

[@BenMarriott]

Haha, thank you so much, I'm glad you don't mind them :)

[@johngalt8708]

this isn't a tutorial video.

[@mushrifahmed8107]

Most of the times I feel blown away by your work! You put so attention to detail into most of your animations. I thought it looked good enough after the motion of the torso and arm but you go further and add all the secondary movements to the hair and legs. It's these subtle animations that make your work so amazing. Not to mention how manage to pull off complicated animations with such simple techniques.

[@alisiapuuurrez]

I learned SO much from this, your pacing is so easy to follow without dragging on. Thank you!!

[@MSMotions]

This is probably one of the best After Effects tutorials I've ever seen. You're a hero man.

[@andyallen4633]

Only recently started learning AE, and I'm so glad I found your channel! Love your videos. Thanks Ben :)

[@BenMarriott]

Glad you like them! Thanks for watching! :)

[@tithiwakhariya8636]

its good that you did the whole process thingy. It helps to know how can we reduce time in such projects. Frame blocking was a good thing i learnt today. And also how to roughen edges. Thanks!!

[@khadejamughal702]

i replayed your intro animation for infinite number of time. ITS SO GOOD MAN.

[@75and90]

I watched two of your videos for inspiration and guidance to character animation, and damn they are great! For me personally, you have the perfect mix of quick and concise explanation including the "whats" and the "whys", while neither being too basic nor too advanced. Now I don't aspire to be sitting on some high animation critic horse, but in my experience there are few videos on YT that fits this formula you do (at least in the two videos I've seen). Really really well put together. An honor to be your subscriber mate!

[@nathan_thomas]

Nobody: Character's arm: *_W E E E E E E--_*

[@BenMarriott]

Haha, exactly :D

[@nathan_thomas]

@@BenMarriott random question, any relation to James Marriott? I noticed he had really nicely designed intros for his series

[@motiongraphicsbyvarshashar114]

YOU TELL EVERYTHING IN A DIFFERENT WAY AND ITS PRETTY EASY TO UNDERSTAND. THANKS FOR EXISTING MAN.

[@LoganPinney]

Fantastic breakdown - really helps understand how to imporve my own workflow. Cheers Ben!

[@donutboy9576]

Omg your BG music is everything 💛🧡❤️💚💙!

[@effortmax]

Awesome animation, as usual, Ben! And that feedback experience story you've shared is very encouraging. Thanks for sharing it with us and thanks again for the great tutorial!

[@BenMarriott]

Thank you so much, glad you enjoyed that bit! :)

[@majdalareeqi3239]

Your work is different and I love everything from you

[@gokhan777]

It was so instructional and i really enjoyed while watching. Awesome work, thanks :)

[@shironeko_jingy]

I love your tutorial! thank you for making them! I learned a lot from you!

[@runwaymonk4660]

Love your channel! Thank you for much for taking out time and making these videos. As a beginner, I have learned so mouth from your channel. I am also your pupil at Motion Design School.😊 Much admiration from India!

[@KrillintheVillain]

Don't know of anyone has said this but I love your intro! It reminds me of cartoon network

[@LukeIngels]

The turbulent displace trick was brilliant

[@DesignerFlo]

Awesome!! thank you buddy! This was just what I was looking for :) you read my mind

[@marsmaybe]

This is Awesome you guys! i always find it difficult to illustrate characters with stroke outlines, because when rotating an arm you always get that break where the arm outline should meet the torso outline. Such a headacche

[@haunttheeditor]

Love the collabs with other artists that you do

[@BenMarriott]

Thank you so much! I'd love to know if you have any suggestions :) I'm approaching a few more at the moment for the next collab

[@minjooyun3617]

Great content :) This is very very very helpful! Thanks so much and please keep up the good work

[@AlborzRiazi]

thanks a lot for sharing your collaboration process. it was great.

[@SophieDainty]

Also I love turbulent displacement 👌🏻

[@st3phacope]

i....wow....the alt + drag of the last key frame.......my whole world just changed

[@SophieDainty]

Oh thanks for explaining the graph, I never know what I’m looking at when I open the graph 😅 this will help

[@motiongraphicsbyvarshashar114]

YOU ARE A LIFE SAVER. PERIOD. :')

[@nourn07]

That was helpful, thank you!

[@MJ-ef3yg]

ben~ 잘 보고 있어요! 최고~

[@MRInuzaki]

the arm flying off was great haha

[@user-pe2lb9ro9t]

Thank you !!!!! It's very helpful

[@gabrielveloso2765]

Really awesome!!

[@andres-uz8wv]

super cool!!

[@sai-fg9bm]

Love it. Keep making more videos and hint us shortcuts.

[@davidp158]

Hi Ben. Your Motion Practic course looks great. Any chance we can see a preview of what the 6 finished projects look like? Even a frame grab of each project would be helpful.

[@Nomaduser]

Dope!

you are a master!

[@AmrToukhy]

Amazing stuff ... so much to learn ..WOW...

[@BenMarriott]

Thanks so much :D I really appreciate it

[@daviddycide7548]

Thank you that was so helpful! Are you also planning to do a video of how to do an Animatic and plan Timing before going into the Animation ? That is something I would love to see on your channel

[@HufweTirol]

love your work!

[@BenMarriott]

Thank you :D

[@luisq9221]

Great process!! thanks for share!

[@BenMarriott]

You are so welcome!

[@ItaloMuniz16]

Whenever I decide to quit after effects, you show up with a tutorial showing that not that hard, you just gotta know what you're doing.

[@evm6177]

Know exactly what u feel. When your career depends on it AE can be a heartbreaker.

[@HansTheDesigner]

Great tutorial! You are a very good teacher! I found a lot of useful tips here. I'm glad I found your channel. Instant subrscribe!

[@itscareyberry]

you sir, are very helpful 👏🏼

[@vegasroyal920]

I like the arm animation too, could also add an object in the hand when the arm returns, like a towel w/ a logo on it or something.

[@templatespro1205]

It's so informative. tks

[@pixelasm]

10:28 You also added more animation to the hair which fits this style of illustration and animation very well. 8:34 Well done reflecting on how to cope with feedback and also that you could have sent the blocking first to save on some changes. But this depends on the client as well, some do not understand what blocking means or cannot imagine what the final might look like. So sometimes there is no way arround redoing parts.

[@BenMarriott]

Thanks so much! You're definitely right with some clients getting scared when they think a draft is a final thing. Absolutely something you should figure out with them beforehand. I find it's good to say next to each shot you send the, 40% complete. so they know finished you think it is.

[@Jeanrhu]

Startinga formation to be a motion designer. Very well done video and informative too (the way to slow or speed an animation is very useful) , i love your take on the "professionnal" approach of the work. The ego part is REALLY difficult to manage. You need to have a good pedagogy to work with a client. Anyway, keep up the good work !

[@lightblue254]

I love your art :D

[@BenMarriott]

Thank youu! :D

[@helmut7365]

Awesome animation work! How did you adress the Outlines on the Overlapping Arm and Shoulder? Did you use Trim Path for that?

[@ItsJustMeStevie]

Do you have a Skillshare account as well? NO JOKE but you are by far one of my favorite channels. Watch as much as I can.

[@wasted1350]

Lovely!!! Btw what do you use for joint/ bones animatio duik bassel or rubberhose etc ?? Do you have a video on that? LOVE YOUR WORK!!! ABSOLUTE BANGING AND FUNNY ANIMATION :)

[@ayurvedicanbscaart7137]

Thank you

[@13headphones]

Hi, Ben. First of all, big fan, you have been such a big influence on the things i´m producing now. Love your channel and style. I have a question that was asked a couple of times in your lives and commented in some videos of yours, but i need to be more specific. I´m very foccused on AE, learning and testing some elements. I use AI to draw the shapes that i cannot do directly on AE. But the thing is: i got hooked by frame by frame animation, bought a table do draw and Animate. In your opinion, what is the best, animating directly on Animate and exporting to AE and giving some touch, or making the shapes on AI -> AE or does it really deppends on the project? I mean, looks like frame by frame is way more hard, but you have more control over the animation. I prefer making textures and shading on AE over PS, is this a good manner or should i use PS? Sorry for bad english, not my first language, and sorry for the long question, but I would appreciate very much if you answer and be clear. Thanks again, keep the great job

[@user-xo9xh9lw7h]

Your intro gets me every time hahah🤣

[@everydaystoriesanimated2318]

*love your video keep doing it. 😎*

[@BenMarriott]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate you watching :D

[@velinagarabedyan]

I'm the weirdo that absolutely loves expressions but still can't manage graphs. Any advice on that? Amazing work as always (on both versions, we like when arm go WEEEE~) and can't wait to get through your MD course too! ^^

[@sanplseasydraw]

Nice tutorial

[@williammarshall8184]

The alt shortcut to speed up an animation is a life saver, the time I must have wasted in the past...

[@WetheDepressed]

Would you use this same process if you had to animate longer sequences? I'm trying to do several longer animation on a stick-like character to tell a story, would you recommend this approach over rigging?

[@jahzart]

Graciaaaaas

[@StephanLorse]

Hot stuff!

[@EROKOJR]

Ha ha ha! I can't believe you thought the arm ripping off was a good idea. We all make mistakes. Glad it was changed. Great tutorial as usual. Thanks Ben.

[@JessyFerrari]

This might be a very silly request, but could you give us some tips on how to animate outlined characters such as this one?

[@OFGAnimationStudio]

Greats insights Ben. I am wondering why you ripped of the arm :) It is not realistic. In any care, I have learned new things thanks to this video

[@ReginaRms]

I don’t even have After Effects, but I watched the whole video 😂

[@DisentDesign]

noice

[@lucasavalo]

What about RobberHose? Im doubting if to buy it or not, for things like this would be perfect right?

[@xmotion-ir]

♥

[@dvoob]

love me some classic coorperate design smol head big foot lady

[@MouseGuardian]

Very nice! When you animate on a lower framerate, how does it work when you bring it into a project with a different framerate on AE or premiere pro?

[@thezeebug]

not sure if you ever got a response to this question anywhere else - but in my experience (if in AE) your precomp can be a diff frame rate as your main comp. and what this does is it gives you an almost stop-motion effect. same thing would happen with dynamic links on premiere pro! :D it's actually a great trick to use!

[@azfaru4367]

Hey Ben. I was just wondering what's the rationale of putting a posterize time adjustment layer rather than just changing the frame rate in the composition?

[@hanaa2471]

Newwww videooooooo

[@BenMarriott]

:D The newest! Thanks for watching

[@ahamdwork443]

when I'm using the puppet tool, the object gets distorted! even if it's a small object in a big project, I used Ai and eps files but I faced the same problem, and it's hard to use png all the times, especially if the artwork is complicated.. any suggestions?

[@runwaymonk4660]

Also, how can you be approached for freelance projects?

[@vitaflumen1]

Hi Ben! I've been trying to figure out how to animate characters that have been drawn with stroke like this one. Always I've tried, the stroke comes up in some movement and it spoils the animation. Do you have some tip about this? Thank you!

[@BenMarriott]

Thats pretty much unavailable with strokes. The main reason I animate without strokes most of the time. I tackle it with lots of masks, and sometimes seperating the stroke and fill 😊 hope that helps.

[@vitaflumen1]

​@@BenMarriott Thank you for your response Ben! ;)

[@MapleLeafAce]

If you're on CS6, unfortunately you can't convert shape layers to bezier paths. What you CAN do is hold down ALT when dragging out a new shape, and it draw it as a bezier path.

[@benjaminrodriguez671]

I got scared when the arm flews away the first time xD i didn't spect that

[@samsan6067]

How do you separate the parts from the illustration in AE?

[@ryemoboy7234]

where you get your background music?

[@ashikdennis9202]

Please teach on skillshare

[@usuariodeyoutubexd430]

pls upload illustrator file :CC

[@surajmv1707]

where is the download link for this tutorial link?

[@mbageek3226]

great work , please upload the illustrateur file :/

[@BenMarriott]

Thank you! I'm afraid I can't upload the illustrator file for this one. I've got a bunch more available on my gumroad for free :)

[@user-ng1lq8rm9p]

Было бы не плохо рассказать как создаются иллюстрации для анимации в After Effects. Пошагово.

[@mosiahdesign3705]

Great video. However, it would be extremely helpful if you gave a more granular breakdown of your process such as showcasing the entirety of how comps/folders were organized, created your comps, all the layers parented, the process for blocking, the easing, etc. This video skips a lot of steps that novice AE users would sincerely appreciate seeing.

[@quocnnb4405]

is that Thor's arm? 😳😳

[@linguini7294]

Welp.. I'm sticking to adobe animate. This is to hard

[@werneralweendo]

Great Tut, thank you BUT I feel soo betrayed by the bat that unrighteously filled the screen with its butt... 00:07

[@official_Chesterlo]

.

[@Xandercorp]

If u wanted to be really keen on detail u would've fixed them shoelaces dang eeeeeet!!11

[@eshladys5107]

sounds like tu vieja

[@WebInteractiveFilms]

Not a great idea to have looks flying off

[@seandavis5199]

where are the files for this?