Introduction to Creating the Superman 3D Logo Entirely in After Effects

Introduction to Creating the Superman 3D Logo Entirely in After Effects

on Feb 6th 2013 with 6 comments
Tutorial Details
  • Requirements: After Effects and ShapeShifter AE
  • Difficulty: Intermediate
  • Run Time: 25:04 min

Trevor Coates is the owner of Leapfrog Strategic Communications, in Sydney Australia. He has experience in major films and advertising campaigns, as well as interactive work. Trevor has put together a 5-part tutorial series that explains how to create his 3D version of the Superman logo using ShapeShifter AE, entirely in After Effects. He walks us through his meticulous design and creative processes, and shares his technical expertise. He’s truly inspiring, and a great teacher! This is an introduction to the 5-part series.

To get a demo version go to mettle.com/shapeshifter-ae/

Tutorial

Leapfrog Re-imagines The Superman Logo | Part 1- Introduction from mettle on Vimeo.

 
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Owns and runs Leapfrog Strategic Communications in Sydney Australia  

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  • http://twitter.com/Kevin_Kehoe Kevin Kehoe

    Nice Tut, but when I think of “Entirely in After Effects” I think of not needing 3rd party plug ins like ShapeShifter AE.

    • Alexa

      Kudos to Trevor, excellent interpretation of the logo and thanks for putting this tutorial series together :-)

      Kevin, I beg to differ, I think of third party plug-ins as an integral part of AE so yes this is created “Entirely in After Effects”. No dedicated 3D app or 3D skills necessary.

      Peace
      Alexa

      • Xandercorp

        Well… They are, but so are scripts and you don’t see them mentioned. AE uses a lot of plug-ins if you want to enhance it’s capabilities, but I think what Kevin wanted to say was more about the phrasing, than about the way we all think or use AE.

        It’s premature to ask this, because I haven’t seen the full set of tutorials, but why use ShapeShifter and not Element with the new update, just do that in 3d and then insert it as an obj sequence? I’ll have a look over the weekend at the technique and come back with comments, but this was what struck me first.

      • Alexa

        Xandercorp I think you spoke to soon and that you should really look at the series first before making these broad statements. If you did take the time to look at it and still have this opinion then you missed the point in the whole tutorial series. The idea is to stay in AE not go to a 3D app to create the model. Also AFAIK you cannot do most of what Trevor is showing in Element 3D. With ShapeShifter AE you design and model and create some very sophisticated texture and geometry effects right in After Effects. With Element 3D you need a 3D app or models. I think ShapeShifter AE is far superior in this regard.

        Peace
        Alexa

      • Xandercorp

        Alexa, the question is not how flexible ShapeShifter is, but what would give better results. You might be right in this case, SS might do better than E3D. However if the sequence would’ve been done in a 3d program, I’m sure a lot more could’ve been done and then imported in AE using E3D. Obviously you would’ve used a 3d program as well, but the main concern should always be the over all result, not the technique itself. If you want to limit yourself only to AE & plug-ins, that’s fine, it’s your choice, the world will keep on spinning; just don’t expect or try to get others to do the same.

        I was just curious as to why he used it because honestly, and I’ve said this before, SS has become obsolete with Element coming out. A lot of features that having SS compensated for are now a few clicks away with E3D, and since I don’t mind learning a little 3d, I much rather prefer it to SS. SS is very technical, while E3D is more about creating great extrusions, adding in objs, etc fast and having them look great.

        One should understand I’m not saying that SS and E3D cover the same areas of techniques, there are big differences, you’d have to go about it in an entirely different manner if you wanted to create something like this in E3D, but they are comparable because they each extrude text, use textures, handle 3D in AE, etc.

        Each one has it’s pluses and minuses, however out of the two, E3D is the most useful, in my opinion at least, which was why I was asking. Did he find that SS was the better plug-in for this technique in particular? These are the questions one should be asking here because, honestly, AEtuts has always been partial to Mettle and such. Not that I mind, commercialize anyway you can, but the interest from the point of view of the editors should always be:

        Which is the better plug in for this/what technique and why?

      • Alexa

        I think you answered your own question. In this case, the fastest, easiest and most cost-effective way to do what Trevor did is with ShapeShifter AE in After Effects. I do not see how you can achieve what Trevor shows here in Element 3D. Maybe I am wrong. Please create a clip like Trevor did in this tutorial in E3D then post a link. Also, I really do not see how AE Tuts + favors Mettle anymore than any other offering… plug-in or app.

        Peace
        Alexa