AE + Simple Shapes + 1000 Keyframes = CRAZY ENOUGH

Proof that all you need are simple shapes (and some great animation chops) to make an incredible animation. Check out this Student-made Title Sequence. It was animated in After Effects using thousands of keyframes. Notice how the shapes look alive. It’s like a Bugs Bunny cartoon with squares and circles! Great work.

UPDATE:
Jr Canest was nice enough to share some screenshots of his AE comp with us. Check out all those keyframes! That’s what it takes to get that level of animation. It’s not scripts, nor expressions, nor plugins. It’s raw keyframe talent.

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52 people have commented on this post. You should too!

  1. galen frazer says:

    wow. that was awesome. love the music.

  2. Richard Cave says:

    Amazing, keep it simple and keep it stupid is all I can say,

    Rich

  3. Pingback: Hell Yeah Dude | Thousands of key frames with some shapes

  4. LOVE IT.

    We need a tutorial on this…

    • Nick A says:

      Just a quick note because I have seen these kind of comments A LOT on here. Nothing personal against you, jrxingram, but I just thought this was a perfect video to point this out.

      A lot of people confuses the learning purpose of a tutorial with a quick way to get shit done and move on. Tutorials are to get you started. To imagine the possibilities. However, if you always count on tutorials to achieve something then you are always depending on somebody else.

      90% of the technical knowledge you need to build this can be learned in nick’s tutorial about keyframes. But creativity, time, and taste is what really makes this animation a great piece of work.

      keyframe tut:
      http://greyscalegorilla.com/blog/2009/03/23/guide-to-keyframes-in-after-effects/

    • thegorilla says:

      Well put Nick. It’s animation skill that makes this video stand out. Study a book on cartoon animation. Learn about squash and stretch and anticipation. These are the things that will help push your animation skills to the next level.

      • jr says:

        Completely agree with ^above comments after reading them and thinking about what you’ve said. Regardless, great work, and great feedback!

      • sawa says:

        Any particular books that you’d recommend? Nn animator’s bookshelf essentials?

      • I’ll have to watch and analyse this video a bunch of times: I’ve got the technical skills to do this video (I think) but if I did it myself … the outcome would be dull.
        I guess there are subtle details like the anticipation as you said – and the slight textures.

        Practise practise..
        Cool to see something impressive without particles and 3d motion!!

        Awesome video!!

  5. mike says:

    hey,that`s great.
    I`m from china shanghai

  6. Arvin says:

    Ha, somewhere maltaanon’s throwing chairs out windows with that many keyframes

  7. This kid is good. His work is really presented well and I like his music selection. I might have to feature it on http://lostringsattached.com/

  8. This kid is good. His work is really presented well and I like his music selection. I might have to feature it.

  9. elena says:

    Hey Nick.. this is that just amazing. Did you know that the boy who made this was the one that win the vfs scholarship last year?. his entry for the scholarship: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KExoP97KUnY
    enjoy..
    big fan of you!
    cheers.

  10. THIS GUY IS R-A-W!!!!

    Inspirational.

  11. Anticipation and Overlap!! Best animation principles that exist. It really makes the elasticity in this project great.

  12. brice dupuy says:

    guess he went over the limit of the “Circle vs. Square” 5 second project and decided to turn it into a title sequence. Credits to Nick for the idea. :)

  13. Onskin says:

    Yeah it’s greattt ;)

  14. Vit says:

    thank you nick for posting! great one to make a like at vimeo :-) and to get inspired for today! totally!

  15. thilo says:

    wow…

    thanx for this post, mr. gorilla

  16. Jek says:

    Man this is great!!!AHHH so good! Anyways I have one question when u do an animation that is similar to this does one start out with the music in mind and the base the animation off of that or the animation first. I notice how well the animation fits in with the music. I am currently doing some animation but I think it would be hard to find a music that would fit well with it. I’m noob at this so yeah some advice would be appreciated.

  17. Charley says:

    Can we get a tutorial on this one?

  18. Cam says:

    Wonderful stuff. Nick, I realize that this uses many of the simple principles from your intro to keyframing tutorial, but maybe you could give us a short pep talk on anticipation, action, and reaction. I think it’s really fundamental and would be beneficial for everyone, novice to veteran.

  19. Aleksey says:

    yeah, although i read all the comments. I still Reckon that a pep talk on the principles of animation from the Gorilla himself should be interesting, I’m sure you got your own take on it.

  20. Wyattstorch says:

    Awesome stuff. The most important part of any FX work; PATIENCE. How long must this project have taken to complete. Imagine the amount of reworking that must have gone into this.

  21. Vit says:

    totally great…thanks for posting nick!

  22. Vit says:

    hey nick…
    nice new article category bar :-) i was checking which i casts i have already seen and done and noticed there’s one missing in category AE tutorials…so if you want to be super perfect correct :-) you can add there also the intro to 3D in AE…or am I wrong about it? :-)
    http://vimeo.com/3536691

  23. Chris Culp says:

    I was super impressed by this and watched it at least 10 times.
    After that I realized it’s time for me to work my ass off too, every day. Get down and dirty and stop spending MORE time looking at cool stuff other people are creating, than creating cool stuff myself.

  24. Pingback: Atmospheric Arts » CRAZY ENOUGH

  25. Jr.canest says:

    WOW! MAN! IM ON THE GEY SCALE GORILLA!!!
    :D
    thanks all for the comments, Its being all great since I won the scholarship, Thanks to God Ive learing a lot and its just amazing to read all the comments, thanks guys! thanks nick! keep it up!
    peace

  26. Jara says:

    amazing, tutorial pls :)

  27. Pingback: Twitted by TheRedOwl

  28. illd says:

    Although I hate keyframes (at least that much ;) ) I applause this animation – Its perfect and it makes me feel good watching it…

  29. Pingback: “Crazy Enough” Title Sequence - DRIFTMINER / Tactical Imaging + Motion Graphics / Orlando, FL

  30. Pingback: The Death of the Keyframe - How expressions are making everything look the same | greyscalegorilla/blog

  31. Kov says:

    At 00:33 i think it would look better with one less keyframe….

    only kidding, very nice indeed. nothing stops moving, very alive and happy! good work

  32. Pingback: theLager//dasBlog » Jr.Canest Showreel

  33. Amr says:

    defiantly crazy enough this is not real !

  34. Oliver says:

    Superb. but still don“t get why people keep asking for a tutorial on this.

  35. Richard says:

    YEAH!!!
    MASSIVE FRAMES
    IT ROCKS…I LOVE TO SEE SO MANY KEYFRAMES.
    That is called digital animation.
    Great Work!

  36. Lukasz says:

    wow… 119 layers and who knows how many more there are!!

  37. Slaughts says:

    JR Canest is my hero! but so is the gorilla!!

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