How to: Workflow Question for a Project Like "Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden" by The Mill (2013)

[S01200]

Hi there,
I have a question for experienced animators or designers who have worked on projects like "Manhunt: The Search for Bin Laden" (2013) by The Mill.

How do you approach the workflow for sequences with seamless camera movement from scene to scene, similar to this project?

It seems logical to create a large comp design to achieve the smooth transitions, but a big comp might put a lot of pressure on the system(hence time-consuming) and also make it harder to modify the designs.

I am thinking about design frame by frame and then find a way to connect everything together. Still quite fully get the logical approach.

For those who have worked on similar projects in studios, what workflow did you use to manage this kind of design and animation?

Thank you so much for your help in advance

[Kevin-Monahan]

Hello @SK01200,

Thanks for the question. By looking at it, it appears that your workflow concept is how I'd probably approach a project like this. Have camera move around a 3D comp. I do understand your concerns, but have you attempted it yet? Let us know if you have tried any tests yet and share your findings. I hope we can assist you. If anyone has experience on such comps that varies from this general idea, please let the community know.

Thanks,
Kevin

[S01200]

Hi Kevin,

Thanks for your advice. We’re still in the concept phase and testing things out. I’ll create a few frames individually and hand them off to animators. My plan is to extend the canvas in Photoshop to check if the frames connect seamlessly during the camera move. I’ll definitely test and coordinate with the animators to make sure everything works smoothly.

[Rick Gerard · Accepted solution]

Think of each section where the camera pauses as a separate piece of artwork. Each of those pieces would be a separate comp. You can then arrange the individual pieces of artwork in 3D space and animate the camera moves. The last step is to go into each section and then animate the graphics and text.

The trick for this animation style is to organize the artwork on a larger canvas, usually in Illustrator, as a multi-layered file. Then, copy the layers that will move from one camera position to another file so you end up with large layered files with the artwork aligned in the hero position.  

Each of the AI files is imported as a composition retaining layer size. Then, you make the layers 3D if needed and start building your animations.

When each of those comps works as it should, you stack them up and sequence them in your main comp or render them, load them into Premiere Pro, and start editing the move between the animated sections.

I've done a couple hundred projects like your sample for everything from lyric videos (dynamic text animations) to safety and training videos, and they all follow the same basic workflow. Animate the elements that make the shot, then cut the shots together and add the camera moves between shots. Making a storyboard or animating just the camera move on a bunch of nested comps with 3D layers before you start animating the text and graphics will get you started, and working with a larger canvas (comp size) for the segments will help you avoid the problem of lining up layers (comps) with the same lines of text or graphic elements that continue between shots. If the layers all need to be 3D, I edit the camera moves in a main comp from each section of the scene with Collapse Transformations turned on in the nested comps. If I can use position and scale animations to stitch the projects together, I do the editing in Premiere Pro.

[S01200]

Thanks for your insight! That makes sense—treating each section as a separate comp and arranging them in 3D space with a camera move.

Since I’m only handling the design phase and handing everything over to animators, I plan to extend the canvas in Photoshop to check how frames connect. This way, I ensure a logical flow before animation starts.

After reading some background on the project, it seems the creative director designed graphic elements to insert between the main frames, which gives animators more flexibility.

Would this approach still be viable from a workflow perspective?