Reading and Writing
Book: Animated Storytelling
Simple Steps for Creating Animation & Motion Graphics by Liz Blazer (Second Edition)
In Chapter 2 of Animated Storytelling, Liz Blazer explains that the secret to great animation is staying focused. She suggests creating a roadmap before you start animating to find your project’s main goal. This means narrowing your story down to just one sentence and setting simple rules, like using only a few colors. This helps you figure out what your story is truly about and fix any mistakes on paper first.
Chapters 3 through 5 show how to turn these ideas into a real plan. I learned how to explore different ways to tell a story, how to use storyboards to map out the action, and how to pick colors that match the mood. All these steps help make sure that when I start the technical work, I have a strong story to follow.
In my self-video, I applied the principles of planning and storytelling this week to create a professional narrative that balances my career background with my personal interests.
Here is how I used these concepts in my video:
I used a clear, focused roadmap to introduce myself as a designer who works at the intersection of graphic design and crafting.
I condensed 20 years of experience into a fast-moving narrative, touching on my background in layout, typography, e-commerce, and higher education.
I highlighted my professional calling in education, specifically my 15+ years at BCC and my current goal of pursuing a master’s degree at Quinnipiac University to become a full-time faculty member in higher ed.
I ended with a personal touch by sharing that I am a mom, a dog lover to my doodle Teddy, and a kayaker, which helps build a well-rounded image.
I finished with a direct request to connect on LinkedIn to discuss interactive design and branding.
Research to Inform
Why This Project Inspires Me
This project is a great example of how to blend text and video naturally. I love how the words move perfectly to the beat of the music. It’s exactly what I want to do in After Effects, making my text and visuals feel like they belong together.
Why This Project Inspires Me
This project is a great example of how to use text as a graphic element. I especially like the pop-out text that appears over the gameplay. It shows me how to use After Effects to make important information stand out while keeping the video looking clean and professional.
Why This Project Inspires Me
This project is a great example of how smooth transitions can make text feel alive. I love the variety of ways the letters slide, bounce, and fade into the frame. It’s a perfect reference for my After Effects work because it shows how different movement styles can change the “mood” of a video, making it feel more energetic and fun.
My Creative Process – Getting Back into After Effects
Making this video was a great trip down memory lane. It had been a while since I used After Effects for animation, so I found myself leaning on Professor Golden’s tutorials and YouTube to get back up to speed.
Because I had so many layers, my computer actually started to freeze up on me! To fix that, I had to close my other apps and split the project into four different compositions to keep everything running smoothly. I found the opacity and transform properties to be the most useful tools for introducing new layers and keeping the motion fluid. The text presets were also a total lifesaver once I got the hang of them!
I really enjoyed mixing new footage I shot this week with older clips and stock images, I even included a photo of Westminster Hall, which i spent most of my time at, from my time at Bloomfield College. I’m really happy with how the transitions turned out, especially the “zoom” into my phone to show the past. To make the video even better, I reached out to one of my good DJ friends to get some cool audio for the intro and ending. To top it all off, I used Avaturn to create a 3D avatar of myself for the finale. It was a lot of trial and error, but it really helped bring my story to life! Enjoy
