After Effects: how to create an opening umbrella.

[Matildaaaargh]

Firstly, I'm not entirely sure whether this belongs here on in Graphic Design, so, mods, please move it as necessary.

Right. I have a challenge on my hands. I have an assignment due in on Friday to re-create a 30 second title sequence of a film of my choice in Adobe After Effects. I chose Singin' in the Rain. I am pretty incompetent with A.E. because I didn't take much time to try and learn it, BUT I am good at picking things up if they're explained slowly.

Okay, let's cut to the chase: For part of my idea I want to make this picture:

become this picture:

by way of opening like a normal umbrella. Up and out, type thing.

Does anyone know how I could do this? If I could learn/do this in 3 days and if it's even possible? And if nobody knows, can they point me in the direction of some help?



I can always change my idea to something lame, but that umbrella took me a while in Photoshop and I don't want to waste it.

 

[ezekielrage_99]

A vector of the umbrella in Flash would work the best, you can easily manipulate a vector, get the timing right from the timeline and output it as a MOV if you do it Flash.

 

[Artful Dodger]

A vector of the umbrella in Flash would work the best, you can easily manipulate a vector, get the timing right from the timeline and output it as a MOV if you do it Flash.

Beat me to it…^^^…should be easy to keyframe it by giving it the start and finish points, then fine tune it somewhere in the middle.
Do you know the basics or nothing at all (just want to give you some credit here)? Really the best bet is using a vector, as stated above and it should take you about half an hour since you are unsure of what to do.
Can you import Flash files into AE or not? I don't know since I don't have AE but Flash, that I have…

 

[ezekielrage_99]

I always export my Flash creations to Sorenson Quicktime movies, they are the best quality and work very well with FCP, AE, Combustion, Motion, etc.

I use Flash for any Cel animation I do, the added bonuses are that a vector is very easy to manipulate and retime if you need to, the result no matter what the resolution will always be crisp and I can output the Flash file to web or for broadcast very quickly (either selecting SWF, sequenced image or Quicktime Movie).

Either way Flash can support most industry standard video codecs, so MOV will work pretty well.

I never use Flash for full web sites (it really is redundant) but for web banners, multimedia CDs, Cel Animations there is nothing better for the price (I know there is Toon Boom but it's kind of restrictive and expensive).

 

[Full of Win]

Puppet tool?