Incredible Faux Slow-Motion Parallax

When I watched this video this morning from London-based film production company Make Productions my mind was blown, my jaw dropped and I just kept thinking about all the detailed work that went into creating such an amazing parallax sequence – all of which was executed perfectly. Take 90-seconds today and be sure to check this out then read on below to find out more details about how it was created. 

Over the years the use of parallax effect to add motion to still images has been a very popular effect. The effect is accomplished by cutting out parts of the image, stacking in layers and then using a software such as Adobe After Effects to animate. Sounds simple, but for those that have done it you realize the amount of time and work that goes into creating these videos and will be able to appreciate this one even more. What really made this one stand out for me was how the animator Joe Fellows used the puppet-warp tool in combination with the parallax effect to create a faux slow-motion effect all done with still image photographs.

Joe says, “There are many layers per shot, the ears, the teeth, the whiskers, the head, the body, the background are all separate layers. Then the layers are parented to one another and moved either by position or by using the puppet tool.”

He went on to explain that it took about a half a day to create each animated sequence except for the the most complicated ones like the  owl and two tigers which took a full day or longer to achieve the effect perfectly. The photos used in the sequence are from the archives of the “World Wildlife Fund” (WWF is the organization that the work was produced for) and are credited on the blog site. Joe has also mentioned that when he has a bit of time he’ll put together a tutorial on showing how the effect was created on one or two of the sequences in the movie. We look forward to seeing it when it comes out!

The film was produced by Daniel Glynn of Ad Hoc Films for WWF. Animated and composited by Joe Fellows of Make Productions.

[Via SLR Lounge]