What if try to direct the whole scene in Spine only:
all of the acting, layout, camera, e.t.c.?
And try to use After Effects as few, as possible: for color grading only, for example.
I made experiment to check this idea ...
Alternative Vimeo link on demo reel: https://vimeo.com/898317233
First, I googled a random photo and got this photo from this site. Then, in Spine, I rigged all the stuff and made the animation scene on 935 frames total. Next, exported it separately by layers of planes (actors, props, layouts - for the possibility of post-production in After Effects) to PNG sequences (separate seq for each plane). Finally, I collected all of those sequences in After Effects to compose them back together and make JUST a little color grading and blure some of planes to imitate the changing of camera focus at different planes views.
Compositing multiplane scene inside Spine: parallax constraint of each plane to the single Cam-controller bone. So need to animate only this bone to move all planes:
Paper RIG was made using Arman's* idea + improved by couple of the paper corner shape control tangent bones for the each corner of the paper:
*Arman from SpineEd YouTube channel
Semi-automated shadows: shadow bones nested to main animated bones and automatically moving with this parent bones. If need different shape of shadow in some cases - this shadow bones can adjust/animate shadows shape and feather.
Shadows compositing of man:
Shadows compositing of woman:
Lightsweeps on the parking counter has been driven only by 2 timelines: path constraint percentage for the top part of lightsweep and same for its bottom part.
Ok-ok, if truthly, there's 1 more timeline: rotation of bone, that controls bottom mesh - for the bending of the shape of the lightsweep parts (because 3D shape of counter surface shape) and another 2 timelines for the changing alpha of the lightsweep top and bottom parts.
Dopesheet: Metrics:
Thus, I can say that the production of the main scene was done in Spine ONLY, and I used After Effects only for color correction and camera focus/defocus effect.
To all of you guys,
I wish you strong inspiration, inexhaustible energy to create and success in all your endeavors!
