I created my metamorphosis animation in Adobe Animate. I began by developing a rough storyboard outlining how I wanted the animation to look and sound. I then sourced vector images from Adobe Stock to ensure they were scalable.
In Animate, I started by designing a gradient background and adding a branch image. I used motion tweens to scale and pan across the branch, then added a title with keyframes and a classic tween to adjust the alpha value for fade-in and fade-out effects. I created the eggs using the paintbrush and gradient tools and used the same process of adjusting the alpha values to have them fade-in and fade-out.
Next, I imported a caterpillar image and modified its alpha values to simulate it hatching from the egg. I used motion tweens and the Free Transform tool to animate the caterpillar crawling up the branch and flipping upside down. I then added a chrysalis image, fading it in with alpha value adjustments and using the warp tool with a motion tween to make it appear to shake. The butterfly emerged by fading in and flying off the screen with another motion tween and warp effect. I also added short text titles to label each stage of metamorphosis, fading them in with a classic tween. Finally, I used the camera tool to zoom in on the leaf during the egg stage and zoom out as the butterfly flew away. I exported my animation and imported it into Camtasia to add in my voiceover narration.
Overall, I found this project to be a fun yet challenging learning experience. This was my first time using Adobe Animate, and I found it to be quite different from other Adobe tools I’ve worked with. This project helped deepen my appreciation for how much time and effort goes into creating an animation, even one as short as 15 seconds.