SparkEffects is a proprietary 3rd-party extension developed in 2016 for GuideSpark, Inc., that runs inside Adobe After Effects and provides motion graphic designers with tools specifically designed to automate time-consuming tasks common in their workflows. On average, these tools provide a time savings of 86%, and in tests, they reduced 3 hours worth of manual (non-creative) work down to just under 30 minutes.
Role: Product Manager, UI/UX, Content Architect
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Unlike most plugins and extensions, SparkEffects is a server-based website rendered inside an After Effects panel, allowing for user authentication, real-time updates, and the tracking of users, operations, and errors.
Content Selection
This feature enables the user to toggle on/off chapters and subchapters within a template, then realign the remaining compositions. In addition to a 71% designer time savings, this tool both ensures an accurate means for selecting content used in a script, and enables producers and other non-designers to use templates to create client-specific demos.
Alignment
With a single click, this feature enables the user to sync visuals to new voice over tracks without adjusting actual animation. Templates can prove critical when the same stories are being told for multiple clients, yet with inevitable script changes, new VOs are recorded, requiring designers to make sure visuals hit each and every beat. In tests, SparkEffects' Alignment tool reduced the time to make these adjustments from just over 10 minutes to under 40 seconds, providing a time savings of 94% to designers.
Comp Creator
This feature enables the user to quickly set up the composition structure for an entire project just based on a set of imported voice over files. Although this tool provides a time savings of 93%, its primary objective is one of accuracy; chapter and subchapter compositions are built according to spec with one click.
Project Renamer
This feature enables the user to rename all chapter and subchapter compositions in the Project Panel, as well as composition layers, VO layers, and VO layer markers (cues). Though primarily used when creating templates or custom projects, Project Renamer is especially useful when content is inserted or deleted, altering a project's naming structure. Although this tool provides a time savings of 99% – roughly 119 times faster than working manually – its primary objective is one of accuracy. As with all automation, adherence to naming conventions is paramount to tools working as expected, so we built a tool to do this as well.
Project Organizer
With one click this tool builds the appropriate folder structure in the Project Panel and sorts all project assets accordingly. In addition, it builds out any key render compositions that might be missing, and also places all missing footage, assets without extensions in their file names, and assets with altered file names in a '*To Be Fixed' folder. With this tool, picking up projects from contractors and 3rd-parties is as easy as if they were on your team.
Export Collect
Like After Effects 'Collect Files', Export Collect exports a clean project without excess assets. Unique to this tool is it exports them to the company's standardized project folder structure. In addition, this tool also transfer storyboards, scripts, and dailies over to the new folder structure as well.
Publishing
This feature enables the user to both upload an MP4 to the correct project folder on the company's DAM (Digital Asset Management system) as well as to a specific client's microsite. This process also confirms video and audio specs, renames the MP4 file according to convention, and posts a link to the project management system's message board.
Project Archiver
This feature enables the user to both upload a project ZIP to the correct project folder on the company's DAM (Digital Asset Management system). This process also renames the MP4 file according to convention and posts a link to the project management system's message board.