AE Animation Effect and Photoshop/Illustrator

I need my video to look animated. I was able to find the proper feel using three or four filters in AfterEffects on the video. I would have liked to Illustrator to Live-Trace the pictures and remove the colors by putting a limit on the amount of colors. I thought 64 colors looked good.

I was unable to go that route because I couldn't get it to automate the process using the Automate tool. I didn't have time to retouch 600 photographs (20 seconds at 30 frames a second)

Audio Warning

I've learned as I'm putting the DVD together that DVD Studio cut off my audio. I had to go back and add as second of silence on the end of my audio to be able to get the last note of music.

Always leave room for that sort of thing.

Brainstorming Exercise

Here is my brainstorming exercise from class:

My Brainstorm
➢ The purpose of my product will be to personalize the experience of dealing with stocks during difficult economic times.
➢ The root word of my product is
• Personal
• Personality
• Humanity
• Knowledgeable
• Wise
• “Bringing humanity back to finances”

Charles Schwab

OK, I have an idea. Here is an example of what I'm trying to create:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTsg9-JOogI


They are selling a service right? That is a product. I like this because the audio is almost nonexistent for the video portion. Also, it will give me a chance to play with AE to use some of the tools I didn't think were appropriate for the first project.

Ideas

The joy of commercials. I have learned an important lesson. All of my ideas are PSAs. I guess if you don't actually want them to buy a product at the end it is not a commercial. I think a call to action would still qualify as a PSA.