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Izzy Video 116 – Two and a Half Dimensions

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Still photos can be powerful additions to your video, and adding movement to the photos can take them to the next level. Today’s episode shows you how to take the movement even further, by using an effect called 2.5D (two-and-a-half dimensions). In this tutorial, I demonstrate how to create the effect using a combination of Photoshop and Motion, but you could just as easily do it in Photoshop and After Effects, or even other software combinations.

The effect is difficult to describe. It’s subtle, and the best way to understand 2.5D is just to see it in action.

You can watch the video here.

As always, the paid members can download an HD version of this video in the member’s area. To learn more about becoming an Izzy Video Member, please visit the membership information page.

Please leave feedback and questions regarding this Izzy Video tutorial right here in the comments.

  • Dana

    Thanks! This is a really cool idea!

  • Dana

    Thanks! This is a really cool idea!

  • Dave Day

    Thank you, an incredible screencast!

  • Dave Day

    Thank you, an incredible screencast!

  • curtis

    Happy New Year! This is another great episode, I really like the way you break things down and make it simple to follow. I’ve seen effect around and always wondered how its done.

    Best wishes for the new year.

  • curtis

    Happy New Year! This is another great episode, I really like the way you break things down and make it simple to follow. I’ve seen effect around and always wondered how its done.

    Best wishes for the new year.

  • Michael Lim

    Brilliant, I have always wondered how to get an effect like 2.5D.

    I don’t have Motion, but by watching how you did it, I tried using Adobe Photoshop elements and Adobe Premier elements, and managed to get a similar effect. I was very happy with the results. I will be using this in future

    How about that special in shooting weddings

    Thanks Izzy

  • Michael Lim

    Brilliant, I have always wondered how to get an effect like 2.5D.

    I don’t have Motion, but by watching how you did it, I tried using Adobe Photoshop elements and Adobe Premier elements, and managed to get a similar effect. I was very happy with the results. I will be using this in future

    How about that special in shooting weddings

    Thanks Izzy

  • Sebastian

    Hi Izzy,

    I enjoyed so much this episode. I know a very little about Motion but with your tutorial was very easy to me to create a video with this effect. Brilliant!

    Motion is a wonderfull software. I wonder if you could deliver more episodes using Motion. I would be great. A proposal: maybe you could explain to us how you did your the introduccion of your videos with the animation of your logo.

    Thank you so much for your work.

  • Sebastian

    Hi Izzy,

    I enjoyed so much this episode. I know a very little about Motion but with your tutorial was very easy to me to create a video with this effect. Brilliant!

    Motion is a wonderfull software. I wonder if you could deliver more episodes using Motion. I would be great. A proposal: maybe you could explain to us how you did your the introduccion of your videos with the animation of your logo.

    Thank you so much for your work.

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    Sebastian – Thanks for the kind words. 2.5D is a fun effect, and it’s not too difficult to pull off.

    I’m planning on doing more Motion tutorials in the future, but I also have to say that I didn’t create the intro videos for my tutorials. I hired Final Echo to do it. If you want to learn about them, please visit finalecho.elance.com.

    Thanks for watching!

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    Sebastian – Thanks for the kind words. 2.5D is a fun effect, and it’s not too difficult to pull off.

    I’m planning on doing more Motion tutorials in the future, but I also have to say that I didn’t create the intro videos for my tutorials. I hired Final Echo to do it. If you want to learn about them, please visit finalecho.elance.com.

    Thanks for watching!

  • http://smorrisonlive.com Scott Morrison

    Great video, i did this one two days ago using 4 pictures, a particle emitter that looks like snow, and a particle emitter that looks like smoke. i plan to do a ten minute short film with this technique and adding video of either myself or other actors in by using a green screen, kind of like the sin city effect.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPcVSDV4XTs

  • http://smorrisonlive.com Scott Morrison

    Great video, i did this one two days ago using 4 pictures, a particle emitter that looks like snow, and a particle emitter that looks like smoke. i plan to do a ten minute short film with this technique and adding video of either myself or other actors in by using a green screen, kind of like the sin city effect.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPcVSDV4XTs

  • gatlin

    Nice work i love your videos

  • gatlin

    Nice work i love your videos

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    Scott,

    You really did a nice job with that video. Thanks for the link!

    Once you finish the short film, please come back and post a link to it, so we can all see it. I’d also like to encourage you to share this test in the community forum at people.izzyvideo.com.

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    Scott,

    You really did a nice job with that video. Thanks for the link!

    Once you finish the short film, please come back and post a link to it, so we can all see it. I’d also like to encourage you to share this test in the community forum at people.izzyvideo.com.

  • Dutch

    is the motion is in the photoshop program or separate program. I alway wonder how 2.5 d work. Thank you very much for tips.

  • Dutch

    is the motion is in the photoshop program or separate program. I alway wonder how 2.5 d work. Thank you very much for tips.

  • http://www.billselak.com Bill

    This reminds me of the Law & Order intro. Very cool idea. I had not used Motion before–thanks for the intro!

  • http://www.billselak.com Bill

    This reminds me of the Law & Order intro. Very cool idea. I had not used Motion before–thanks for the intro!

  • Derek Robinson

    Can you recreate this effect in Final Cut Express?

  • Derek Robinson

    Can you recreate this effect in Final Cut Express?

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t think it would be easy at all without the 3D environment like what’s available in Motion.

  • http://www.izzyvideo.com Izzy

    I suppose it’s possible, but I don’t think it would be easy at all without the 3D environment like what’s available in Motion.