Visual reference built from this pack’s source asset. AI-generated shark; reference assembly and motion proof produced outside Photoshop. Not a Photoshop screenshot or evidence of an end-to-end Photoshop test.
Your production brief
You are producing an opening identity for FIELD NOTES, a fictional documentary series. The subject should emerge from the water before the title appears. The mood is curiosity and scale—not a shark attack. Use the supplied image to construct the design; do not submit the reference artwork as your work.
Deliver: a layered still master, a 1920 × 1080 PNG, a layered motion copy, a 960 × 540 animated GIF, and a short practical revision. The ten-class boot camp continues with the sneaker and magazine builds; this package covers only its first three classes.
Teacher-review pilot: the source pack, diagrams/reference views, instructions, assessment, and motion proof are built. The full sequence has not yet been run inside Photoshop. A teacher pilot is needed for selection behaviour, exact UI differences, and classroom timing. Brush marks and installed fonts will not match the reference pixel-for-pixel.
Start with these assets
01_shark_source.png · 1536 × 1024 · AI-generated teaching image, not a real wildlife photograph.Save the shark source image
One subject. Everything else has a job.
You will build the water gradient, glow, beams, particles, typography, and graphic accent. There are no paid stock files, external fonts, secret presets, or plug-ins required.
Fonts: use installed Arial Regular/Bold. An installed similar sans serif is acceptable; adjust line width and spacing rather than distorting the letters. No font files are included.
Optional only:02_surface_texture.jpg is a crop from the same generated image. It is available for a later texture variation; it is not used in the main reference build.
Original fictional brief and instructions. No Discovery/Shark Week logos or claim of affiliation. This is an art-production exercise, not a shark-biology lesson.
Read these directions correctly
SELECT identifies the exact layer, group, or thumbnail. DO gives the actions. WHY / CHECK / FIX explain the purpose, the visible result, and a common recovery. Coordinates refer to the 1920 × 1080 canvas, with (0,0) at its upper-left—not your monitor.
On Windows use Ctrl and Alt; on Mac use Cmd and Option where paired. Menu names are the reliable alternative. Confirm text and transformations with their checkmarks before switching tools. Save at every checkpoint.
Six-second motion proof and editable source files.
These are planning estimates, not measured student completion times. Extensions replace spare practice; they do not extend the three-class core.
Class 1 / 60 minutes
Construct the water. Isolate the shark.
Builds on: opening and saving a file. New: layer targets, gradients, constructed light, selections, and reversible mask repair.
01
Open the job, not the reference image
SELECT: A new, empty document TOOLS / ROUTE: File > New; Window > Layers / Properties / Character
Extract the ZIP first. Open the student guide and keep the assets folder beside your working folder. Do not edit the reference artwork.
Choose File > New. Set 1920 × 1080 pixels, RGB Color, 8 Bits/Channel, 72 pixels/inch, white background, and sRGB IEC61966-2.1 where the profile is offered. Turn Artboards off. Create the document.
Choose File > Save As and save a local Photoshop document named Lastname_Below_Surface_Master.psd. Keep layers enabled. This is a screen project; its pixel dimensions matter more than the resolution label.
Open Layers, Properties, and Character from the Window menu. Use Ctrl+0 / Cmd+0 to fit the document on screen. Press V for Move and turn Auto-Select off in the Options bar.
WhyWe build the design from separate components so the client can request changes later. The reference is a visual target, not a shortcut to the finished work.
CheckYou have a blank 16:9 canvas and a saved PSD, not the supplied shark image renamed as your master.
FixPanels missing? Use Window to reopen them. An image opens instead of a blank document? Return to File > New.
02
Build the deep-water background
SELECT: Above the locked Background layer TOOLS / ROUTE: Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient
Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > Gradient. Name it Water depth; leave clipping unchecked. Click OK.
Click the gradient preview. Use a solid, two-colour gradient. Set the lower colour stop at 0% to #020911 and the stop at 100% to #0c3a4b. Keep both opacity stops at 100%. Confirm the editor.
Set Style: Linear; Angle: 90°; Scale: 100%. Enable Dither when offered. The top should be teal and the bottom almost black. Use Reverse only if that order is reversed. Confirm.
Double-click the fill thumbnail once to reopen its controls, then cancel. You should be able to revisit the colours without painting over the background.
WhyA controlled gradient establishes a dark underwater space before we introduce the subject.
CheckThe bottom is darker than the top and Water depth has an editable fill thumbnail.
FixA new selection is constraining the gradient? Choose Select > Deselect, remove that accidental fill layer, and repeat.
SELECT: A new pixel layer ABOVE Water depth TOOLS / ROUTE: Brush; foreground colour; layer opacity
Click the New Layer icon at the bottom of Layers. Name the empty layer Surface glow. Click its image thumbnail.
Click the foreground-colour swatch and enter #5cb1be. Select the Brush tool, not Mixer Brush. Choose Soft Round; set Size 1200 px, Hardness 0%, Mode Normal, Opacity 35%, Flow 100%. Turn pen-pressure controls off when using a mouse.
At roughly x500, y50, click once. Do not scrub repeatedly. The light should spread softly into the upper-left water.
Adjust Surface glow layer opacity only if necessary. Keep the lower third dark for the title. Save.
Checkpoint: depth gradient and upper-left glow. Brush falloff will vary slightly between builds.
WhyThe visible light source gives our later rays and subject treatment a shared direction.
CheckA soft pool of light is strongest near the upper-left edge; it does not bleach the whole canvas.
FixA hard circle appears? Set Hardness to 0%, undo that stamp, and click again. Nothing appears? Check that you selected a pixel thumbnail and not a mask.
04
Draw three beams before softening them
SELECT: A new pixel layer ABOVE Surface glow TOOLS / ROUTE: Polygonal Lasso; Edit > Fill; Select > Deselect
Create a layer named Light rays. Set the foreground colour to #c0f0f5. Select Polygonal Lasso from the Lasso tool group. Use New Selection, Feather 0 px, Anti-alias on.
Switch on View > Rulers, right-click a ruler, and choose Pixels. Each coordinate below is approximate canvas position, not the screen location.
Click four points for beam 1: (320,0), (390,0), (1260,900), (840,900), then click your first point to close it. Choose Edit > Fill > Foreground Color, Normal, 100%. Choose Select > Deselect.
Repeat on the SAME layer for beam 2: (500,0), (550,0), (1540,780), (1240,780). Repeat for beam 3: (155,0), (220,0), (580,740), (350,740). Deselect after each fill.
Annotated construction: the three filled beam shapes before blur.
WhyWe start with simple shapes that expand away from the light source. Their hardness is temporary.
CheckThree pale, sharp-edged beams fan down and right. There are no marching ants remaining.
FixA selection closes incorrectly? Press Esc and begin it again. Do not try to repair a complicated accidental polygon.
05
Turn the shapes into underwater light
SELECT: Light rays image thumbnail; then its mask TOOLS / ROUTE: Smart Object; Gaussian Blur; gradient mask; grouping
Right-click Light rays and choose Convert to Smart Object. Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur, set 24 px, and confirm. Set the layer opacity to 18%.
With no selection active, click Add Layer Mask. Click the new white mask thumbnail. Set foreground to black and background to white explicitly using the colour swatches.
Select Gradient. Choose Classic Gradient if the mode selector is present, Foreground to Background, Linear, Normal, Opacity 65%, and Reverse off. Drag from approximately (960,1050) to (960,200). The lower ends fade more than the upper ends.
Select Light rays, Surface glow, and Water depth together in Layers. Press Ctrl+G / Cmd+G. Name the group 01 OCEAN. Keep the locked white Background outside it.
Checkpoint: the constructed water and three softened beams.
WhyThe blur remains adjustable. The separate mask controls where we see the beams, rather than permanently deleting their lower ends.
CheckThe rays feel like light, not solid ribbons. You can reopen Gaussian Blur and select the rays mask separately.
FixThe top disappears instead? Undo the gradient and reverse your drag. The image becomes black and white? You painted on the wrong thumbnail; undo and select the mask.
SELECT: Above 01 OCEAN, outside the group TOOLS / ROUTE: File > Place Embedded; Edit > Free Transform
Collapse 01 OCEAN and select the group. Choose File > Place Embedded and open assets/01_shark_source.png. Confirm placement.
Rename the new layer Shark - source. Choose Edit > Free Transform. Keep width and height linked. Enter 1536 px into Width (include the px unit); Height should be 1024 px.
Enable the transform reference-point control if hidden and select its centre point. Enter X 960 px; Y 532 px. Commit with the checkmark. This positions the original image’s top-left near (192,20).
Do not rasterize or remove the background yet. Keep the original asset untouched in its folder.
The source is placed at its known size. The rectangular background is removed in the next steps.
WhyA consistent placement makes the later close-ups and layout guides useful. The source has enough pixels for this size.
CheckThe shark still sits inside a rectangular blue image. That rectangle is expected at this stage.
FixOnly percent fields appear? Enter the explicit px unit. The source is inside OCEAN? Drag its layer above and outside the group.
Select Object Selection from the W tool group. Use Rectangle mode and Sample All Layers off. Draw a loose rectangle around the whole shark, including both lower fins and the tail.
Inspect the eye/head outline, dorsal fin, both lower fins, tail tips, and the blue-water gaps around the fins. These are the areas that matter; do not assume the first result is complete.
Use Quick Selection with a brush around 35 px to add a missed part. Hold Alt / Option while brushing to subtract unwanted background. Work in short strokes.
If automatic selection is unavailable, use the Lasso or Polygonal Lasso with short segments at 200% zoom, then continue to the same refinement step. Do not use Generative Fill to replace the subject.
Selection target annotated on the actual supplied source; not an application screenshot.
WhyAutomatic selection is a starting proposal. Your job is to verify and improve it.
CheckMarching ants enclose the shark, not the whole rectangular photograph. The fin tips remain included.
FixA gap fills with water? Subtract that area with Quick Selection. A small fin is missed? Add it before making the mask.
SELECT: The selected shark TOOLS / ROUTE: Select > Select and Mask
Choose Select > Select and Mask. Start in On Black view and zoom in. For this hard-edged subject, start with Smooth 2; Feather 0.5 px; Contrast 10%; Shift Edge -5%.
Compare On Black with On White. Reduce the magnitude of Shift Edge if a thin fin starts disappearing. These values are a starting point, not a score to copy blindly.
Leave Decontaminate Colors off for this first version. Set Output To: Layer Mask, then OK. If your version offers only Selection, choose it, then use Layer > Layer Mask > Reveal Selection.
Save. Do not apply the mask permanently. We need its thumbnail for further repair.
Checkpoint: the isolated shark placed in the constructed scene. Its bright source lighting is not matched yet.
WhyA mask lets you restore missed areas later. Small edge adjustments are more useful here than a large blur.
CheckThe blue rectangle is gone. Shark - source has an image thumbnail AND a black-and-white mask thumbnail.
FixThe shark disappears and the background stays? Select the mask and use Image > Adjustments > Invert once, then inspect again.
Return to Select and Mask from the mask’s Properties panel. Compare On White and On Black around the nose, dorsal fin, and lower fins. Cancel the dialog if you make no changes.
In the main workspace, click the shark mask. Choose Brush, Round, Hardness 80%, Size 8–15 px, Opacity 100%, Flow 100%, Mode Normal.
Set foreground to black and remove small background remnants. Press X to switch to white and restore a missed subject edge. Use a smaller brush near the fin tips; inspect at 100% afterward.
For a quick understanding test, hide a tiny patch on the middle of a fin, then restore it using white on the SAME mask, without Undo. Finish with the fin intact. Save.
Reference edge against a light background. Compare the companion dark-background view in the browser.
WhyThe background can hide selection mistakes. A second viewing background reveals them, and mask painting makes the repair reversible.
CheckThe nose is smooth; the fins are intact; you can explain which thumbnail receives the brush marks.
FixThe shark gets black paint? Undo and click the mask, not the image. The whole layer fades? Restore layer opacity and use the local mask instead.
Choose Layer > New Adjustment Layer > Curves. Name it Shark - tone. Check Use Previous Layer to Create Clipping Mask in the New Layer dialog.
In Curves Properties, keep the channel at RGB. Add a lower-midtones point and enter Input 80, Output 58. Add another point at Input 160, Output 134. Set the upper endpoint to Input 255, Output 226. Keep the lower endpoint at (0,0).
Toggle the adjustment’s eye. Look at the shark AND the water. The shark should darken; the water should not change.
Retain visible detail around the eye, mouth, and leading fin. Reduce the correction if your mask or source treatment differs.
Compare the starting cutout with the target after tone, tint and depth adjustments (steps 11–13).
WhyWe are matching an image to a setting, not turning down the brightness of everything.
CheckThe Curves layer is indented with a clipping indicator. Toggling it changes only the shark.
FixThe water changes too? Select Shark - tone and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask. Ensure it sits immediately above the shark inside its group.
SELECT: Inside 02 SHARK, above Shark - tone TOOLS / ROUTE: Solid Color fill; clipping; opacity
Choose Layer > New Fill Layer > Solid Color. Name it Shark - colour. Choose #3d7e8f.
Select this fill layer and choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask. It should join the same clipped stack as Shark - tone; the Shark - source layer is the base.
Set the fill’s blend mode to Normal and opacity to 12%. Compare it on and off. This light tint should connect the shark with the scene without flattening its texture.
Save. Leave this fill adjustable; do not merge it into the shark.
WhyA small, revisable tint is easier to control than painting directly over the entire subject.
CheckThe shark retains grey skin and light belly detail. The water and future lettering are unaffected.
FixThe shark becomes a solid teal silhouette? Its colour-fill opacity is still 100%, or the clipping relationship is wrong.
SELECT: 02 SHARK GROUP mask, not the source mask TOOLS / ROUTE: Gradient mask; gradient opacity
Collapse 02 SHARK and select its group row. With no selection active, click Add Layer Mask to add a white mask to the group.
Click that group mask. Set foreground black and background white. Choose Gradient, Classic Gradient when offered, Foreground to Background, Linear, Normal, Opacity 80%, Reverse off.
Drag horizontally from approximately (1840,520) toward (1290,520). This makes the far-right tail less prominent while preserving the face.
At 100% view, check that the tail still exists. Undo and extend or soften the transition if it looks abruptly cut off. Do not paint on the source mask to create this atmospheric fade.
Checkpoint: the shark is darker, slightly tinted, and less prominent toward the tail.
WhyThe source mask controls the silhouette. A second, group-level mask controls the subject’s visibility through the water.
CheckThe face stays clear while the rear gradually fades. Both the source mask and group mask remain editable.
FixThe face fades instead? Undo and reverse the drag direction. The tail vanishes sharply? Make the gradient longer and retain the 80% setting.
SELECT: A new pixel layer inside 01 OCEAN, at the TOP of that group TOOLS / ROUTE: Brush Settings; spacing; scattering
Expand 01 OCEAN. Create a pixel layer above Light rays named Water particles. Keep it below 02 SHARK in the overall stack.
Choose a round brush and foreground #a7d7e1. Start with Size 3 px, Hardness 80%, Opacity 25%, Flow 100%. Open Window > Brush Settings.
Set Brush Tip Shape > Spacing 200%. Enable Shape Dynamics: Size Jitter 70%, Control Off. Enable Scattering: Scatter 500%, Both Axes on, Count 1. Turn off pen-pressure controls for a mouse.
Paint three short strokes in the open water, avoiding the shark’s face and the title area. Stop before it looks like a snowstorm. Return brush scattering and dynamics to off before later mask editing.
Checkpoint: restrained particles, with the face and lower title area kept clear.
WhyThe same brush engine can repair a mask or create a texture; the settings and target change its job.
CheckThere are sparse, varied small specks in the water. They do not obscure the main subject.
FixParticles line up evenly? Check Scattering and Spacing. Your next mask repair sprays dots? Restore an ordinary round brush and disable dynamics.
15
Build the live title
SELECT: ABOVE 02 SHARK, outside all existing groups TOOLS / ROUTE: Horizontal Type; Character; guides; Move
Set vertical guide near x130 and horizontal guides near y690 and y750. Use View > Guides > New Guide, or drag from the rulers.
Select Horizontal Type and click once. Type BELOW THE. In Character, use Arial Bold, 48 px, Tracking 160, colour #bddde5. Commit with the Options-bar checkmark. Move the visible top-left of the letters near (134,691).
Create a SECOND live Type layer reading SURFACE. Use Arial Bold, 188 px, Tracking 16, colour #edf6f7. Commit and place its visible top-left near (122,757).
Select both Type layers and group them as 03 TITLE. Keep the group above the shark so that the lettering overlaps the lower fin. Use the visual checkpoint for spacing; installed font metrics may vary.
A placement guide over the same scene; outlines are teaching annotations, not part of the design.
WhySeparate live text layers give us precise control now and make a title change possible later.
CheckTwo T thumbnails remain. The word SURFACE is readable and sits in front of the fin, not beneath it.
FixThe letters stretch? Reset horizontal and vertical scale to 100% in Character. Type is unexpectedly huge? Enter the explicit px unit, not just a number.
SELECT: SURFACE Type layer inside 03 TITLE TOOLS / ROUTE: Layer > Layer Style > Gradient Overlay / Drop Shadow
Select SURFACE. Choose Layer > Layer Style > Gradient Overlay. Click the effect NAME to see its controls.
Use Normal, Opacity 100%, Linear, Angle 90°, Scale 100%. Edit the two colour stops so the letter tops are #e9f6f9 and their bottoms #6ca5b5. Reverse if the preview shows the opposite order.
In the same dialog, select Drop Shadow. Use Multiply, black, Opacity 45%, Angle 90°, Use Global Light off, Distance 8 px, Spread 0%, Size 12 px. Confirm.
Double-click the SURFACE T thumbnail, confirm you can still edit the text, then leave it unchanged and commit.
Checkpoint: two live text layers with a restrained finish. Reference lettering uses an Arial-compatible rendering.
WhyThe gradient gives the title a surface treatment; the soft shadow separates it from the scene. Neither requires deleting the live text.
CheckThe word has a subtle tonal transition and a soft shadow, not a thick cartoon outline.
FixChanging the shadow changes other effects? Turn Use Global Light off for this effect. The colour stays flat? Check whether another overlay is hiding the gradient.
SELECT: New layers ABOVE 03 TITLE TOOLS / ROUTE: Type; Rectangle shape; grouping
Create the following separate live text layers, using the approximate visible top-left locations shown below. Use Arial Bold for the top line and episode label; Arial Regular for the others.
FIELD NOTES / OCEAN DOCUMENTARIES: 20 px, tracking 150, #97cfd7, near (136,86). ENTER THEIR WORLD.: 23 px, tracking 170, #d7e9ed, near (139,939).
A FICTIONAL CLASSROOM PRODUCTION: 14 px, tracking 140, #7aa3b1, near (139,1008). EPISODE 01: 17 px, tracking 60, #97cfd7, near (1660,950). Keep every line inside the canvas.
Choose Rectangle in Shape mode. Create a 150 × 4 px accent near (138,915), fill #ba783e, no stroke. Group these copy and accent layers as 04 COPY above 03 TITLE.
Full visual reference assembled from the supplied source and the documented treatments. It is not a Photoshop screenshot.
WhyThis becomes a believable programme identity rather than an unlabelled image effect. All brands and copy here are fictional.
CheckThe title, subtitle, small production label, and episode number are present; none compete with the shark’s face.
FixThe small copy looks cramped? Adjust spacing before shrinking it further. A rectangle paints pixels? Change the shape tool mode to Shape.
Save the PSD with all layers intact. Choose File > Export > Export As; export a 1920 × 1080 PNG, with sRGB conversion where offered, named Lastname_Below_Surface_Still.png. Open it to inspect the actual output.
Now choose Image > Duplicate, name it Lastname_Below_Surface_Revision, and leave Duplicate Merged Layers Only unchecked if shown. Save the duplicate as a PSD.
Complete the short Client revision task in the assessment section without following a new recipe. This is separate from matching the reference.
Return to the MASTER after the check. The original tagline and colour treatment should remain there for the motion build.
WhyThe editable master, final image, and revision evidence are different files with different purposes.
CheckThe PNG opens correctly, the master still contains live type and masks, and your revision is a separate PSD.
FixOnly a flat image remains? Reopen the master PSD. Exporting a PNG should not replace the layered master.
Builds on: your finished still. New: frame states, position/opacity changes, tweening, timing, and a checked motion export.
19
Prepare a motion copy without flattening the master
SELECT: A duplicate of the finished MASTER TOOLS / ROUTE: Image > Duplicate; Convert to Smart Object
Duplicate the MASTER using Image > Duplicate. Name it Lastname_Below_Surface_Motion, keep merged-only duplication off, and save as a PSD.
In this motion copy only, right-click 04 COPY and choose Convert to Smart Object. Repeat SEPARATELY for 03 TITLE, 02 SHARK, and 01 OCEAN. Do not select all four and convert them together.
Keep the same top-to-bottom order: COPY, TITLE, SHARK, OCEAN, Background. The composition should not visibly change.
Double-click one Smart Object thumbnail to see that its components are inside. Close that child document without making edits and return to the motion copy.
WhyWe animate four manageable pieces, while the masks, adjustments, and live text remain inside their own objects. The original master is also preserved.
CheckYou have four separately selectable objects—not one flattened picture.
FixOnly one object exists? Undo and convert the groups separately. You opened the wrong tab? Return to the document whose name ends Motion.
SELECT: Frame 1 in Timeline; then SHARK, TITLE and COPY TOOLS / ROUTE: Window > Timeline; Create Frame Animation; opacity; Move
Open Window > Timeline. From the centre dropdown choose Create Frame Animation, then click the button itself. Do NOT choose Make Frames From Layers.
Keep only the first frame selected. For each animated object, leave the Unify Position / Visibility / Style controls off and uncheck Propagate Frame 1 where shown. These options can copy changes into other frames.
Select 02 SHARK. Use Move, Auto-Select off, and press Shift+Right Arrow 12 times to move it 120 px right. Set its Opacity to 0%. Keep its eye switched ON.
Set 03 TITLE and 04 COPY to 0% opacity, also with eyes on. OCEAN remains visible at 100%. This is state A.
State A: only the constructed water and atmosphere.
WhyAn animation frame records a configuration of layers. We begin before the subject and title are revealed.
CheckThe canvas shows only water and light. There is one frame in Timeline.
FixEverything becomes separate frames? Undo Make Frames From Layers. Frame Animation uses the whole layered composition in every frame.
SELECT: The newly duplicated Timeline frame each time TOOLS / ROUTE: Duplicate Selected Frames; Move; opacity
Select frame A and click Duplicate Selected Frames at the bottom of Timeline. This is frame B. Set SHARK opacity to 100% and press Shift+Left Arrow 12 times to return it 120 px left. TITLE and COPY stay at 0%.
Duplicate B to create C. Leave the shark in place. Set TITLE and COPY opacity to 100%.
Duplicate C to create D. Do not change its appearance; this separate frame will hold the finished title.
Click A, B, C, and D in turn. A is water only; B adds the shark; C and D show the finished design. Fix those four states before adding intermediate frames.
State B: the shark has emerged and reached its final position; the title has not appeared yet.
WhyFirst establish the important moments. In-between frames are much easier to manage when the endpoints are correct.
CheckFour frames exist. Only the shark changes position between A and B; only title/copy opacity changes between B and C.
FixChanging one frame changes all four? Check Unify controls and Propagate Frame 1, turn them off, then rebuild the affected states.
SELECT: Timeline endpoints; all four animated layer states TOOLS / ROUTE: Tween animation frames
In Timeline, click frame 1, then hold Shift and click frame 2 so the original A and B are selected. Choose Tween from the panel menu or the Tween icon.
Set Tween With: Selection; Frames to Add: 9; Layers: All Layers. Check Position and Opacity; uncheck Effects. Confirm. B is now frame 11.
Select the now-adjacent frames 11 and 12 (B and C). Repeat Tween with the same settings and add 9 more frames.
You should now have 22 frames. A = 1; B = 11; C = 21; D = 22. Do not use the old frame numbers after inserting new frames.
Frame-number and timing schematic. Verify the endpoint frames before exporting.
WhyTweening fills the gap between states by changing the selected properties incrementally. It does not animate the shark’s anatomy.
CheckThe shark fades and drifts into place over frames 1–11. The lettering appears over frames 11–21. The last two frames look alike.
FixThe title appears too early? Inspect B at frame 11: TITLE and COPY should still be at 0%. Correct endpoints, then rebuild that tween section.
SELECT: All Timeline frames, then A and D separately TOOLS / ROUTE: Frame delay; looping; playback
Select all 22 frames using Timeline’s panel menu. Open the delay menu beneath a selected thumbnail and set 0.1 seconds for all frames.
Select only frame 1. Set its delay to 0.5 seconds. Select only frame 22. Choose Other from its delay menu and enter 3.5 seconds.
Set looping to Once. The nominal total is 0.5 + (20 × 0.1) + 3.5 = 6.0 seconds.
Press Play, watch the whole sequence, and stop. The finished title needs enough time to read. Save the motion PSD.
States C and D show the completed title. D supplies the long reading hold.
WhyTiming is part of the communication: a reveal followed by a readable hold, not an endless rapid flash.
CheckWater → emerging shark → title → hold. No object abruptly jumps to another position.
FixThe whole animation pauses 3.5 seconds on every frame? You changed the delay while all frames were selected. Reset all to 0.1, then set A and D individually.
SELECT: The MOTION document TOOLS / ROUTE: File > Export > Save for Web / Save for Web (Legacy)
Choose File > Export > Save for Web, labelled Save for Web (Legacy) in some versions. Select GIF; use an Adaptive or Selective palette, 256 colours, and a dithered preset.
Set output Width 960 px with proportions linked; Height becomes 540 px. Turn Transparency off for this full-frame design. Set Looping Options to Once.
Preview, then save as Lastname_Below_Surface_Opener.gif. Open the exported GIF in a browser. Refresh to replay. Confirm the reveal and final hold.
Submit the MASTER PSD, Still PNG, MOTION PSD, Opener GIF, and the short revision evidence. The GIF is a classroom motion proof; a full-resolution video/sound package is not required in these three classes.
WhyExport is a checkable delivery step. A correct timeline is not enough if the saved file does not play as intended.
CheckThe saved GIF is 960 × 540, plays once, and holds the readable final frame. Your editable PSDs are still present.
FixOnly a still exports? Use Save for Web from the motion document—not Export As PNG. No Timeline on this school build? Use the documented three-frame fallback with your teacher.
Work in your Revision PSD, not the master. You may use a tool/menu reference, but do not ask a partner to make the changes. This check is about control, not matching a preferred colour.
Client request
What to demonstrate
“Change the line to LOOK CLOSER.”
Edit the existing live tagline. Keep the other copy unchanged.
“The shark looks too blue.”
Reduce only the subject’s colour treatment. Preserve the water and title colours.
“Show me that the fin can be repaired.”
On your mask, temporarily hide a tiny interior patch of a fin; restore it without Undo or reopening the source. Finish with an intact fin.
Show the layered result and explain the targets you chose. Take one layer-panel capture and one close-up only if your teacher is not observing directly. A picture of the finished title alone does not prove these techniques.
How this is evaluated
Evidence
Independent target
Editable construction / 4
The requested copy changes through the existing Type layer; the file remains organized and layered.
Mask control / 4
The fin is restored through the correct mask without permanent damage; the student explains black/white control.
Targeted correction / 4
Only the shark’s colour changes; the student identifies the correction and clipping relationship.
Scale: 4 = independent transfer and diagnosis; 3 = accurate independent use in this comparable task; 2 = partial control with corrective prompting; 1 = needs step-by-step help. Not observed is separate from 1. The /12 total is a local checkpoint, not an official course-outcome mapping.
Motion check: assess emergence, title reveal, readable hold, and successful export separately as delivery feedback. Do not lower a Photoshop-skill grade because a school installation lacks an animation feature.
Watch the motion reference
A six-second reference animation assembled outside Photoshop from the same visual layers. It demonstrates timing and reveal order, not a tested export from Photoshop. The still images below show the four endpoint states.
A / water onlyB / shark revealedC / title and copy revealedD / identical appearance, longer hold
Same build. Different depth.
Communication 11
Complete the common build, preserve the supplied copy and layout, and make the practical revision. Use the coordinate guides and teacher demonstrations freely during the tutorial. The independent check is a separate moment.
Multimedia 12
Complete the same build and revision. When core work is secure, make one controlled variant: reduce an edge fringe more precisely, change the lighting mood while protecting the subject’s identity, or vary reveal timing and explain its effect. The reference does not replace your judgment.
Optional texture variation — not used in the main reference
In a duplicate still, place 02_surface_texture.jpg directly above SURFACE inside 03 TITLE. Choose Layer > Create Clipping Mask, scale it to cover the word, try Soft Light at 15–25%, and check whether it improves or reduces readability. Keep the Type layer live. This is a separate variant, not a missing step in the main example.
When Timeline is unavailable
Keep the layered master. In a duplicate file, export three PNG states: water only, water + shark, and the complete title. Record the intended durations on a simple storyboard. The teacher can evaluate the same compositing and editability skills; animation delivery is deferred rather than fabricated.
Next in the ten-class boot camp
Classes 4–6: the sneaker release graphic. Classes 7–9: the magazine cover. Class 10: the independent change brief. Formal art/design theory follows that practical introduction. This pack does not claim to contain those later lessons.
Sources, assets, and limits
Original classroom production: the fictional FIELD NOTES brief, composition, class tasks, and assessment were developed for this lesson. Photoshop operations were checked against the Adobe references below on 17 September 2026. This is not a translated chapter or a reproduction of an existing Shark Week tutorial.
Book reference: Gary Bradley, Mastering Adobe Photoshop 2026, 2nd edition, Chapter 8, printed pp. 275–282 (PDF pp. 306–313), supports the underlying frame/opacity/tween workflow. The original source exercise uses a different subject and branding; its assets and wording are not reproduced here.
Asset provenance: 01_shark_source.png is AI-generated for this teaching pack. 02_surface_texture.jpg is a crop of its upper strip. The masks and reference composites were constructed programmatically from that same image. No web stock photograph was downloaded or included. Do not label these synthetic visuals as wildlife evidence.
Validation: package files, references, layout, and animation timing are checked programmatically. Exact Photoshop behaviour, the end-to-end student build, and three-class pacing still require a teacher pilot. No native exemplar PSD is included; students construct and save their own editable masters.
