Premium Tutorial: Vector Film Reel

Movie film reels, twisting film strips and clapper boards are the best elements you can spice up your movie ads or websites. The first part of this illustrator tutorial will cover on how to create movie film can. The next part will cover on how to create a clapper board from scratch. Lastly, you will learn how to use envelope distort and subtraction of paths to create amazing looking film strips. It’s quite easy, nothing too difficult for a beginner.

Difficulty: Intermediate
Requirements: Adobe Illustrator

What will you get?

Instant download of PDF e-book (22 pages)
Step by step tutorial to create a film reel
Easy to follow with screenshot for every step
Complete the tutorial easily in 46 steps
Comes with source file for easy reference

Tutorial Preview:

1. Drawing the film can is an easy task. You just need to play a little with the gradients and circles. Simply draw a circle (circle 1) and give it a gradient of gray to non-white colors. Don't use pure black and pure white values, because unlike Photoshop, AI (Adobe Illustrator) creates weird gradients when pure values are involved.

Now create another circle (circle 2) of slightly a smaller radius then the first one. Fill it with the opposite gradient that you used in the first circle. Create another circle (circle 3) and fill it with a slightly slanted gradient of the same shade. Repeat the same for the next circle (circle 4). The below images will explain everything:

2. Stack the 4 circles go on top of one another with circle 1 at the bottom layer and circle 4 at the top layer.

3. I have also added a drop shadow to the biggest circle. This creates a 3d effect.

Now, we will draw the holes inside the film can with the same technique. Draw two circles and give the inner circle a smaller radius. Fill them with alternative gradients. Stack the two circles on top of each other and you will achieve an emboss effect.

4. Now, group the two circles and create a copy of the group. Select the new group. Click on Rotate Tool and change the rotation center to the center of the bigger circles. To find the bigger circle center you can use guides.