Apple Style Video Player UI – Photoshop Tutorial
In the following tutorial we’re going to explore what it takes to create the visual aspect of the Apple Trailer style video player. Using lots of Shape Layers and Layer Styles we’ll learn to use Vector Masks, Layer Styles, Custom Shapes, The Pen Tool, Aligning Tools, and More to create this super cool little player interface.
This tutorial was inspired by: http://365psd.com/day/2-195/
Step 1:
Start off by creating a 1280px by 720px document and drop in a background that you really like (More about that background in the video).
Step 2:
Drag in some kind of content that will pose as video for this still rendition of the video player. I am using a composite image I photographed of a promotional model, Cat and her boyfriend (See the blog post about my photo shoot with Cat ») as the filler for my video player. I have placed it into Photoshop as a Smart Object. I am renaming the Layer “Content”.
Step 3:
Drag out a selection with the Rectangular Marquee Tool below the video frame and create a New Layer and fill the selection with Black.
Step 4:
Go Filter>Blur>Gaussian Blur and give this shape a blur of 15px. Go Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal All to drop a mask onto this Layer. Set your foreground color to Black (press “D” and then “X”) and grab a large soft edged 300px brush using the Brush Tool (B) and click a couple times at each end of the blurred line to fade it off gracefully.
Step 5:
Grab your Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) and set the Tool to draw a new Shape Layer and set the Corner Radius to 10px. With the foreground color set to Black, draw out a shape as I have.
Step 6:
Cmd/Ctrl + Click the thumbnail for the “Content” Layer to load it as a selection and grab the Move Tool (V). Click on the new Shape Layer we created in the Layers Panel. Look to the Tool Options Bar and select the “Align Horizontal Centers” icon. Hit Cmd/Ctrl + D to deselect.
Step 7:
Apply an Inner Shadow, Outer Glow, and Bevel and Emboss to this shape using the settings I have.
Step 8:
Grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) again and draw out a progress bar as I have. Double click the color thumbnail in the Layers Panel and set the fill to #4c4c4c. Apply the subtle Drop Shadow that I have.
Step 9:
Duplicate that Layer, go Layer>Layer Style>Clear Layer Style and grab the Direct Selection Tool (A) –It’s the White Arrow. Click on the Vector Mask of this new Shape Layer in the Layers Panel and hold down your Shift key and click the right side of the path that you see visible. Select those three points as I have and then hold your Shift key down and click the left arrow key a few times to bump this bar over toward the left as I have. Apply a Gradient Overlay using the settings I am.
Step 10:
Duplicate this Layer and repeat what we just did, but this time use the new Gradient Overlay settings that I have used.
Step 11:
Grab the Rectangle Tool (U) and draw a small square. Go Edit>Free Transform and rotate it upward until it is a diamond shape and resize it until it fits right onto the progress bar as I have done. Fill the shape with White.
Step 12:
Grab the Text Tool (T) and drop in two bits of text indicating how much of our video has played and how much is left to be played. Check out my text settings (See them by going Window>Character). TIP: Change your Anti-Aliasing to “Crisp” when working with smaller type.
Step 13:
Grab the Custom Shape Tool (Located beneath the Rectangle Tool in the fly out menu.) and click on the shape thumbnail in the Tool Options Bar and select the little fly out menu button in the top right corner and choose to load “All”. Select the triangle shape I have.
Step 14:
Hold down your Shift key and drag out a nice triangle shape. Use Edit>Free Transform to rotate the shape until it looks like a proper play button. Resize and place the shape in the center of the play bar dock we made and align it like I have. TIP: Use your alignment tools and tweak the positioning with the Move Tool (V). Apply the Inner Shadow and Gradient Overlay I have using the settings below.
Step 15:
Hit Cmd/Ctrl + J to duplicate that Shape Layer and use Free Transform to size down the arrow shape. I used the Width and Height input fields in the Free Transform Tool Options Bar and set the width/height to 65% and nudged it over to the right. Duplicate that Shape Layer and reposition it using the Move Tool (V) as I have.
Step 16:
Holding down your Cmd/Ctrl key click on both of those Layers in the Layers Panel and drag them down and drop them on top of the New Layers Icon to duplicate both Layers. Go Edit>Free Transform and set the width and height both to -100% and drag them to the left to create the previous frame button.
Step 17:
Set Black as your foreground color and grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool (U) and draw out a smaller track for the volume slider as I have. Apply the Drop Shadow and Gradient Overlay I have.
Step 18:
Set your foreground color to White and grab the Rounded Rectangle Tool and ensure that your settings in the Tool Options Bar look like mine and then draw out a shape like I have.
Step 19:
Next grab the Pen Tool (P) and ensure that you’re Tool Options Bar looks like mine does and draw out the “funnel” portion of our speaker shape. TIP: Use the Shift key to draw perfect 45 degree angles.
Step 20:
Grab the Path Selection Tool (A) –It’s the Black Arrow. And select both paths and look to the Tool Options Bar and hit the “Combine” button. Feel free to use the Direct Selection Tool (A) to tweak the anchor points on this path if needed.
Step 21:
Hit Cmd/Ctrl + T to free transform this sound shape and size it way down to fit right before the volume bar. Duplicate that Layer (Cmd/Ctrl + J) and move the copied shape to the end of the volume bar.
Step 22:
To create the sound waves we want to grab the Custom Shape Tool (located beneath the Rectangle Tool) and choose the bulls-eye shape I have chosen. Hold down your Shift key and drag out a shape. Grab your Direct Selection Tool (A) –It’s the White Arrow, and select the center of the anchor point (you will need to select the actual path line for the center circle) and hit the delete key twice. Next select the anchor points running in a straight line from the middle to the bottom of the bulls-eye as I have done.
Step 23:
Delete those selected points to leave open ended paths that create the shape we want. Use Free Transform (Cmd/Ctrl + T) to rotate and resize this shape next to the sound icon.
Step 24:
Grab your Ellipse Tool (U) and drag out a perfect ellipse as our slider for the volume bar.
Step 25:
Select one of our Arrow Shape Layers and go Layer>Layer Style>Copy Layer Style. Select the newest Shape Layer and go Layer>Layer Style>Paste Layer Style.
Step 26:
Lastly, grab your Rectangle Tool and set your foreground color to White. Draw a shape that runs right through the point of the big play button. Cmd/Ctrl + Click the Vector Mask of our initial shape Layer to load it as a selection and go Layer>Layer Mask>Reveal Selection. Reduce the Opacity of this Layer to 10%. That is the control bar.
Step 27:
Creating the close button is a breeze. Grab the Ellipse Tool (U) and throw a circle up in the top left or top right and apply the Stroke and Drop Shadow that I have. Then simply place an “X” in the middle of the button using the Custom Shape Tool with a White Fill. We’re finished!
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