Adobe After Effect
Ashwin Kumar
After Effect Project
"After Effects" is a neat way to make intros for movie titles and animations. Many games and movies use After Effects. Some examples are MW3 satellite tracking application, Diablo 3 title scenes, and movie title scenes like Harry Potter intros. In fact, the CSPN logo on KCBY videos was created using After Effects.
Why I chose the Topic?
I was interested in After Effects since I felt that it was a cool way to create professional animations.
Why this topic is important to study?
After Effects is important to study because it is very essential to understand and learn how professional logos and intros are created.
What I've Learned
- How to create a new After Effects project.
- How to create key frames to move objects from one side of the screen to another.
- How to create Shortcuts and Tools at the top of pages.
- How to make interesting projects using After Effects.
- How to create layers.
- How to modify layers.
- How to create masks.
- How to edit masks.
How to create the settings for an after effect project?
- Open Adobe After Effects.
- Click New Project.
- Once it opens up a window similar to Premiere Pro, go to the very top of the program page and click Composition -> New Composition.
- Title the composition to whatever you intend to create. Make sure that the composition is preset to HDV/HD TV 720 29.97 or 25, on square pixels, and the square pixel setting should be formatted to whatever your preset is.
How to create keyframes?
Keyframes are a way that you can animate in After Effects. If you create a solid and want the solid to move across the screen, then you will need to use keyframes.
- Click on the selected layer on the composition.
- Find out which element of the layer you want to move. Do you want to make it rotate or change the objects position?
- There will be a stopwatch button next to the objects intention.
- Click the stopwatch at the associated time and make it is at the position of the correct time. Now move the objects bar line and move it to the place where you want the object to end at.
Shortcuts and Main Tools Used in After Effects
Shortcut in After Effects
There are numerous shortcuts and tools available in Premiere Pro. Some of the most useful shortcuts would be:
- Control P, R, A, and L using this on an object makes it clearer and easier to keyframe portions of the layer.
- Control D is one of the most useful shortcuts on After Effects since you can duplicate the layer or solid faster.
- Control N allows you to create a new composition.
- Alt+Shift+J allows you to go to a specific time on the composition.
- Page down lets you go forward one frame and page down lets you go back one frame.
- A period lets you zoom in on the composition.
- A comma lets you zoom out of the composition.
- Control z lets you undo your last step just like in Premiere Pro.
- Control Y lets you create a new solid layer.
Main Tools used in After Effects
Here is a list of tools that you mainly use in After Effects:
Selection Tool- The selection tool is used to move an object or text around the screen.
Hand Tool- Lets you zoom in and move the composition area around.
Zoom in/out Tool- Lets you zoom in and out of the composition.
Rotation Tool- Lets you rotate text layers or compositions itself.
Pen Tool- Used to create masks.
Text Tool- Used to add or edit text.
Rectangle Tool- Let's you mask shapes or solids you want.
Eraser Tool- Let's you erase certain masks or images of the composition.
My Projects
satellite
This satellite tracking project is very similar to the MW3 satellite tracking. There were many keyframes used in this project, and multiple layers were needed in order to make each element of the satellite tracking.
battery
The battery percentage is very similar to a Windows XP or OSX Jaguar loading screen. This After Effects project consists of multiple keyframes, on which each keyframe has a loading number that is displayed.
diablo
The Diablo 3 loading screen is very similar to the loading screen on the actual game. This After Effect project consists of many masks, solid shapes, and layers.
aero compass 123
This Aero Compass project is similar to a compass that would be located on a dashboard inside of an airplane. This project consists of 7 compositions and a numerous amount of layers.
Resources I used
I used youtube tutorials and the Adobe support website for information that I didn't understand in the tutorial. On youtube I used the Techrodd's and shortformvideos channel.
Next Steps
I plan on making a youtube channel in the future, and in my channel I might make the channel about After Effects or it will have After Effect intros.