After Effects Notes and Animation Production

I have organized these notes according to the steps that I teach about Premiere in class, from the first introductory steps on, and as they pertain to independent animation production. Ive attempted to arrange things thematically, according to the following table of contents:

Useful Effects for 2D Animators

The following are layer transformations and effects that we used with Adobe Premiereand are also available in After Effects (but with more precision). These qualities work well for a wide variety of 2D animation methods.

Transform Scale, Opacity, Rotation, Anchor Point, and Position The transformation options are default with each layer. Simply go to the layer and use the expand/collapse button to reveal the options. You can also find them by going to the Main Menu > Layer > Transform. Flip Horizontal or Flip Vertical Go to the Main Menu > Layer > Transform and choose either: Flip Horizontal Flip Vertical Colour Key Go to the Main Menu > Effects and choose Keying > Colour Range. Or, use the Effects & Presets Palette, choose Keying > Colour Range and drag the effect either into the Composition Window or onto the layer on the Timeline. Colour Balance (HLS) Go to the Main Menu > Effects and choose Colour Correction > Colour Balance (HLS). Or, use the Effects & Presets Palette, choose Colour Correction > Colour Balance (HLS) and drag the effect either into the Composition Window or onto the layer on the Timeline. Levels (i.e., brightness variation)

Go to the Main Menu > Effects and choose Colour Balance > Levels. Or, use the Effects & Presets Palette, choose Colour Balance > Levels and drag the effect either into the Composition Window or onto the layer on the Timeline. To Nest Compositions (e.g., gather layers and make them in to a new Comp) Click and the select the layers in the Timeline and then go to the Main Menu > Layer > Pre-compose. From the Pre-compose Window, give the New Composition a name and click on Move all attributes into the new composition.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Home Key = Go to the start frame of a composition End Key = Go to the end frame of a composition Page Down = Advance by one frame Page Up = Move back by one frame Decimal Key [.] in the Numeric Keypad = Play audio Asterisk Key [*] in the Numeric Keypad = Set a marker K = Move forward from one key frame to the next, or forward from one marker to the next J = Move backward from one key frame to the next, or backward from one marker to the next B = Set the beginning of the Work Area Bar at the Current Time Indicator N = Set the end of the Work Area Bar at the Current Time Indicator

To Establish Project Settings

Go to File > Project Settings. From there, you should select the following options in the Display Style section:

Timecode Base: 24 fps NTSC: Drop Frame Choose either Frames or Timecode Base as opposed to Feet + Frames Press OK

To Set Up a Composition
First, go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a Composition Name; then, referring to the Basic settings, choose the following (using Standard Resolution as an example):

Composition Name: Give the composition an appropriate name Preset for High Definition, 16:9 compositions: Preset: HDTV 1080 24 Width: 1920 Height: 1080 Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels Frame Rate: 24 Resolution: Full Start Frame: 0000 Duration: Enter a value of x frames @ 24 fps Click OK

To Import Still Images

Before you import an image, you should check the settings for the still image duration, which you will find in the Preferences; go to Edit > Preferences > Import > Still Footage and enter a duration amount: Under Still Footage, make sure to deselect Length of Composition and enter a duration instead. For example, 00:00:02 for double-frame animation (or 2 frames per image). Press OK. Once you import single image files, it is possible to change their duration again, by setting new in- and out-positions on their layers. When you have set the still image duration, you can go to the main menu, choose File > Import > File and select the images you wish to add to the Project Window.

To Import an Image Sequence

Referring to the main menu, go to File > Import > File. An Import File dialogue box will then open. Find the folder that holds the image sequence that you intend to import. Click on the first file in the sequence ONLY; do not press Open yet! Look at the the lower-half of the Import File Window and choose the following options: Format: After Effects should recognize the type of image format that you are about to import (e.g., PSD, PNG, TIFF, etc.) Import As: Footage Select the type of image sequence (i.e., PSD Sequence) Press Open. After Effects will subsequently bring the sequence into the Project Window as Footage. The image sequence will subsequently appear in the Project Window.

N.B. When you import un-flattened PSD images, After Effects will ask you particular Layer Options: Merged Layer: If you would like to flatten the Photoshop layers to make a single image layer Choose Layer: You can select a single layer from the original Photoshop file In addition, you can import a Photoshop file as a Composition, under Import Kind (as opposed to Footage). However, this option will not work for image sequences. It is better to import as Composition for still images. N.B. When you import images with alpha channels, an Interpret Footage dialogue box will appear, noting that the images had an unlabeled alpha channel. Under Alpha, you should choose Straight Unmatted.

To Interpret Footage
This step will allow you to convert an image sequence to 24, 15, or 12 frames per second. In addition, you will be able to turn the sequence into a repeating loop (for a walk cycle for example). Once you have imported an image sequence to the project, After Effects will store the footage in the Project Window. To Interpret the Footage or, to change the duration of the sequence or loop the images you should do one of two things. First of all, referring to the Project Window, click on the footage icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Or, similarly, to activate the dialogue box, rightclick on the icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Under the Interpret Footage options, you should select the following: Alpha: Choose Straight Unmatted Frame Rate: Assume the frame rate is 24 frames per second (single -frame animation) or 12 frames per second (double-frame animation) The other Options to consider are:

Pixel Aspect Ratio: Choose Square Pixels

When Interpreting Footage, Choose Loop to Create Cycles

A very useful option that After Effects offers is to loop image sequences. This will allow you to repeat sequences. For example, the loop feature is ideal for treadmill walk cycles.

First, import an image sequence, such as a treadmill walk cycle. Once youve imported the sequence, in the Project Window, right-click on the sequence icon and Interpret Footage > Main. After you have set the frame rate, go to the lower section of the Interpret Footage Dialogue Box and choose Other Options > Loop:

Loop: Choose a large amount of times you would like to the cycle to repeat. For instance, to make a 10 second walk cycle, the software should repeat the characters steps 20 times.

To Create an Image Sequence from Multiple Images

There is another method that you can use to create an image sequence. This particular way works well if you want to work specifically with double-frame animation. Furthermore, you can edit the duration of individual images and arrange them in a timeline, to reflect the varied timing (i.e., to assemble doubleand single-frame sequences, plus longer holds). Before you proceed, you should change the duration of still images. Referring to the main menu, go to Edit > Preferences > Import > Still Footage and enter a duration amount:

Under Still Footage, make sure to deselectLength of Composition and enter a duration instead. For example, 00:00:02 for double-frame animation (or 2 frames per image). Press OK. Once you import single image files, it is possible to change their duration again, by setting new in- and out-positions in their layers.

IMPORT A GROUP OF IMAGES

This time, instead of importing an image sequence, you will import a group of images. Because you have set the still image duration to 2 frames or 00:00:02, the images will come into the AE Project Window as individual images that are two frames in length (as opposed to the Length of Composition).

Go to File > Import. Locate the files you would like to import and select them all, by clicking on the first image in the sequence and, while holding down the Shift Key, choose the last image in the sequence. Import as Footage. Do not choose Image Sequence. This is different than importing an image sequence.

Click Open. After Effects will add the images to the Project Window. To better organize the Project Window, you should place them in a folder in the Project Window (i.e., go to File > New Folder or click on the Create New Folder button at the bottom edge of the Project Window). Name the folder Image Sequence, for example.

ADD THE IMAGES TO A COMPOSITION

You will have to add the image sequence to a composition. Doing so will be easier if the images are already organized in a folder in the Project Window. Go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a Composition Name; then, referring to the Basic settings, choose the following (using Standard Resolution as an example): Composition Name: Give the composition an appropriate name Preset: HDTV 1080 24 Width: 1920 Height: 1080 Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels Frame Rate: 24 Resolution: Full Start Frame: 0000 Duration: Enter a value of x frames @ 24 fps Click 0K To add the sequence to the composition, simply drag the folder into the Compositions Timeline.

SEQUENCE THE LAYERS

Once youve added the collection of layers to a composition, you will want to sequence the layers:

After you have dragged the folder of images into the timeline, you should deselect them and start fresh (i.e., Main Menu > Edit > Deselect All).

Otherwise the order of layers might end up in reverse order. Click on the first layer, to be certain that it will be first in the sequence, and then, while holding down the Shift Key at the same time, click on the last layer, to select them all. Referring to the main menu, go to Animation > Keyframe Assistant > Sequence Layers. In the Sequence Layers dialogue box, deselect Overlap. By doing so, After Effects will arrange the images one after the other along the Timeline. Press OK.

To Add a Solid to a Composition

Solids are useful in After Effects compositions. For example, you could use a solid as a flat background colour, or you could overlay a solid on top of an image and change the solids opacity, to give the background a colourful atmosphere (e.g. , to make a night-scene dark with bluish cast). As is the case with any layer in the Timeline, a solid will have the default Transform Effects attached to it (anchor point, position, scale, rotation and opacity); you could potentially modify (or animate) the solids scale, change its proportions and turn it into more of a rectangular shape, etc. To bring a solid into a composition, go to the Main Menu > Layer > New > Solid. In the Solid Settings, you can set its size and colour. Once you have created a solid, it will become part of of the Project Window, which means that you can bring it into the Timeline/Composition as many times as you wish. You can change a solids size and colour later; select the solid in the Composition/Timeline and then go to Layer > Solid Settings.

To Set Keyframes
To set keyframes, and consequently, to animate an object or layer, you must work with an image or footage thats already in the Timeline. If you havent brought an image or footage into the Timeline, bring it down from the Project Window. For example, go to the Project Palette, click on the file that you plan to add to the

Timeline, and, while holding down the mouse key, drag the file into the Timeline. You will find that, as you drag it up and down the Timeline, the Current Time Indicator will follow along, up and down the Timeline until you drop the file into place. This marker will help to indicate where along the Timeline you are about to place the file. Once you drop the file/footage into the Timeline, you can also move it around; use the Selection Tool to click on the footage and drag it around in the Timeline. You can animate virtually any setting in After Effects. The default Transform Effects for a layer/footage are: Anchor Point Position Scale Rotation Opacity There are also many other effects that you can apply to an object/layer, features that you will find in Effects (Main Menu > Effects). However, even with the default Transform Effects, you can make all sorts of animated changes to the footage. For example, you could change the position of an object/layer by establishing a keyframe at one point in a composition and setting another keyframe at a new location in the composition. The software will then calculate (or interpolate) the in-between calibrations and animate the object between the two points. In addition, you can edit the movement afterward by adjusting the spatial keyframes in the Composition Window and/or the temporal keyframes in the Timeline; that is, modify the motion path to adjust the movement tempo. You can also animate the objects scale over time, change a layers opacity, rotate the footage/element, etc.

To set keyframes effectively, you should use the following features:

1. Current Time 2. Current Time Indicator 3. Keyframe Navigator (with add or remove a keyframe at the current time button) 4. Time-Vary Stopwatch 5. Keyframe example (a Linear Keyframe added at the current time)
CURRENT TIME

Once you click on the Current Time in the Timeline, a Go To Time dialogue box will open and you can enter different time settings. An important note: The above value indicates the Current Time as Timecode (hours; minutes; seconds; frames). As an animator, you might prefer to have the Current Time read as Frames. To change the presentation, go to Main Menu > Project Settings. Under Time Display, choose Frames (instead of Timecode).

CURRENT TIME INDICATOR

When you enter values in the Go To Time dialogue box, After Effects will move the Current Time Indicator to the new destination in the Timeline. You can also click and drag the Current Time Indicator up and down the Timeline; doing so will change the position of the Current Time Indicator. The places where you situate the the Current Time Indicator are where you will set keyframes. Time-Vary Stopwatch

In order to activate an effect section for animation, you must select the TimeVary Stopwatch, which you will find to the left of each effect category (e.g., beside Transform > Position). Keyframe Navigator

You will use the Keyframe Navigator to add or remove a keyframe at the current time (where the Current Time Locator is currently situated in the Timeline) and to navigate from one keyframe to the next. To set a keyframe, select one of the default Transform Effects in a layer; or, add an effect by going to the Main Menu > Effect.You will use the Keyframe Navigator, to add or remove a keyframe at the current time (where the Current Time Locator is currently situated in the Timeline), and to navigate from one keyframe to the next.

Click the Stopwatch to activate the animation options; doing so will allow you to add additional keyframes further along the layer. By clicking on the Stopwatch, you will also set the first keyframe. Click on the Current Time to Go To another point on the Timeline. Once you have located the next point in the Timeline, to where you will set an additional keyframe, you should refer to the Keyframe Navigator and click the centre diamond-shape button to add a keyframe at the current time. If you want to remove an existing keyframe in the Timeline, click with the arrowbuttons in the Keyframe Navigator to locate a key, and then click the centrebutton to remove a keyframe at the current time. By using the Keyframe Navigator, you will add and remove keyframes; by entering values in the Current Time and using the Current Time Indicator, you will set keyframes along the Timeline. However, you must also make changes to an object/layer at each keyframe adjust the Position, Opacity, Rotation, etc. in order for animation to occur. For example, an object must start at one place and the objects movement must end at another location. As you set keyframes over time in the Timeline, you should also refer to the Composition Window to see how the changes will occur in space.

Toggle Hold Keyframe & Manual Frame-by-Frame Animation

After Effects has an interesting animation option, where you can manually animate an object/layer or footage in a frame-by-frame fashion, similar to the way that you would animate an object under a camera and photograph successive movements frame-by-frame. To do this, you will set a Hold keyframe at a point in the Timeline, move along a couple of frames, and then move the object/layer in the Composition Window. By repeating the action and forging ahead, moving along in the Timeline and progressing in the Composition Window, you will create a movement phrase, where you will set all of the keys and in-between

positions yourself. In this case, After Effects will not interpolate the moves between keyframes. To begin, follow the steps above to set an initial keyframe on the Timeline; for example, to animate the Position of an object, set a keyframe at Frame 0 on the layer. After Effects will apply a default Linear keyframe, with a diamond-shape icon on the Timeline. Locate the Linear keyframe icon with your mouse, context-click on the keyframe (right-click or Mac control-click) and choose Toggle Hold Keyframe. By doing this, you will remove After Effects interpolation between keyframes. The diamond-shape keyframe icon should then turn into a part-diamond, part-square shape (diamond on the left-side, square on the right-side). From now on, After Effects will not figure out the in-betweens for you; you will be able to set the calibrations yourself, just as you would with drawn or object animation. Go to the next point where you want to set a keyframe in the Timeline. If you would like to animate an object/layer with double-frames, an easy way to move forward is to simply click on the Page Down Key in the numeric keypad. Page Down Key = Moves the Time Marker forward in the Timeline by 1 frame Page Up Key = Moves the Time Marker backward in the Timeline by 1 frame Again, using Position animation as an example, once you have placed the Time Marker where you want it in the Timeline, you can use the Selection Tool to move the object/layer in the Composition Window, or adjust the x-axis and y-axis coordinates of the object/layer in the Position section of the layers Transform options. By doing this, you will set another Hold keyframe in the Timeline.

A Hold Keyframe is signified by a square-shape in the Timeline. N. B. Using this frame-by-frame animation method, you do not have to click the add keyframe icon to set additional keyframes; After Effects will do it for you. All that you have to worry about is to go to a new position in the Timeline i.e., click the Page Down Key twice to move forward two frames and then change the position of the layer/footage by either moving the object in the Composition Window or adjusting the Positions x- and y-coordinates. After each move, After Effects will place an [x] in the Composition Window, to mark the calibration you have just made, and connect the marks with a line, to indicate a motion path. These are reference marks and will not appear in the project, but you will probably find the marks useful, as you compose the objects motion path.

RAM Preview
To play an animation sequence, especially if your composition is complex or dense with several layers and effects, you should use the RAM Preview option. After Effects will build a preview file and load it into the RAM, so that it plays in real-time. Before you RAM Preview a sequence, you should use the Work Area Bar to set a preview region.

1. To play the RAM Preview, go to the the Time Controls and click on the RAM Preview Button; or, alternatively, go to the Main Menu > Composition > Preview > RAM Preview.Timeline Navigator. Click and drag the righthandle to magnify the details in the Timeline towards single-frames, or to

zoom out to a broader view of the Timeline; click and drag the middle of the Navigator to move the Navigator around the Timeline. 2. Work Area Bar. Click and drag the left- and right-handles to increase and decrease the work area region; click and drag the middle-section of the Work Area Bar to shift the region along the Timeline. To play the RAM Preview, go to the Time Controls and click on the RAM Preview Button. Or, alternatively, go to the Main Menu > Composition > Preview > RAM Preview.

1. RAM Preview Button (click to play)

Using After Effects to Tap Out a Musical Beat

You can use Adobe After Effects to tap out a beat. Use the following keys to play a sound file and set the markers to indicate where beats and sounds land:

Decimal key [ . ] on the numeric keypad = will play audio files (the space bar will only play video files). Asterisk key [ * ] on the numeric keypad = will set markers in the timeline. If you tap the asterisk key to a beat while the music plays, you should be able to mark the beats in the clip. J-key [ j ] will move the edit line or current time indicator to the next marker. K-key [ k ] will move the current time indicator to the previous marker.

The position of each marker will show in the Current Time. You should write the frame numbers down, to keep track of which sound lands on which frame, etc. By timing actions to beats and rhythms, you can figure out when to animate certain moves to particular sounds. For example, when a characters footsteps strike the ground, you could synchronize the animation to musical elements. The beats will dictate the the rhythm and style of a walk, and the duration of a cycle, etc. You will have to import the music clip into an After Effect project, and drop it into a Composition. That is, go to the Main Menu and choose Composition > New Composition. From there, give it a Composition Name, such as music_track. Then, referring to the Basic settings, choose the following: Preset: NTSC D1 Square Pix, 720 x 540 Width: 720 pixels Height: 540 pixels Pixel Aspect Ratio: Square Pixels Frame Rate: 24 Resolution: Full Start Frame: 0000 Duration: Enter a value of 240 frames (10 seconds) at 24 fps Click 0K N.B. In order to play music files in After Effects, you must use the RAM Preview Unlike Premiere or Flash, After Effects does not play sequences smoothly in real time. This is because After Effects must process or compute a lot of data at any given time. Therefore, to play back your animation with sound, even to get a sense how the animation in-sync with the music, you will have to build a RAM preview. To do this, select or click on the layer that you would like to play and then go to the Main Menu > Composition > Preview > RAM Preview.

N.B. If you are double-framing your animation, you will have to change the playback rate of image sequences Because it is video, After Effects runs at 29.97 frames per second. If you want an image sequence to play as double-frame animation, at 12 images per second, you must change its playback rate. Once you have imported an image sequence to the project, After Effects will store the footage in the Project Window. To Interpret the Footage or, to change the duration of the sequence you should do one of two things. First of all, referring to the Project Window, click on the footage icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Or, similarly, to activate the dialogue box, rightclick on the icon and go to File > Interpret Footage > Main. Under the Interpret Footage options, you should select the following:

Alpha: Choose Straight Unmatted Frame Rate: Assume the frame rate is 24 frames per second (singleframe animation) or 12 frames per second (double-frame animation)