Aftereffects workshop II

KEY POINTS

• Work area - thick gray bar, to adjust what you playback
• To adjust pace - Select all keyframes by clicking and dragging mouse over them, and then --> Alt (to adjust)
• To move sequences - Select all keyframes, and then drag to desired point in animation

How to prepare images in photoshop

• File new --> Document type: Film & Video 
• HDTV 1080
• Must be RGB colour
• 72 resolution 
• Big rectangle is the ACTION SAFE ZONE
• You can adjust the size of your images without losing the markings - these are just guidelines. To adjust --> canvas size
• Do NOT enlarge images in aftereffects because this will make them pixelated. Make images the largest you want them to be in animation using photoshop before importing image into aftereffects.
• If you want your images to 'pan' across make them longer than the action safe zone e.g. sky. 
• File management is like indesign - you must save them all in one document. 

Importing images into aftereffects

• Import into project area, File --> import --> File...
• Options will come up 
• 'Footage' - using separate images to then layer on aftereffects
• 'Composition' - works as one composition (no separate elements)
• 'Composition - retain layer sizes' - assemble composition on photoshop, and then importing it like this will allow you to animate these layers separately in aftereffects. 
• You can have lots of compositions within one project - make all 3 within one. 

Transformation techniques

• You can select multiple layers at once, and transform them all at the same time. 
• You can set a keyframe for the current position of your object, and then the other before - move it out. So things will pan into frame to their original position. 

Exporting composition

• Composition --> add to render queue
• Render settings --> time span: full composition
• Output module --> format: quicktime, format options --> H.264
• Then sort out where its going to saved 
• Press render!