Focal Easy Guide to After Effects: For new users and professionals (The Focal Easy Guide)

295 Pages·2005·7.81 MB·English

by  Curtis Sponsler

Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page i
THE FOCAL EASY GUIDE TO
A F T E R
E F F E C T S
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page ii
The Focal Easy Guide Series
Focal Easy Guides are the best choice to get you started with new software,
whatever your level. Refreshingly simple, they do not attempt to cover
everything, focusing solely on the essentials needed to get immediate results.
Ideal if you need to learn a new software package quickly, the Focal Easy Guides
offer an effective, time-saving introduction to the key tools, not hundreds of
pages of confusing reference material. The emphasis is on quickly getting to grips
with the software in a practical and accessible way to achieve professional results.
Highly illustrated in color, explanations are short and to the point. Written by
professionals in a user-friendly style, the guides assume some computer
knowledge and an understanding of the general concepts in the area covered,
ensuring they aren’t patronizing!
Series editor: Rick Young (www.digitalproduction.net)
Director and Founding Member of the UK Final Cut User Group, Apple
Solutions Expert and freelance television director/editor, Rick has worked for
the BBC, Sky, ITN, CNBC, and Reuters. Also a Final Cut Pro Consultant and
author of the best-selling The Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro.
Titles in the series:
The Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro 3, Rick Young
The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Pro 4, Rick Young
The Focal Easy Guide to Final Cut Express, Rick Young
The Focal Easy Guide to Maya 5, Jason Patnode
The Focal Easy Guide to Discreet combustion 3, Gary M. Davis
The Focal Easy Guide to Premiere Pro, Tim Kolb
The Focal Easy Guide to Flash MX 2004, Birgitta Hosea
The Focal Easy Guide to DVD Studio Pro 3, Rick Young
The Focal Easy Guide to After Effects, Curtis Sponsler
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page iii
THE FOCAL EASY GUIDE TO
A F T E R
E F F E C T S
For new users and professionals
CURTIS SPONSLER
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page iv
Focal Press
An imprint of Elsevier
Linacre House, Jordan Hill, Oxford OX2 8DP
30 Corporate Drive, Burlington MA 01803
First published 2005
Copyright © 2005 Curtis Sponsler. All rights reserved
The right of Curtis Sponsler to be identified as the author of this work hasbeen asserted
in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any material form (including
photocopying or storing in any medium by electronic means and whether or not
transiently or incidentally to some other use of this publication) without the written
permission of the copyright holder except in accordance with the provisions of the
Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 or under the terms of a licence issued by the
Copyright Licensing Agency Ltd, 90 Tottenham Court Road, London, England W1T 4LP.
Applications for the copyright holder’s written permission to reproduce any part of this
publication should be addressed to the publisher
Permissions may be sought directly from Elsevier’s Science and Technology Rights
Department in Oxford, UK: phone: ((cid:1)44) (0) 1865 843830; fax: ((cid:1)44) (0) 1865 853333;
e-mail: [email protected]. You may also complete your request on-line via the
Elsevier homepage (www.elsevier.com), by selecting ‘Customer Support’ and then
‘Obtaining Permissions’
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the Library of Congress
ISBN 024051968X
For information on all Focal Press publications visit our website at
www.focalpress.com
Typeset by Newgen Imaging Systems (P) Ltd, Chennai, India
Printed and bound in Italy
Working together to grow
libraries in developing countries
www.elsevier.com | www.bookaid.org | www.sabre.org
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page v
Contents
Acknowledgements xiii
Introduction
1
For Beginners with Experience 2
This is Not a Windows Only Book 3
Be Not Intimidated 3
Welcome to After Effects
5
Interface Navigation 6
The After Effects Workspace 6
Primary Workspace Windows 6
Support Windows 7
The Project Window – Where You Gather Your Work’s Resources 11
Project Window Buttons 12
Importing Resources 12
The Import Dialog Box 13
The Timeline Window – Where You Build Your Work 15
Composition Settings 16
Pixel Aspect Ratio (PAR) 17
Timeline Columns and Options 17
Timeline Window Tour 18
Composition Window – Where You See Your Work 21
Support Palette Windows – Pop-up Tools for Productivity 24
Help – The Most Ignored and Overlooked Menu 25
Focus on the Timeline Window 26
Mix and Match Files 26
Projects vs Comps 26
A Clean Slate 27
v
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page vi
CONTENTS
Composition Settings 28
‘Drag and Drop’ and ‘Click and Drag’ – Moving Timeline
Elements 29
Compositions Are Like Onions – They Have Layers 30
Layer Components 31
Transform Values Edit Window 33
Audio Layers 34
Animating Layer Transforms – Adding Keyframes 34
Blending Modes 36
Track Matte 38
Deleting Keyframes 39
Nudge Nudge – Know What I Mean? 40
Go To Dialog Box Idiosyncrasies 41
Focus on the Composition Window 41
Pixel Perfect Preview 42
Selecting Layers 43
Fast Previews – OpenGL Preview 44
Drag and Drop Construction 44
Motion Constraints 45
Transform Handles 46
Look Ma – No Handles! 47
The Layer Window – Editing Clips 47
The Footage Window – Layer Window Lite 50
Preparing Imported Resources 52
Interpretation Rules! 52
Alpha Channel Support 53
Alpha Interpretation 53
Frame Rate 55
Fields and Pulldown – Part 1: Separate Fields 55
Identifying Correct Field Order 56
Fields and Pulldown – Part 2: The 3:2 Pulldown 58
vi
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page vii
CONTENTS
Other Options – Part 1: Pixel Aspect Ratio 60
Other Options – Part 2: EPS and Illustrator Files Get
Special Treatment 61
Replace Footage – ‘Where Did My Files Go?’ 62
Proxy Footage – Use Really Big Files and Not Kill Your Computer 63
Avid Windows AVI Codec Issues 65
Building Your Project
67
Layers – Part 1: Discovery 68
Building Your Projects – One Layer at a Time 68
Blending Modes – Pixel Mixing Your Layers Together 68
Masking – Part 1: Making Box Masks 71
Subpixel Precision – A Brief Voyage of Enlightenment 72
Masking – Part 2: Making Oval Masks 74
Masking – Part 3: Adjusting Masks 75
Duplicating and Splitting Layers Overview 77
Splitting Layers 79
Duplicating Layers 81
Audio – A Sound Primer 83
Timing’s Everything 83
1, 2, 3, Mark 84
Sound Affects 86
Sound Keys 87
Keyframe Animation 88
Copy and Paste Keyframes 89
Keyframe Creation and Modification 90
Moving Keyframes 91
The Keyframe Assistant 92
Keyframe Interpolation – Temporal (Time) 94
Temporal Changes 95
Keyframe Interpolation – Spatial (Motion) 97
vii
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page viii
CONTENTS
Interpolation and the Pen Tool 98
Converting Vector Interpolation 99
Precomps – Layers Within Layers 100
After Effects’ Killer-Killer Feature 100
Opportunities Abound 101
WONK TV Returns 101
Standard Nesting 102
Looping Etiquette – Part 1 104
Collapse Transformations – Enhanced Nesting 108
Finishing the Logo Design 109
Precomping Caveats 111
Layers – Part 2: Taking Control of Your Composition 112
Pulling it all Together 112
Gradient Effects – Play Ball! 113
Parenting with Nulls – Nulls Don’t Mean Nothing 113
Looping Etiquette – Part 2 114
2D vs 3D Layers 116
X-Y-Z 1-2-3 116
Pan Behind Tool – Part 1: Anchor Point Adjustment 117
Layer Timeline Extension 118
Continuous Rasterization – Illustrator File’s
Unique Capability 121
Masking – Part 4: Compound Masks 122
3D Layers – Part 1: Animation 124
3D Shadows 125
Copy and Paste for Effects 126
Pan Behind Tool – Part 2: Layer Editing Features 127
Hybrid Precomping 128
Pan Behind Tool – Part 3: Keyframes 129
An Artist’s Work is Never Done – It’s Just Abandoned 130
viii
Curt_FM.qxd 02/12/2005 5:52 PM Page ix
CONTENTS
Advanced Timeline Operations 130
Layers – Part 3: Drag and Replace 130
Drag and Replace – Part 1: Footage in Single Comps 131
Drag and Replace – Part 2: Footage Across Multiple Comps 132
Replace Footage – Permanent Drag and Replace 133
Replace Footage – Make Replacement Comp 133
Advanced Masking 134
Drag and Replace – Part 3: Comps into Comps or Footage 136
Make Replacement Comp for Any Format 137
Type Tool – The Basics 138
Type Tool – Animation Effects Presets 140
Frame Blending – Time Compressing and Stretching Made Good 142
Frame Blending – Mixing Different Frame Rate Footage 143
Interpret Footage – Frame Rate Settings 143
Time Stretch – Constant Speed Change 144
Time Remapping – Variable Speed Change 146
Time Remapping – End of Clip Freeze Frame 149
Frame Blending and Time Remapping Applied to Compositions 152
Advanced Compositing Features
153
Working with Photoshop and Illustrator Files 154
Photoshop Document Import – File Preparation 154
Photoshop File Import as Composition 155
Illustrator File Import as Composition 158
3D Layers – Part 2: 3D Camera 161
3D Layers – Part 3: 3D Lights 164
Keying and Garbage Mattes 166
Luminance Keying – Luma Key Effect 167
Luminance Keying – Gradient Wipe 168
Luminance Keying – Extract 169
ix