Ae Video Editing

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Missing some After Effects skills? Here are some tutorials that teach all the basic knowledge you’ll need for working with the program.

When first getting started in the world of video editing, NLE editors like Adobe Premiere Pro and Final Cut Pro can seem like the be-all-end-all of video editing knowledge. However, as you continue to grow — and do your research into how to master the programs — you quickly learn that video editing using After Effects skills can actually be pretty straightforward and fun.

Step-by-step Guide of AE Trim Video Step 1: Open a brand new project, load your video and choose a new composition (Group of layers). Which then introduces the composition menu, choose the resolution and frame of video, and then create your composition. If you have many clips then import your videos.

Create compositions in After Effects and use Dynamic Link to eliminate intermediate rendering in Adobe Premiere Pro. Import from Photoshop, Illustrator, and more. Collaborate with others and integrate with 300+ software and hardware partners. Learn about Team Projects Learn more about Adobe video. If you want to make professional videos quickly, we are here to recommend effects maker FilmoraPro, a professional but easy-to-use tool for you. It is the best alternative to After Effects. You can apply effects, audio, and transitions to videos by just dragging and dropping. Now free download it to have a try on Windows and Mac. With Adobe After Effects, the industry-standard motion graphics and visual effects software, you can take any idea and make it move. Design for film, TV, video, and web. “Video editing is the process of manipulating and rearranging video shots to create a new work. Editing is usually considered to be one part of the post production process — other post-production tasks include titling, colour correction, sound mixing, etc.

Then, once you think you have everything figured out, you’re introduced to the powerful behemoth of digital video effects, motion graphics, and compositing that is Adobe After Effects. And while some of your basic editing knowledge might serve you in some ways, learning After Effects skills really is a completely different beast. And to master it as well, you’ll need to change your thinking and focus.

So, for those looking to take these first steps into really understanding how After Effects works — and for those who are ready to truly unlock the power of Adobe’s flagship motion effects platform — here are seven in-depth tutorials to teach you the basics and hone your skills.

1. Animating with Trim Paths

Looking for a fun and simple tutorial to dive into while working with After Effects? Well, try out this one on how to animate with trim paths! The desired effect can be really quite cool and a very impressive animation to add to any project. Plus, many users just developing their After Effects skills users might not be aware that this technique exists.

Here’s a complete step-by-step breakdown on how to unlock this hidden feature for making precise adjustments to your shape layer paths. You can use this effect for any of the following:

Infographics
Map Routes
Text Boxes
Text Strokes
Circle Bursts

2. Easy Motion Tracking

In this tutorial by Michael Tierney, we go over some of the very basic and easy ways to work with motion tracking in After Effects. Pay attention because a lot of these same principles will stay relevant and helpful in application as you learn more advanced techniques later on.

In the meantime, even this simple technique is a great way to round out your After Effects skills, and it can really up the value of your projects and is great to add to client videos.

3. Quick Tips for Compositing Using After Effects Skills

When first starting out in After Effects, some of these early techniques can be great tools in adding that extra level of dynamics to your regular Premiere Pro projects. One way to really showcase some added value is by creating your own titles with even the most basic of compositing techniques.

Follow along with the tutorial above, and be sure to download the free project file here.

4. Export Transparent Background Videos

In this tutorial by Justin Odisho, we get a course in how to create and export transparent background videos in After Effects. This is especially helpful when combined with techniques from the tutorial above, and can be great for creating and using your own custom lower thirds.

5. A Beginner’s Guide to Rotoscoping

While “rotoscoping” as a term itself might scare some potential editors away, it’s actually not that scary and a surprisingly intuitive technique to master. In this accessible and simple beginner’s guide video tutorial, you can learn some of the basic techniques of working with masking and Roto Brush tools for some simple rotoscoping tricks.

Read up on the full step-by-step article here.

6. Learn to “Float Yourself”

For many video editors and aspiring visual effects artists, the allure of learning After Effects skills comes from a desire to create some of those mind-bending, jaw-dropping visuals you often see online and on social media.

If you’re looking to try out something a little more advanced and outstanding, this tutorial by Peter McKinnon can show how to create the viral “float yourself” effect. And it’s not as tricky as you might think.

7. Create 8-Bit Pixel Art

This is definitely one of the cooler After Effects skills tutorials we’ve produced here at PremiumBeat, but here are some straightforward, effective, awesome guides to creating 8-bit pixel art for your videos or projects. This tutorial goes over the following eight tools:

Posterize
CC Block Load
Tint
Grid
Posterize Time
Video Footage
Alpha Channel Footage
Installing the After Effects 8-Bit Game Preset

You can follow along with this full write-up here.

Cover image via “Tutorial: Getting Started with Content-Aware Fill in After Effects.”

If you’re still hungry for more After Effects learning, tutorials, and tricks, check out these articles.

Up your production value with these valuable features found in Adobe After Effects.

As a video editor, you have likely used Adobe After Effects before. Even if you aren’t planning on pursuing motion graphics or something similar, AfterEffects can still be a great tool from the Adobe Suite for video editors. Here are a few simple features of After Effects that video editors can use to up their production value.

1. Text Layers

While Adobe Premiere does offer quite a few text options, After Effects is generally more suited towards creating fancy titles that not can only look better in terms of layout, but can animate in better as well. You can create a new text layer by choosing the Text Tool (CMD + T or CTRL + T), and clicking anywhere in your composition. Then simply enter your text and then modify it as you please. Text formatting is fully adjustable in terms of spacing, scale, and more.

Text layers also include an Animation Tab that allows you to animate words in and out in creative preset ways — even down to the individual letter. Like most programs, AfterEffects imports fonts directly from your computer, so to use custom fonts, simply install them on your computer.

2. Transform Properties

Most layers in AfterEffects have a handful of basic properties that affect the way that layer looks. These usually include but are not limited to: Position, Scale, Rotation, Opacity, and Anchor Point. These can be accessed by clicking the drop-down arrow of a layer, then clicking the drop-down arrow for Transform. Each property has its own access hot key, so you can modify them individually on the fly.

For instance, selecting a layer and pressing “P” would show its Position, and pressing “A” would show its Anchor point. See the After Effects Shortcuts Reference for more shortcuts.

3. Keyframes

Keyframes are a part of Premiere and most other NLEs, but not quite as integral to them as with AfterEffects. Each transform property or effect property will usually allow you to add keyframes. Simply create your first keyframe by moving to the desired moment in the timeline, and then click the stopwatch next to the property you wish to work with. This will create your first keyframe.

Then create additional keyframes by moving elsewhere on the timeline and clicking the ‘create keyframe’ dot that should have just appeared to the left (or even just by making a change in value from the last keyframe). You may notice that keyframes do not automatically provide the smoothest animation, so to learn how to make your motion more organic and professional looking, check out our post on smoothing keyframes with the graph editor.

4. Masks

Masks are relatively intuitive in that they allow you to mask off a selected area of a given layer. To create a mask, select a layer, and then select the Pen Tool (G) or the Shape Tool (Q). Draw your mask — just be sure it forms a closed shape and you’ll be good to go!

Each mask can be inverted or set to interact with other masks differently, whether it be to subtract from them or add to them. An unlimited number of masks can be added to a layer. These can be used to cut out elements from a video and more.

5. Shape Layers

Shape layers are a great way to quickly generate geometric patterns and shapes that can be used to do things like frame text or outline a logo. The easiest way to create a new shape layers is to click either the Shape or Pen Tool without selecting an existing layer, and then to draw your desired shape layer on your composition. This will automatically create a shape layer with a Fill and Stroke.

The Stroke is the outline of the shape, and the Fill is the color in the middle. Both can be modified and deleted. Shape Layers include a variety of adjustable settings, but the animation of a stroke is arguably the most useful way to accent titles.

6. Blending Modes

A cool way to add some flair to an overlay of any kind is by changing its blending mode. After Effects has quite a few blending modes (38, to be exact) that each differently affect the way the layer is rendered in the composition.

With these basic tools, you can take advantage of your Creative Cloud membership by adding some more visual fidelity to your editing work.

What other things would be helpful in your video editing skill set? Let us know in the comments below.

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