Design for digital media - Adobe Aftereffects - Workshop Session 1

These are my notes from the session. I decided to post these up as I didn't for the last module. I got down as much as I could because I know nothing about Aftereffects.

Workspace
(top left)Project area- library of assets you use in project
Video files, still images, audio, - file import
(Bottom)Timeline – arranging
Composition – made up of layers
(Top right) Main window – viewing window.

Do majority outside after effects – photoshop, illustrator

New Document
Composition - New composition
Project has to include at least 1 composition

Presets – NTSC/PAL – video standard – DVD configured to work with these standards (NTSC) – American/japan (PAL) – UK/Europe
UK Video cameras formatted to use (PAL)
Author DVD to PAL format
NTSC – PAL – Different frame size and rate

PAL D1/DV Widescreen square pixel – correct option for this brief (16:9)
Unit of measurement= pixels (1024x576) Frame rate (25) PAL standard
Digital video has rectangular aspect ratio
Duration – hours: minutes: seconds: frames
To change these settings go to composition menu

Composition menu - Set Background colour
Resolution – Full, Half, Third, Quarter – display quality

(Click composition panel) Layer – New Layer – solid, text, etc

Solid represented in timeline by red bar – change duration by dragging bar smaller or larger. Move it along time line

Don’t use play to preview composition – use ram preview. – Real time preview
Resolution will affect RAM preview – change resolution settings to speed up RAM Preview.
Work Area (Blue bar) – isolate section of time line (RAM Preview that area)

Layers
Unveil layer properties – click on arrow next to name
Transform by default – click arrow to unveil them
Anchor point – centre of object
Position property - Time icon – Create new key frame
Relative distance between a few key frames – hold alt and drag
Fix a key frame – copy and paste

Layer – shortcuts – (p) – position property
(a) Anchor point
(r) Rotation
(s) Scale
(t) Opacity


You can change the properties of more than one layer by having more than one layer selected.

Photoshop – Film and video document – PAL D1/DV Widescreen Square
Cut up text – apple shift J
Save as psd
Illustrator files – scalable files without loss

Exporting files to video

Export – quick time movie

This is the first ever composition I have done. Getting to grips with key frames, timings, etc.