Week 7 - Introduction to After Effects
- Julia Toczyska
- Nov 15, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Dec 23, 2024
Today, we have looked at some simple After Effects tutorials to refresh our memory and hopefully learn some new skills.
The 3D Camera Tool
The first tutorial we had a look at was the 3D camera tool tutorial by MOBOX Graphics. I found this tutorial easy to follow (which is amazing as After Effects is a very confusing program for my brain). However, despite having a great tutorial I still struggled quite a lot with the 3D camera. The video itself mentions that the camera can be extremely buggy and experiencing it myself was quite... well frustrating.
Additionally, the tutorial is a bit outdated. One of the features mentioned, the split horizontal view, doesn't exist anymore. Luckily after some time digging online I found a way to fix this road block. The user Meng Zinqun on the Adobe Community website said that using the top view on camera after splitting the viewpoint with Ctrl+Shift+Alt+N is an alternative way to enter the split horizontal viewpoint.
Either way, after some blood, sweat and tears, I have finally managed to create my very first 3D camera test. It's very simple and quite messy but I'll take it. I will definitely use the 3D camera for my project so this is just the first step towards greatness!
Simple Shape Orbits
Another great tutorial we looked at was the Simple Shape Orbits by ECAbrams. I had no complications with following that one at all, and surprisingly... I found this whole process extremely fun! - maybe After Effect isn't my enemy after all.
I have recreated a simple version of the tutorial and I am highly satisfied with it. I believe it has a ton of potential, and I am quite excited to get my grabby hands onto this tool as I get into production state of my project.
Particle Text Disintegration
Lastly, we had a look at particle text disintegration in After Effects by Motion Nations. Once again, this was another simple, easy to follow, tutorial.
I found the shatter like effect to be quite useful and I can see myself using it in the future. I have decided to use the shatter from bottom up instead of side to side as I found it more interesting. I enjoyed the colour change shift, however, I am not quite sure if I will incorporate it to my own project.
Overall, I'd say it was a successful day of trying out different techniques in After Effect. I was completely unaware I can do so much following such simple steps. There is so much I still don't know about to program but my confidence only grows the more I challenge myself and face that anxiety face on. After today, I am only more and more excited to start experimenting with my own project.
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