Compositing Text and Video in After Effects

2h 54mIntermediate2018-09-27

Authors

Eran Stern

Teacher and Motion Designer, 20+ years of post-production experience

Course details

Get a glimpse behind the scenes of a real-world commercial made with After Effects—and learn advanced techniques for compositing text and video. This project-based course shows how to build a 20-second promo featuring seamless integration between type and video footage. Learn how to decode a client brief, present design concepts for sign-off, create an offline edit in Premiere Pro, and finalize the project in After Effects. Along the way, instructor Eran Stern weaves in tips, shortcuts, and professional techniques that will amaze both veteran After Effects users and new motion graphics artists. Get insights into compositing, text design, rotoscoping, and particles, and recommendations for third-party plugins for color correction, atmospheric effects, particles, and more.

Learning objectives
Concept and client presentation
Premiere Pro and After Effects integration
Compositing
Rotoscoping
Tracking
Fixing footage
After Effects plugins for compositing, color correction, lighting, and particle effects

Skills covered

Motion GraphicsAfter EffectsRenderingMotion Graphics and VFXVisualization and Real-TimeAdobeAECProduct and ManufacturingAnimation and IllustrationOne-Off

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - Compositing text and video in After Effects
02 - What you should know

1. Concept and Design

03 - Overview of the client brief
04 - Creative agency pitch deck
05 - Storyboard presentation
06 - Team project credits

2. Integration and Preparation

07 - The importance of picture lock
08 - Integrate via Dynamic Link
09 - Copy and paste between applications
10 - Import Premiere Pro project
11 - Preparation for compositing and VFX

3. Mask the Dust

12 - When the Warp Stabilizer fails
13 - Using the classic stabilizer
14 - Formatting the text
15 - Animating and exposing text
16 - Keying dust based on its value ranges
17 - Rotoscoping using masks

4. Liquidize Type

18 - Selective color correction
19 - Designing and animating text
20 - Creating a liquid displacement
21 - Masking foreground elements

5. Compound Elements

22 - Cleaning lens dirt
23 - Removing color cast
24 - Placing and scaling text
25 - Wiping titles
26 - Extracting and masking
27 - Repeating the key process

6. Sugar Particles

28 - Enlarge while preserving quality
29 - Using parenting to animate
30 - Blending the type into video
31 - Disintegrate text using effects
32 - Disintegrate text using particles

7. Merging Shots

33 - Reviewing the packshot
34 - Replacing elements with 3D tracking
35 - Creating a rack focus effect
36 - Tracking and replacing a texture
37 - Cutting out a background
38 - Compositing shots together
39 - Reviewing the logo animation
40 - Adding final touches

Conclusion

41 - Next steps