Aftereffects intro video animation motion templates

Aftereffects intro video animation motion templates tips

Whether you’re compositing or animating, follow our expert advice.

1. Use 32-bit colour.

In standard 8-bit mode, After Effects will clip colours that reach a brightness of 100%, throwing away colour information and leaving you with flat, blown-out highlights. Switch to 32-bit mode by Alt/Opt+clicking on the composition colour depth marker, and your highlights will be allowed to get brighter than 100% while retaining colour data – essential for great-looking blooms and glows. 32-bit colour also enables you to throw far more colour correction at a shot without losing source data, making it ideal for achieving a strong, filmic look in your projects.

2. Find keyframe-ready effects.

Save time on manually creating transitions between clips by taking advantage of the transition animation presets. Open the Effects and Presets panel, then open the disclosure arrow next to Animation Presets. Under the Presets folder, a folder called Transitions contains a number of keyframe-ready effects for you to drag onto your footage.

3. Add a camera.

If you’ve got elements arranged in 3D space and want to achieve a depth of field effect, or animate the point of view inside that 3D space, you can only do so by adding a camera to your composition. Choose Layer>New>Camera, and make sure you remember to tick the Enable Depth Of Field checkbox. Then change the properties of your camera to alter the DOF and bokeh generated.