After Effects 2

Keyboard Shortcuts

Change property/position- select layer > P
Anchor property > select layer > A
Rotate > select layer > R
Scale > select layer > S
Opactity > select layer > T
                                                
Two at once? hold down the shift key 

Move time marker to the output of the active layer > select layer > O

Move time marker to the in point of the active layer > select layer > I

Move the beginning of the work area to where ever time marker is > select layer > B

Move the end of the work to where ever the time marker is > select layer > N

Reveal all of the animated property of the layer > Select layer > U 

Reveal all of the MODIFIED properties > select layer > UU

Key Frames 
 
Moving things as a group > select all of the layers  > P > position property is shown > go to one of the layers > activate key frame > P >

Just change the properties of one layer and all of them will change at once, the position is still relative.

How to change the pace

Select all layers > U > select all key frames > drag the position markers around on the timeline ( distance represents time )

Instead of spacing markers out individually > Alt > choose a key frame with is either right at the beginning or the end of the sequence.

Key frame interpalation 

It's all to do with how after effects manages what happens between the key frames - its easy to see this when we look at motion

When you choose key frames, AE has to make up the motion path between them 

Bezier curvers are associated with the function of a curved line used in illustrator, we can use the pen tool to amend the curves

The change between the key frames is called intrepalation, a line that goes from one key frame to the next


Working with photoshop files- preparing visual assets

Always need to prepare things to the appropriate size

PS- File > new > preset > film and video > PAL D1 DV Widescreen Square Pixel ( this is the exact same preset as AE)

 RGB colour screen/ 150 x 1076

Blue guides specify safe zones in which to work.

Inside rectangle - title safe zone (if you're using text - keep any text within the box)

Outside rectangle - action safe zone - again make sure nothing significant happens outside of this.

 Save asset to put into AE, either PS, JPG or TIFF file

cropping the image doen is helpful when importing to AE to get rid of empty space

Transparency > new > background contents > transparent

We now have three images to work with; a JPG, a cropped version and a transparent background.

Anything that you import into after effects is reffered to as footage.

Instead of getting to file and import for the final image, we just need to double click in the project area.