{"id":138183,"date":"2020-09-11T06:30:32","date_gmt":"2020-09-11T11:30:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/?p=138183"},"modified":"2020-09-11T05:30:05","modified_gmt":"2020-09-11T10:30:05","slug":"starting-with-after-effects","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/starting-with-after-effects\/","title":{"rendered":"Starting with Adobe After Effects in 2020 \u2014 5 Must-Know Features"},"content":{"rendered":"

Adobe After Effects is an exceptionally versatile piece of software. If you’re just starting out with it in 2020, here are five things to learn ASAP.<\/h2>\n

Whether you’re looking to create high-quality motion graphics or develop jaw-dropping VFX, Adobe After Effects is more than up to the job. Of course, because the software’s capable of so much, it can also be intimidating to learn.<\/p>\n

Where should a new user even start? Well, right here. Here are five things I wish someone had shown me in my earliest days with After Effects.<\/p>\n

\n

1. Terminology<\/h3>\n

Before I started my motion graphics journey, my experience was limited to Final Cut Pro X<\/a>. That meant I was faced with a whole new set of terms upon opening After Effects the first time, some of which were attached to features and concepts I knew by other names in other programs. For instance, a Project in FCPX is a\u00a0Sequence in Premiere Pro is a Composition in AE.<\/p>\n

Let’s sort it all out. Here’s a quick reference to the various naming differences between Premiere, FCPX, and After Effects.<\/p>\n

\"Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n

\n

2. Keyframes<\/h3>\n

Keyframes<\/a> mark the point in time where you specify a value for a layer property. Using them effectively is a linchpin of motion graphics work.<\/p>\n

For example, if you want some text to move from left to right over two seconds, you’d use two keyframes to do it, by creating one keyframe with the X-position on the left side of the screen . . .<\/p>\n

\"Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n

And then another one two seconds later \u2014 the X value that brings your text over to the right-hand side. Once you play it from the beginning, you’ll see the text move between the two X<\/strong> values you’ve inputted.<\/p>\n

\"Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n

If a piece of text moves between two points at a consistent pace, it looks very unnatural. This manner of rigid, uniform motion just isn’t common in everyday situations.<\/p>\n

Think about it. If you ride a bike between two points \u2014 let’s say fifty meters apart \u2014 you start off slow and begin gaining speed. Then, before you stop, you gently slow down rather than halting abruptly.<\/p>\n

This is exactly how adding Easy Ease<\/strong> works in After Effects. Here’s what moving text looks like without Easy Ease.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/Without-easy-ease-1080-16-mps.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

Now, here’s the same text with Easy Ease applied. Take note of how much more natural everything feels due to the ever-so-slight shifts in speed at the beginning and end of the movement.<\/p>\n

https:\/\/www.premiumbeat.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/09\/With-easy-ease-1080-16-mps.mp4<\/a><\/video><\/div>\n

To apply this to your own footage, right-click<\/strong> your keyframes and select Easy Ease<\/strong>, as shown in the screen shot below.<\/p>\n

\"Adobe<\/a><\/p>\n

You can have even more control over how your assets move between keyframes by using the Graph Editor<\/strong>, as seen in the following clip.<\/p>\n