After Effects workshop 4

Everything you want to animate on After effects must be on separate layers in photoshop before moving them over.

When importing, need to click composition-retain layer size if you want a panning background and the layers to remain separated. 

Always check the duration of composition in composition settings too.

How to create a loop on after effects (repetition) 

Copy and paste the key frames is an option, but theres still in-between key frames which means it will go back and forth rather than start from the same point as the first. So to make a smooth loop, you need to right click on the second key frame and then select toggle hold keyframe as shown above. The key frame will change shape and it means that it will be fixed to that point until the next key frame. So copy and paste those key frames to keep a rhythmic movement that starts and ends in the same place throughout.

The closer the key frame is to the toggled one the faster it will be. 

Cmd + d = duplicate

This duplicates a whole layer but in the exact same place. So press 'U' and it shows all keyframes in a layer. Click the word 'position', make the time bar go to any of the key frames and then you can move the whole lot as one, this way you can stagger the movement of each layer. 

If you want to change the speed at the end, select all, press alt and drag key frames.

AUDIO

Well considered audio is necessary. 

Must find royalty free audio. 

In after effects must use either mp3, aiff or wav files.

Trim the audio if needed when in after effects, not before.

Audio is imported the exact same way as other files.

Double click it so that it opens in separate tab.

Take the bar back to the start and then just drag from the end down to 15 secs or however you want it.

Audio levels make it louder, quieter etc

Wave form= visual representation of sound

Can put key frames in the audio to fade the song in and out as shown below.

To make it fade out like this you have to make 2 key frames then drag the blue numbers either up or down depending what you want it to do. -48 is silence.

To make the cloud the parent layer, which means the layers will move as a group with the cloud you just have to click cloud on every rain layer in the parent bar. 

Once changed to parent mode, it changed all of the layers as a group, so if you changed position they would all change etc all except opacity.

Here's what I made today! Think I feel ready to make my own now, best do it soon before I forget everything!