Effects - Beginner's After Effects & YTPMV (Part 8)

Introduction

In this tutorial, we will explore how to create YTPMV-style effects in Adobe After Effects. This guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions on applying various effects, using pre-compositions, and manipulating layers to enhance your projects.

Step 1: Set Up Your Project

• Open After Effects and start a new project.
• Import the Old Spice video or any footage you want to work with.
• Create a new composition from the footage.
• Trim the footage:
  • Use Alt + Left Bracket to trim the start.
  • Use Alt + Right Bracket to trim the end.
• Create a pre-composition:
  • Select the footage layer.
  • Press Ctrl + Shift + C.
  • Ensure "Move all attributes" is checked and click OK.

Step 2: Organize Your Composition

• Drag the pre-composed footage to the beginning of your main composition.
• Hold Shift while dragging to snap it to the edge for precise alignment.

Step 3: Access Effects and Presets

• Open the Effects & Presets panel:
  • Go to Window > Effects & Presets if it's not visible.
• Browse or search for effects to apply to your footage.

Step 4: Apply Basic Effects

• Add Brightness and Contrast:
  • Navigate to Color Correction in Effects & Presets.
  • Drag and drop the Brightness and Contrast effect onto your footage.
• Open the Effect Controls panel:
  • Go to Window > Effect Controls if it's not visible.
• Adjust the brightness and contrast settings as needed.
• Add Color Balance by double-clicking it in the Effects & Presets panel.

Step 5: Manage Effects

• Effects can be dragged to reorder them in the Effect Controls panel.
• Enable or disable effects by clicking on the effect icon next to their names.
• To animate an effect:
  • Click the stopwatch icon next to the parameter you want to animate.
  • Adjust the values over time to create keyframes.

Step 6: Use Masks with Effects

• Create a mask:
  • Select the layer and press G to use the Pen Tool.
  • Draw a mask around the area you want to affect.
• In the effect panel, click the plus icon next to "Compositing Options" to apply the effect only to the masked area.
• Experiment with mask types (e.g., Add or Subtract) to modify the effect's application.

Step 7: Build Complex Effects

• Search for and apply the Motion Tile effect:
  • Drag it onto your layer.
  • Increase the Output Width to tile the footage beyond its boundaries.
• Add the Offset effect:
  • Search for Offset in the Effects & Presets panel and apply it.
• Use the Transform effect to scale the layer:
  • Adjust the scale settings by typing /3 to divide by three.

Step 8: Animate and Fine-Tune Effects

• Animate the Offset:
  • Create a keyframe at the start of the timeline.
  • Move to a later point and adjust the value for smooth movement.
• Ensure looping:
  • Set the final keyframe to match the starting position, adjusting for seamless playback.

Conclusion

In this tutorial, you learned how to set up your project in After Effects, apply and manage effects, and use masks to create customized visual styles. By stacking effects and utilizing pre-compositions, you can achieve a range of creative results. As a next step, experiment with different effects and their parameters to enhance your YTPMV projects further. Don't hesitate to refer to other videos for inspiration and techniques!