• Keyframing (change parameter over time)
  • Whenever there is a timeline, expect the ability to keyframe
    
  • 3D Animation (moving how a character moves, position of an object)
  
  
• Layers
  • Collage (one thing over another)
  • Effects (one effect over another)
  • Animation (parts over another)
  
  
• Masking/Maps

Photoshop's adjustment layers:
Here we are applying "Levels", "Hue/Saturation", and "Brightness Contrast" adjustments to an image (on the bottom layer)

Premier: horizontal edits:





After Effects: vertical edits:

1. As you have seen, you can apply effects directly to clips in PR. But in cases where you want to apply effects to ALL your clips/tracks, this can be cumbersome. You will have to click on each clip and apply filters.



2. Generally, AE has better, more sophisticated, and larger selection of "effects" you can apply to video. PR has better and clearly defined interface. I think of AE as a swiss-army-knife-like utility. It feels like a collection of slightly random (but high-quality) tools. (for example, special effects like this face swap effect or slit scan)

AE and PR are so integrated, you can think of AE as part of PR (or vice versa).



[PR -> AI]:


[AE ->PR]:

AE: Compostion == PR:Sequence

If you are familiar with Photoshop, you will find familiar layer-based features

• blending modes (right click on clip and select blending mode)
  
  
• adjustment layers (applies to all the layers below it)
  
  1. AE: Layer -> New -> Adjustment Layers
  
  
  
  You will see that an adjustment layer on top of all the layers. The effects you put in the adustment layer will apply to all the layers below. Right now, the adjustment layer is empty so you will not see any adjustment/effect applied
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• 2. AE: Effect -> Color Correction -> Black and White
  This will add the black and white effect to the adjustment layer (See 2 in picture below)
  
  
  
  
  This way, you can apply an effect to the whole of a movie

• Keyframing (change parameter over time)
  
• Layers
  • Collage (one thing over another)
  • Effects (one effect over another)
  • Animation (parts over another)
  
  
• Masking/Maps
  • Layer Masks (Photoshop - collage, adjustment layer)
  • Depth map [1])
  • Bump/Normal maps [1][2]
  • Displacement maps [1]

In this case, the photoshop image comes with a mask.

1. Scale and transform the car
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Keyframe the position
   
   
   
   
   
3. Move forward in time. Then reposition the car. This will automatically create a key. If you want to see the graph, click on the Graph Editor button. Select the mode through the graph type selector on the center bottom
   
   
   
   

1. Experiment with adjustment layer using the SOT scene. Modify the mood of the scene.
2. Add other images to the car animation. Move them around.

• Keyframing (change parameter over time)
  
• Layers
  • Collage (one thing over another)
  • Effects (one effect over another)
  • Animation (parts over another)

• Masking/Maps
  • Layer Masks (Photoshop - collage, adjustment layer)
  • Depth map [1])
  • Bump/Normal maps [1][2]
  • Displacement maps [1]

Layer mask: A selection that is linked to layer and it's a non-destructive way to deal with images. We used them already with adjustment layers

• Layer Masks for Collage
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Non-destructive Editing
  
  
  
  Applying an adjustment:
  
  
  Collage:
  
  

• Keyframing (change parameter over time)
  
• Layers
  • Collage (one thing over another)
  • Effects (one effect over another)
  • Animation (parts over another)

• Masking/Maps/Matte
  • Layer Masks (Photoshop - collage, adjustment layer)
  • Depth map [1])
  • Bump/Normal maps [1][2]
  • Displacement maps [1]

Layer -> Mask -> New Mask

Allows you to create ellipse/rectangle shaped masks







Or if you use the pen tool you can draw custom shaped masks







Masks can be applied together with adjustment layers

1. Create a new project by creating a new composition from one of the video files.
2. Recreate the video in the demo so it has four quadrants (use transform and scale).

Greenscreen conceptually is very simple but in reality, getting it to look right is difficult especiall if you don't have good lighting and good green screen (no wrinkles). Highly compressed video (H264) also makes it difficult




The goal of this demo is to mask out the green pixels so that the layer below it shows like below



Also, as you will see, shiny objects will be quite difficult.

For this reason, we will use a combination of filters. Keylight + Key Cleaner + Adavanced Spill Suppressor

1. Apply the filter by selecting the clip you want to apply greenscreen to, and then doubeclicking on
   
   Effects & Presets Panel -> Animation Presets -> Image - Utilities -> Keylight + Key Cleaner + Advanced Spill Suppressor
   
   
   This applies three powerful tools to control the green-screen effect
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
2. Choose "Screen Color" -- select an area that is slightly darker than the green you are targetting
   
   
   
   
   
   
3. Optimization
   
   
   Change the View from "Intermediate Result" to "Screen Matte".
   Adjust "Screen Matte" -> {Clip Black, Clip White}
   
   
   
   
   "Key Cleaner -> Alpha Contrast" to clean up edges. Try turning on reduce chatter if it does anything.
   
   
   
   
   
   Turn on Advanced Fill Suppression -- notice that the color is automatically generated (slightly lighter) from the screen colour
   
   
   
   
4. Adding a mask: fix the whole in the car
   
   • 1. Create a mask (ellipse)
   • 2. Inverse the mask
   • 3. Attach the mask to the Keylight by adding (+) the mask.
   • 4. Keyframe the Mask Path so that it moves with the car. (Make sure you select all the anchor points to move the ellipse.
   
   
   
   
   
   

Use the pen tool to create a path around the subject. Then keyframe the path. (The pen tool will allow you to create curves by controlling the handles)




Move few frames a head and move the masks with the selection tool. Make sure the paths are keyframed




You can have multiple masks. They can be modified so that they subtract (to create holes for example)

Double click on the layer so that you have the video you want to rotoscope active and showing in the panel
With the roto brush, select the inside of the object (not the edges) you want to select. See the green line.






If it selected too much, option-drag an area you want to subtract. See the red line.






If you want to refine the edges, use the refine edge tool and drag on the edge




Go forward few frames and incrementally refine the mask as you go

Once you are done, (or when you are ready to save to a file), make sure you hit the freeze button. Then the state will be saved. (If you do not hit the freeze button, your effort will be lost)

Unfortunately AE no longer allows you to export directly into H.264 encoded video. You'll either have to

1. import the After Effects Project back into Premier and export from Premier or
2. From AE, choose Compositions -> Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue and export from there.
   Hopefully with the knowledge you have by now, you should be able to choose the right setting :-)