After Effects workshop 1

> Active window highlighted with yellow Outline
Composition > new composition
Preset : PAL D1/DV Widescreen square pixel
25fps for PAL
Standard fps for England.

Hours : Minutes : Seconds : frames

with RGB :
> Black represents nothing > additive colour mode
> opposite to print

Composition > composition settings > allows changing of composition
Layer > new > solid (to create a new layer/shape)
Dragging the block on the timeline allows you to simply change the amount of time it's on the screen/in the composition.

Current time indicator is a good way to check how the composition is looking
Pressing 'Space' plays through the composition, but for complicated compositions it can stutter & be slow!
Decreasing the quality will improve the realtime playback of the composition > will only affect on screen viewing, not the final rendered video.

Command + & - zoom in the composition window.
Zooming in on the timeline
>gray bar above
> dark gray bar below does the same (with mountains on)

Tilda key ( ~ ) maximises the selected panel.

Layers > transform
> allows you to alter the layer in a variety of ways.

Keyframe
> interprets what needs to happen between certain points to allow a change of shape etc.
to create the first keyframe.
> Note the position of the current time indicator > move it to where you want the keyframe
> click the stopwatch on the chosen transformation
> move the shape & the current time indicator.
The software fills in the gaps.

Can copy & paste key frames
Holding alt and dragging them allows you to change them relative to where you have them. If the timing of the elements is important.

Thick gray bar beneath the timeline
> work area
> allows you to loop stuff and restrict the rendering amount to reduce memory usage.

can decide on a shapes movement by altering the bezier curve.

Keyboard shortcuts.
> anchor point > A
> scale > S
> rotation > R
> opacity > T
> position > P

In > I              
Out > O
} move to the exact in and out points of each layer.

Begin > B
End > N
} Moves to the beginning and the end of the work area.

shows all animated layer } U
shows all modified properties } Double tap U

Exporting
If it doesn't fill the duration.
Select longest object > O - N > moves the work area to the right place for the export.
Composition > add render queue
Output module > format > quicktime > format options
> H.264
Output to > user work > mov file
then save somewhere away from user work so it isn't deleted.



Untitled from Max Gregory on Vimeo.
The finished video from the session... amazing.