After Effects - Using Lower 3rds Behind Logos

Using Lower Thirds Behind Logos by Sean Mullen at DigitalJuice.com http://tinyurl.com/dcjl5r

Inroduction This tutorial was created by Sean Mullen and the folks at Digital Juice.com. I transcribed their tutorial because I wanted a step-by-step guide that I could reference without the need to view the original video again. I made this document to help myself and others who find it useful. I take no credit for the presentation or content of this useful tutorial. The credit all goes to Sean Mullen and DigitalJuice.com, and the folks at Adobe who created AfterEffects. The original video is the best source and presentation of the material. This transcription as I call it is only a supplement to the original video tutorial. I tried to use the best sections of screen captures to demonstrate the steps that you will need to complete the tutorial correctly. You should watch the video at least once if not several times if you are new to After Effects. While this video demonstrates the power of After Effects it is also to demo the great graphic/video resources that Digital Juice has to offer. If you are not already a customer of Digital Juice I would suggest you check out DigitalJuice.com and see their great products that can be used in any video, print or web project.

1. Got into the Digital Juicer software and grab a background and lower third image and click Render All. You don’t need Digital Juicer resources but why would you use anything else.

2. Launch After Effects. Transcribed by VideoTVFilm.com

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3. Start a new project. 4. Import your background image, lower third image, and text images. In this example two text images are loaded.

5. Grab “Platinum” text and drag down to make a new composition.

6. Drag the “Security Systems” text and resize and position text to your liking.

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7. With both text layers highlighted click on menu bar LAYER -> Pre-Compose… 8. Re-name new comp name if you want and click OK. This flattens it to be treated as one composition.

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9. Duplicate the new Pre-Comp 1 layer.

10. Create a Solid by clicking on menu bar LAYER -> NEW -> SOLID… 11. Click on Make Comp Size button and set White as your color. Click OK when done.

12. Now we are going to create our gleam. Click on rectangle tool (see arrow) and then draw box in middle of comp.

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13. Hit F for Feather . 14. Change Mask Feather settings to around 300.

15. Goto 1 second position in timeline because that is where we want the animation to start. 16. Hit P for Position and drag feathered rectangle to left outside of text comp. If keyframe does not show up at beginning of timeline then click on stop-watch icon next to position to add keyframe. 17. Goto 4 second position in timeline where we want the animation to stop. 18. Then drag the rectangle box all the way to the right off of the comp. You should now have 2 key frames in time line.

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19. Goto middle of time line to see feathered rectangle in middle of text. 20. Select Pre-Comp 1 layer. 21. Set Track Matte to Alpha Matte.

22. Set Mode to Add.

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23. Highlight Position effect on White Solid layer. 24. Goto menu bar and click Animation -> Keyframe Assistant -> Easy Ease or F9. This will put an “ease” to the flow of the feathered rectangle box. 25. Close the “Platinum” composition by clicking on the “x”. 26. Start a new composition. Click on Composition -> New Composition…

From the Preset pull-down choose the HDTV 1080 29.97 preset and click OK. 27. Comp1 is now open in timeline. 28. Drag background into timeline. 29. Click on 3D Layer box and set scale to 200%. Type S for scale controls.

30. Hit P for Position settings. Set to around 1500. Note this is a 1080P background. This also gives us some room to move it on canvas. Transcribed by VideoTVFilm.com

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31. Next drag your Lower Third image to the time line. 32. Check the 3D Layer box. 33. Duplicate the Lower Third layer (use CTRL+D to duplicate). 34. Parent the duplicate to the original layer.

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35. On parent layer of Lower Third click on Mode and select Overlay. This gives a contrast feel since lower third and background have a similar look.

36. Now reposition the parent of the lower third image to where you want it.

37. Drag your “Platinum” composition into the timeline.

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38. Check the 3D layer box. 39. Switch between Scale (S) & Position (P) to resize and center your text.

40. Zoom in the preview window for better viewing. Click on Zoom pull-down and change it from Quarter to Full.

41. Duplicate the “Platinum” comp layer. 42. Pick whip to parent the bottom “Platinum comp layer to the top.

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43. Turn burn in the highlights change the MODE on the bottom/child “Platinum” comp layer to Add.

44. From menu bar click on Effects -> Stylize -> Glow. 45. The Effects Control should now appear.

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46. Change the Glow Threshold to 0 and Glow Radius close to 60. You now have this nice white glow behind the text.

47. From menu bar create a new NULL object by clicking Layer -> New -> Null Object. 48. Select the NULL object in the timeline and enable the 3D Box option. 49. Highlight BOTH the text and lower third and parent them using the pic-whip to the new NULL object. That way the NULL can control everything but the background.

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50. Adjust your size and position of your text & lower third if you need too. 51. Create a camera layer from menu bar by clicking Layer -> New -> Camera… 52. The Camera Settings window appears. Select 35mm from the Preset pull-down and click OK button.

53. Now we are going to add some key frames. Goto the 1 second mark in the time line. 54. Highlight the Null layer and type “R” to show the rotation properties. 55. Click on Position and Rotation to set a key frame. 56. Goto beginning of time line by typing HOME key or drag on timeline. 57. Change “Y Rotation” to 56 degrees and 1x. The 1x makes the NULL do 1 full turn before our keyframe.

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58. Now preview animation and you can see the text through the lower third. We don’t want that. Select the top “Platinum” layer and type P for the position settings. Change the third parameter to -40.0 pixels. This will move the text 40 pixels in front of the lower third. The text will be less visible when it turns.

59. Goto beginning of timeline again by typing HOME key or dragging in timeline. 60. Highlight “Null” layer and type P for position settings. We want to set the third parameter up to -2500 range to pull text way past camera. This will make the text start behind the camera and move into view before the first keyframe.

61. Highlight all the settings for NULL that we had keyframes set and from menu bar click Animation -> Keyframe Assistant -> Easy Ease. This will give a nice start and stop the motion between keyframes.

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62. Zoom preview screen and go to quarter view. Click on Preview tab and click button to do a quick render.

63. Now close all text and lower third layers and highlight them. Click on Motion Blur buttons.

64. Goto beginning of timeline and hit space bar to preview results. 65. Goto beginning of time line.

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66. Expand Camera layer and highlight Point of Interest and Position. This will create a keyframe.

67. Goto end of time line. 68. Goto track Z Camera tool.

69. Just push/enlarge the background just a little so it moves the background into the camera leading up to keyframe at end of timeline. Drag background in preview window.

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70. Highlight the effects that have the keyframe (in this case its Position and Point of Interest). Hit F9 key or Animation -> Keyframe Assistant -> Easy Ease. 71. Got preview tab and render again.

72. We are done. But let’s do one more thing. Goto menu bar click on Layer -> New -> Adjustment Layer. 73. Now click on Windows -> Effects & Presets. 74. Now go over to Effects & Presets windows. Find Mood Lighting – amorphous (its under Image Ceatvie) and drag it on our Adjustment Layer. This will add a fractal cloud element and give the composition a more contrast feel.

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75. Preview composition and you’re done. This goes without saying but I am going to mention it anyway. Remember to save your project.

If you like this tutorial I suggest you head over to Digital Juice.com for the rest of their great content and training videos. I always believe in supporting sites and other sources that provide great content and information at reasonable prices. DigitalJuice.com is one of those great sources.

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