Realistic
Realistic Basics Understanding After Effects for Practical Motion Graphics
GCC Academy
Hello, everyone
I'm Ji-Won Choi, your instructor for this session
Today, we will cover
Understanding After Effects for Practical Motion Graphics
An overview of motion graphic
An overview of After Effects
The session will be divided into these two main parts
First, we'll understand motion graphics
and then explore the workflow for practical motion graphics
Second, we'll learn how to install and set up After Effects
examine its interface, and review some useful shortcuts
Motion Graphics Workflow
Motion graphics is a term that combines "motion" and "graphics"
It merges the concepts of movement, motion
or vibration with images or visuals represented by graphics
The concept of motion graphics began to emerge in the 1950s
The term was first used when John Whitney
an American animator and computer animation pioneer
founded Motion Graphics
Let's examine some examples of how motion graphics are used
Exhibition posters and online promotional materials
are no longer limited to static images or drawings
they are now produced as moving posters
For example, in these exhibition posters
background images and text are combined and set in motion
to convey information aesthetically
This particular exhibition poster promotes media art
with symbolic elements placed within the artwork that moves to communicate meaning effectively
Beyond exhibition posters or promotional materials, motion graphics are also utilized in creating actual video works
Let's take Yoojung Kim's work 'Underwater Landscape: Deep Sea' as an example
Yoojung Kim is an artist specializing in traditional Korean painting
This piece transforms the artist's static painting into
a video work by adding motion elements
and was showcased in collaboration with a traditional Korean music performance
This is another example of how motion creates a richer and more dynamic visual experience
Another work by the same artist
Underwater Landscape: Jellyfish Series
which vividly captures the movement of jellyfish underwater
This motion is a great example of using the Puppet Tool
one of the effects of After Effects
We'll be covering this tool in more detail during the intermediate course
Similarly, I'd like to introduce The Visitor by AHA Collective
While Kim Yu-jung's video works add motion to 2D paintings
this piece involves 3D-modeled objects
and environments created in programs like Unity or Unreal Engine
which are then brought into After Effects for final touches
This project showcases a media art installation using multiple projectors for projection mapping
in a three-dimensional space
By incorporating After Effects in media art production
you can seamlessly integrate it with 3D work
We've explored how motion graphics are utilized and provided examples to better understand their significance
Let's look at how practical motion graphics workflows are carried out
This next piece is a work I created last year titled Cheonan Fantasy
It introduces the eight scenic views of Cheonan
You can view it at the Cheonan Town Hall
After watching the video
we'll review the practical workflow of motion graphics production
The workflow for practical motion graphics is as follows
While it can vary depending on the project's purpose and intent
I'll introduce a general approach based on industry practices
First, plan content
Second, create a storyboard and key visuals
Build the basic settings through 2D work
Fourth, produce 3D objects and environments as needed
If 2D and 3D creators collaborate
steps 3 and 4 can proceed simultaneously
Fifth, seamlessly combine 2D and 3D work using appropriate effects
Finally, with completed work
make final adjustments
and deliver the content
Let's take a closer look at each step
First, during the content planning stage
research is conducted based on the project's theme
followed by discussions on the narrative and its supporting methods to create a detailed plan
Second, in the storyboarding stage
a storyboard is created to flesh out the content with sketches and descriptions for each scene
Through this process, the key visuals of the video are extracted
In the third stage, basic setup, tools like After Effects and other 2D-focused video editing programs are used
to structure the timeline based on the storyboard
At this stage, the intro is designed as
a title sequence
Motion graphics are created for the outro to include necessary elements such as production companies, creators, or sponsors' logos
Once the overall timeline setup is complete
the fourth stage involves 3D production
This includes modeling 3D objects or creating 3D environments
In the fifth stage, the exported 3D elements are imported into After Effects
and integrated into the basic timeline setup
Final adjustments are made through post-production, such as applying effects and refining details to complete the content
The sixth and final stage involves on-site testing of the finished content
Any necessary adjustments are made based on the conditions at the site
then the content is delivered
Typically, this six-step process is how motion graphics workflows are carried out, seamlessly combining 2D and 3D elements
Now that we've explored the meaning, outputs, and production process of motion graphics
let's dive into the tool
we'll be working with: After Effects
How to Install After Effects and Basic Interface
1. Practical Exercise: Installing After Effects
Alright, everyone, let's start by installing After Effects
To install it, you'll need to download the Adobe program
Open a Naver browser window
Once you open it
typing
"Adobe" will bring up the Adobe Korea website
Something like "Creative Cloud 50% Discount" will be displayed there
Click on the homepage link
After clicking
you'll see options like "Buy" and "Free Trial"
If you want to purchase it, go to the "Buy" section
It's categorized into Personal, Business, Students & Teachers, Primary, Secondary, and Higher Education
Since many of you might be students
the Students & Teachers option is more affordable
so that you can purchase it through that option
It's for the All Apps plan
It's about all apps
People usually don't purchase Just After Effects alone
This is because the files you work with
are often interconnected with
Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro
Since these programs are linked
purchasing them all together is better
Buying a single program is more expensive
so the All Apps plan is the best choice
When you click "Buy," you'll need to log in
and create an account
The process isn't difficult
It's not difficult
If you want to try it out before purchasing
there's a free trial
Click on the free trial to use it for 7 days
You can do free trial for 7 days
Let's go through the download process together
Here, I've chosen the Students & Teachers option
There's an additional 30-day free trial available
Once you select this, click "Buy"
to proceed with the annual subscription plan
which allows monthly payments
This is the option I'll use
Enter your card number
and after completing the process
click here and select After Effects
Always select "Allow" and then Open
You may click this
Once the app is clicked and downloaded
you'll see a message saying the installation is complete
After that, you can find it on your desktop
With this, the installation is done
Next, we'll examine the interface
We'll see
When you open After Effects
this screen appears
Each panel has a function
I'll zoom in to show you what each panel is for
so you can examine it closer
Let's proceed
Launching After Effects
will show options for New Project and Open Project on the main screen
These allow you to either create a new project
or open an existing one
Below that, on the left side, you’ll see an option for Team Projects
which allows multiple people
to work on the same project simultaneously
On the large screen on the right, there’s a section for Recent Items
where you can view the projects you’ve worked on recently
From here
if you close this window or select Open Project
the menu bar will appear along with the main panels
Let me explain each section
At the very top, you’ll find the Menu Bar
This is important
because it allows you to perform
major tasks by navigating options
like View, Animation, Help, and File
Next, just below the menu bar, you’ll find the Toolbar
which is essential because
as the name suggests, it contains all the tools
This is where you select
the tools needed for various tasks
Let’s take a closer look
When zoomed in, you’ll see icons like the Home Tool
the commonly used Selection Tool
Hand Tool
Zoom Tool
Camera Rotation Tool
Camera Pan Tool
Dolly Tool
Rotation Tool
Anchor Point Tool
Shape Tool
Pen Tool
Type Tool
Brush Tool
Stamp Tool
Eraser Tool
Roto Brush Tool
Puppet Pin Tool
Local Axis Mode
View Axis Mode
World Axis Mode
Snapping
and 3D Layer Tools
These tools are laid out like this
It's like this
It might seem like a lot
A lot
You'll be able to use all these tools as you gradually learn
There's no need to memorize them all
Just keep in mind that such tools exist, and let's move on
Below the toolbar is the Project Panel
This panel imports and manages
the source files for your project
Panel that manages source
To work on something, you need to bring in the files you'll be using
and this is where you import and organize them
Next, there's the largest pane
the Composition Panel
where you can
preview and design your current project
Here, you can see everything intuitively, whether images or videos
Below that is the Timeline Panel
which is also very important
This is where you manage media files in a layer-based format
Files imported into the project panel are dragged into the timeline panel
and organized into layers
The composition panel will then display the results of your work
All the panels are interconnected
Next, the various panels needed for your work are on the right side
Looking to the right, you'll see many options
There are this much functions
You can think like this
I'll explain each one step by step
Properties: Configure various layer attributes
and check information
Audio: Review audio options
Effects and Presets: Search for and apply
This is important
because
you can create useful effects
without designing them from scratch
using the built-in effects available here
Next is Align, which is used to align layers
It align layers
Then, there's Character and Paragraph
which are pretty self-explanatory
These panels are for setting text styles
Since After Effects is often used to create text animations
you'll use these frequently
Let's stop here for now
What panels did we cover?
The Project Panel, Composition Panel, and Timeline Panel
Additionally, we looked at panels where you can access various effects
It’s good to familiarize yourself with these
and you should also have a basic understanding of the Menu Bar and Toolbar at the top
If the interface comprises these panels
let’s consider the basic workflow
First, you need to import files
Then, you need to create a new project
which is like preparing a blank canvas
After that, you create a new composition
where you set up the details of your canvas
After doing a lot of work on the new composition
when you feel like you're done
you can save your progress
by selecting Save Project
Saving means
you can revisit and continue working on it later
However, to view your completed work, you need to export the project file
Exporting is the final step to make your work viewable
If you can handle these basic steps
you'll have mastered the essentials
For this first session, instead of trying to follow everything
focus on understanding what exists, how the process works
and where it happens
You should learn those
So, take it easy
To import files
go to the File menu in the top left corner of the menu bar
Click on it
and you'll see options like New, Open Project, and, further down
Import
Select Import and then File
to bring in the file you want to work on
However, going to the menu bar every time can be tedious
so shortcuts are better
Ctrl+I
For Mac users, it's Command+I
Remember Ctrl+I or Command+I
This is one of the basic shortcuts, and just learning this today will already be a big step forward
as you'll use it frequently while working
To import files, use Ctrl+I
If you want to create a new project
then
go to File and select New
From there, choose New Project to start a new project
As mentioned
there's also an option for New Team Project
which allows
multiple people to work on the same project simultaneously
It's what that means
Next is making new project
New Composition
which you'll probably use more often
Think of it as creating a blank canvas
To create a new composition, the shortcut is
Ctrl+N and Command+N
Ctrl+N on Windows or Command+N on Mac
You can use those
Ctrl+N
Without having to use shortcuts
there will be New Composition in the commposition panel
So
just click it to get started
The screen appears
Once you've completed your work in the composition
go to File and select Save As to save your project
You can name it
whatever you prefer
However, if you're using the latest version of After Effects
compatibility issues might arise when sharing
So, since there are some versions that can be opened and some that cannot
if you need to downgrade
you can save a copy as the version below
and share it
You can do like that
Extracting the working file is also in the File menu
If you export
you can add it to the Adobe Media Encoder queue below and export it
There are two ways, which I will cover later
Let me organize the basic shortcut keys again
Basic shortcut keys
Create a new project is Ctrl-Alt-N
And open a project is Ctrl-O
There are two, Ctrl-Alt-N, Ctrl-O
After creating a project, you need to create a new composition
reate a new composition Ctrl-N
And after creating a new composition
you can change the settings of that composition
In the middle of working, you can do Ctrl-K
There are times when you need to select everything in the middle of working
In that case, Ctrl-A
And to undo, Ctrl-Z is very useful
Yes, you all know Ctrl-Z
And Ctrl-C is for copying, Ctrl-V is for pasting
Easy
Ctrl-S, Save project
Saving the project
And Ctrl-Shift-S, Save project as
Ctrl-Shift-S, Save project as
You should always make it a habit to keep pressing Ctrl-S in the middle of working
Next, Ctrl-Alt-M
What's that M?
Add Composition to Encoding Queue in Adobe Media Encoder
That means we will hand it over to the Media Encoder for rendering
Ctrl-M, just Ctrl-M, is Add to Render Queue
You can add to the render queue right here in After Effects itself
So there are two ways to do it
so just memorize them both
You may or may not continue to use the shortcuts in the beginning
but I'm only going to introduce the basic shortcuts
because they're so convenient once you memorize them and use them
So they're not difficult
so I hope you memorize them as well as possible
Practice: Launching After Effects
Let's run it
Let's do it together
First, open After Effects
If you open it
I'll arrange it so it's easy to see
Usually, you'll have this kind of configuration
What was New Composition here?
Command-N or Ctrl-N
What will come out when you press it?
Composition settings will come out
Here, I'll name the composition New Composition
I'll name it like this
and since I usually work at 1920x1080
I'll name it like this
Below, you can set the Frame Rate to 29.97
and the important thing is Duration
The Duration part is
how long I'll do this composition
Right now, it's set to 10 seconds
I don't usually work long hours in After Effects
That's because unless my computer specs are really good
it often stutters
so I usually briefly work on the important effects in After Effects
and then transfer it to Premiere
That's why I'm going to do it for 10 seconds
You can use the default background color
If you do this and press OK, a new composition will be created
Why does it appear red like this?
It's because Caps Lock is on
If you press Caps Lock, it will turn off
If you do this
a new composition icon will appear in the project panel
and a new composition with a name I gave
will appear in the timeline panel
Are you done yet?
So what should we do now?
What should we do to work?
We need a file
What I just pressed was Ctrl+I
I'm going to load a file
On a Macbook, it's Command+I
I've given you the sources for Lesson 1, 2, 3, and 4
Set them all on your desktop
and then press Ctrl+I
to find the folder on your desktop
If you look at the Lesson 1 file, there's something called
Lecture Source
There's a basketball there
Let's select the basketball and double-click it
Then, the basketball png file will appear in the project panel
I hope you imported it correctly
If you've loaded it correctly
drag it like this and drag it to the timeline panel
and it will appear in the composition like this
At this time, let's take a look at the timeline
This looks like this
and if you click on it
it says transform
If you scroll down like this
you'll see a basic transformation function that can handle this file in the timeline
You can just think like this
The basketball looks a bit too big
So we're going to reduce
this scale and size
How do we reduce it?
100%, this means that this file is really big
I gave you a big file
and if you hover the cursor over it like this, it will appear like this on both sides
What does it show?
This arrow sign appears
and if you drag it
left, right, left, right
the number will decrease when it goes to the left
and increase when it goes to the right
We have to reduce it, so let's reduce it all the way
Basketball
Now you know it's a basketball
If you can show it like this
you did a good job
Okay
You're done with the basketball
So, what did I tell you to do?
I said, do Ctrl+S
I will save it with Ctrl+S
When you save it for the first time, there is no name
so since we didn't open the project initially
it says untitled
I'll save it on the desktop
Good?
If it's saved, you can rest assured
Don't worry, go to the file
and export it
Export it
I taught you earlier
Render Queue
I'll do the second one
You have to download the media encoder queue
so if you do Render Queue, there will be a second position in the timeline panel
and Render Queue will appear
next to it
If you click on Second Position here
click on Function
and you'll see the settings
blah blah blah
We'll do this next time
The time after that
First, click OK
and when it asks where you want to put Output 2
select the desktop
and save it
Set where you want to save it
and now the Render will appear
When you click Render
You'll hear a ding sound
like it's done
Yes, it's done
Yes, that's it
So today
we've quickly opened a project
created a project, created a composition
imported a file
processed the imported file a little bit in the timeline
exported it, saved it
and even extracted it
so I've just gone over the process of a year
That's the basic process
There will be a lot of effects in the process
but for now, just know that
this is the process
You may feel that it is too fast
that you don't know what's what
and that it is a bit difficult
Of course, that is the case at this stage
All the panels may feel unfamiliar
but if you understand that this is the process
you can consider today's class a success
Just familiarize yourself with the shortcuts
In this class, we learned what motion graphics are
and how the motion graphics
workflow works when working
We also learned about the basic interface
of the tool called After Effects
which is used to create 2D content in the motion graphics production process
Since it was the first class, there were more theoretical explanations than practical exercises
Basically, it would be good to think of this as a time
to understand the process of not just creating content blindly
but, rather, what purpose we have
what process we go through, and what results we can achieve
Then, let's wrap up by summarizing what we learned in this session
Thank you
Motion graphic workflow Content planning Storyboard and key visual production Basic setup with 2D work Creating necessary parts for 3D objects and environments
Naturally combining 2D and 3D On-site testing and inspection of completed work
How to install AfterEffects and the basic interface Panel Project panel: Function to import and manage project sources Composition panel: Function to check and design work in progress
Timeline panel: Function to manage media files in the form of layers After Effects Basics Importing Files, Creating a New Project, Creating a New Composition, Saving a Project, Extracting Work Files
Practice running AfterEffects AfterEffects running process Create a composition and set its name Set the size to 1920X1080 Press Ctrl+I to load a file for work
Find the desired work source and double-click it Basic transformations that allow you to handle files in the timeline Save frequently with Ctrl+S during work
A RenderQueue is created next to the new composition in the timeline panel Press output to to specify the save location Press the Render button