Animate Text in Adobe After Effects

Text animation is one of the best ways to create an attention-getting presentation because of the stunning visual effects. It is usually used to help illustrate stories, and in product promotions, or just for fun. You can do a Kinetic Typography style to make it more attractive. In this tutorial, you can learn how to animate your text using Adobe After Effects. Yes, you read it right. Adobe After Effects is the best software to allow you to create motion graphics and visual effects. If you have already learned about "After Effects" workspace, and are familiar with your interface, read on to learn more about animating your text.

Basically, Adobe After Effects is a software application that is being utilized in crafting animation, special effects, and video compositions. There are several video makers who prefer to use Adobe After Effects, rather than other software applications. As a matter of fact, it is even considered to be the mid-professional level's industry standard. Adobe After Effects is capable of creating top notch compositions for commercials, TV programs, and even for feature movies.

Adobe After Effects utilizes the same universal workflow as the majority of video editing software. What makes Adobe After Effects different from the typical editors is the fact that it is specially customized for crafting special effects. Even though this software application enables the users accomplish common editing actions, the main intention behind it is to craft advanced effects, as well as composites, more than just cutting shots.

1. 1
   Adobe After Effects

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   You will need an Adobe After Effects program, and if you don't have one, you can download it for a 30-day full-featured trial at Adobe AfterEffects

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2. 2
   Open "Adobe After Effects"

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   Find Composition > New composition, and hit "OK."

   

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3. 3
   Select Composition Settings

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   Look at the settings and instructions below. You can choose any of the pre-sets you want for your video size, but HDV/HDDTV 720 29.97 is easy to work with.

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4. 4
   After you select one, hit "OK."

   

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5. 5
   Add a Layer

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   You can do so by going to Layer > New > Solid. Then choose the layer color that you prefer.

   

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6. 6
   Add Text

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   Now that you have your new solid layer, you can begin adding your text for animation. Go to your toolbar above and click the "T," which is the text tool. Write something on your composition and choose the position, color and size that you want.

   

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Animate Your Text

You are now ready to animate your text. It can be a bit confusing, so read on for detailed instructions.

1. 1
   Transform Position Tool

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   One of the best aspects of this tool, is that you can allow your text or object to move to whatever place or position you want, like going to the left, right, down, up and etc. You can do this by setting your key frames. Key frames define the starting and ending points of any smooth transition. Follow the instructions on the image below.

   

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2. 2
   Scale, Opacity and Rotation

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   Once you have animated your text using the position animation, you can also set the scale, opacity and rotation text animation by following the same procedures.

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Understanding Text Animation

Animation of texts is effective in many ways. These include:

• Animated titles.
• Credit rolls.
• Dynamic typography.
• Lower thirds.

Similar to other "After Effects" layers, users can animate the all the text layers. However, the text layers render extra animation features whereby the user can do text animation within the layers.

Text Animation in Adobe After Effects

In order to add text:

1. 1
   Choose the Text tool - "T", found in the Tools window.

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2. 2
   Click any portion in the Composition

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3. 3
   To modify the text style, look for the Character panel, which is the same as the one in Adobe Photoshop

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4. 4
   In the timeline, the user should elaborate the text layer options

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   This can be done by hitting the triangle on the left side of the colored square.

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5. 5
   Under the Transform tab, there are actually four options for the user to animate a text

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   These are:  

   1. Opacity.
   2. Rotation.
   3. Scale.
   4. Position.

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6. 6
   In order to utilize any of the above mentioned options, the user has to hit the "Stopwatch", which is found on the left side

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7. 7
   The Stopwatch hatches a keyframe

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8. 8
   In timeline, the keyframes are figured as diamonds.

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9. 9
   Once the keyframe has been hatched, the user should set the "Current Time Indicator", which is signified by a vertical red line in the timeline

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   It's your choice what you want to have in the timeline.  

   1. The user can move the text wherever he or she would like it.
   2. The user can then manipulate the "Current Time Indicator" again, and move the text again.
   3. And the process goes on.

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10. 10
    The user can also change the paths of the vector, in order to be in straight line, or control the curves.

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Adobe After Effects also allows people to Drop in Texts, Cascading Texts, and do Text Reflection. Indeed, with Adobe After Effects, text animation can be easier and can yield stunning end results. This software application is like paint and canvas, and in order to have an interesting result, a user should maximize his or her imagination while using it.

• Practice Adobe After Effects every day to become familiar with the tools.
• Use the blur motion in text so it will become natural to you.

My After Effect CS6 has failed track camera. "Analyze Failed".

I am doing an amazing video and record sky through my cell phone camera recording and I want to attach an image of Mars in sky. Then I select the track camera and my program said "Analyze Failed'. What can I do? Please help me.

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