Skill Development (Adobe After Effects)

Currently I am focusing upon the basics of Adobe After Effects. I have used VideoCoPilot Tutorials to help me learn about creating new compositions.

These are the tutorals I have watched so far

• Basics
• Chroma Key
• Using the Keying tool to create a mask around subject that is not green from the footage and setting the green colour as a transparent area to layer onto another image or piece of footage
• I have used Chroma Key before on Corel VideoStudio but the After Effects version of the tool looks far more advanced in how it can be controlled as you can alter the softness of the edges and the blur so it looks more realistic to the background it's layered on.
• Also in the Chroma Key tutorial it showed how to alter the colouring of the footage to match the background.
• Motion Tracking
• Looking at matching the movement of a null/text object with the movement of a separate piece of footage so it looks like the object follows the footage

I have attempted two compositions recently

In one I used footage of a satellite and I attempted to add a beam effect to the satellite wit added glows

In the second I experimented with stock footage and used motion tracking to show the title of "Global Warming" to follow the camera pan of the footage. This worked successfully. I then moved on to add a lens flare to follow a separate object in the footage. I made a lens flare follow a person in the background as if the light was coming from above their head. This could be a good effect if I wanted to do a light bulb effect following people who use too much energy.