How-tos for After Effects
The Essential Graphics panel lets you create motion graphics templates that other people can edit without opening After Effects — perfect for sharing designs with non-technical users.
Create a vignette to darken the edges of your frame — it draws focus to the center and adds a cinematic, polished look.
Lower third adds context to your footage — it is perfect for titles, names, or any information that needs to appear onscreen without distracting from the video.
Parenting links one layer's movement to another — when the parent moves, the child follows automatically without needing separate keyframes.
Parenting links one layer's movement to another — when the parent moves, the child follows automatically without needing separate keyframes.
Guides and grids help you align layers perfectly — they're invisible helpers that keep everything straight without cluttering your canvas.
Cameras let you view 3D layers from different angles — it's what gives 3D scenes realistic perspective and movement.
3D layers let you move in real depth instead of flat 2D space — it opens up perspective, rotations, and true dimensional movement.
Add grain for texture and to hide banding in gradients — it gives footage a more organic, film-like quality.
Adjustment layers apply effects to everything underneath without affecting individual layers — it's the cleaner way to grade multiple clips at once.
Black and white filter creates dramatic looks instantly — it removes color distraction and adds impact.
Color grading fixes exposure and color balance — it's how you make footage look polished.
Sharpen a video to bring back detail in soft or slightly out-of-focus footage — it's useful when you need to crisp things up without refilming.
Want to soften footage or backgrounds? Blur video for depth of field, transitions, or hiding unwanted details.
Gradients make backgrounds and shapes feel more polished and dimensional — they add visual interest instantly.
A gradient ramp will give your background color a pro look — it's way more interesting than a flat solid.
Shadow gives depth and makes objects pop off the background — it's the simplest way to add dimension.
Add glow to make highlights bloom — it's perfect for sci-fi, neon, or anything that needs extra polish.
Finding effects fast keeps you in the flow.
The effects & presets panel is your library of all built-in effects — it's where you find everything from blur to distortion to color correction.
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