After Effects is an industry standard effects creation title used by professionals and hobbyists alike. As Adobe Photoshop is to the world of print media, so Adobe After Effects continues the Adobe workflow into the world of film and video by using independent layers to create rich effects that combine video, graphics and animation elements. Add to this mix a completely customizable library of effects filters, and you have the tools you need to tackle any project.
- Create a new composition in After Effects by clicking “Composition” and “New Composition” from the main menu.
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Step 2
Enter “Shutter FX” in the Composition Name field for this example.
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Step 3
Select “NTSC DV” from the Preset pull-down menu.
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Step 4
Enter “10.00″ for the composition duration.
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Step 5
Import the video clip you want to add the shutter effect to by double-clicking anywhere in the Project window and selecting the video clip.
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Step 6
Place the video clip in the composition preview window by using your mouse to drag the clip onto the composition canvas.
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Step 7
Right-click with your mouse anywhere in the left region of the composition time line underneath the video clip layer. Select “New” and “Solid” from the menu.
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Step 8
Enter “Black-Upper” in the Name field for the Solid.
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Step 9
Click on the color palette in the Color section of the New Solid dialogue box and enter “20″ for each of the R, G and B values.
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Step 10
Click the “OK” button to close the window, and click “OK” again to close the New Solid dialogue box.
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Step 11
Drag the beginning point of the Shutter-Upper layer from the composition time line toward the left to shorten the duration to four frames. Use the Info window to see the duration decrease as you drag the beginning point toward the end of the time line. The Shutter-Upper solid is distinguished by a reddish-orange colored bar on the time line.
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Step 12
Select the remaining four-frame section of the layer on the time line and drag this section to the point where you want the shutter effect to occur.
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Step 13
Place the Current Time Indicator cursor from the time line on the first frame of the Shutter-Upper layer
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Step 14
Enter “P” on your keyboard to reveal the Position controls. Note the horizontal and vertical values shown next to the “Position” text. Enter “-240″ for the vertical position by clicking the “240″ value shown on the right.
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Step 15
Click the key frame icon (shaped like an hour glass) in the Position control settings for the Shutter-Upper solid on the time line.
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Step 16
Place the Current Timeline Indicator in the middle of the Shutter-Upper solid on the time line.
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Step 17
Enter “0″ for the vertical Position value.
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Step 18
Place the Current Timeline Indicator at the end of the Shutter-Upper solid on the time line.
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Step 19
Enter “-240″ for the vertical Position value.
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Step 20
Repeat steps 7 through 19, except name the solid layer “Shutter-Lower” and replace the “-240″ vertical position value with “720″ and the “0″ vertical position value with “480.”