In this two-part tutorial for Adobe, learn how to take basic Adobe After Effects presets and customise them to create your own unique looks. This section focusses on giving a simple text preset a touch-of-class, with a clear explanation of Text Animator Groups, Animator Properties and Range Selectors. Turning a simple typewriter look into something special. Watch Example | Watch Tutorial
Alexander of Amateurmedia.net has created a stylish new font named Typograph Pro. Also check some of the great usage examples created within Cinema 4D.
Red Giant Software has released Colorista 2, with some exciting new features and improvements. Use motionworks10 for a 1o% discount.
Fontfeed.com has an excellent column “Screenfonts” which discusses the use of fonts in movie posters.
Industrial Light and Magic has a new site. It’s quite amazing just how many productions ILM has been involved in.
Urban Dirty has terrific free grunge stock images and also provides color themes for various images with a downloadable .ASE file. You can import the .ASE file into After Effects using Swatch You Want.
nailgun* has done some smart spots for ESPN. Note the detail and depth, enhanced by depth-of-field and subtle camera drift, taking the photo/slide theme to the next level.
22 Responses to this post
February 22, 2010 at 7:49 pm |
thanks John, tuts nice. But you can upload video tutorials http://www.motionworks.com.au/2009/11/green-v-jones-jr/ to website? Thanks
February 22, 2010 at 8:58 pm |
Hi Gacon, there are no plans to reproduced that spot as a tutorial at the moment.
February 22, 2010 at 8:42 pm |
Nice Tut, John!
I have a quick tip: you don’t need to double click the text in order to experiment with the fonts – just having the text layer selected will do!
All the best,
Daniel.
February 22, 2010 at 8:59 pm |
Nice Daniel. I generally double-click to select the text because most of the time I change it after choosing the font, but it’s nice to know it’s not necessary. Best wishes, John.
February 22, 2010 at 8:48 pm |
Sometimes when working with colors that block that appears on the text (when it’s double clicked) can really mislead our perception, so just selecting the layer goes a long way!
February 23, 2010 at 2:07 am |
Thanks a lot
February 23, 2010 at 7:28 am |
Wow. Great. I always avoided the text animators because I couldn’t grasp it completely but this video just clears it all up. Motionworks is the best!
February 25, 2010 at 2:34 pm |
Thanks John. When the penny dropped for me I realised I could build some pretty complicated text looks by simply adding Animator properties and Range selectors together. And in case you’re curious, I learned the basics from Brian Maffitt in his Total AE series. Best wishes, John.
February 23, 2010 at 2:54 pm |
Hey what’s up John
Greetings from Russia!
Thanks for great tutorials! They’re all very helpful!
This one is just what I was looking for toninght!!! Looking forward to the 2nd part of it!
February 25, 2010 at 2:35 pm |
Hi Sergei, thanks for joining us here on Motionworks.
February 24, 2010 at 7:01 am |
Hi John!
This is a great tip! I have been using Ae for a few years and had no idea these existed (I actually hand animated the type writter effect by hand using masks!!!). Thank you so much, I love it when experts go back and teach about the tools that get overlooked. Can’t wait for part 2!
Rafa.
February 25, 2010 at 2:38 pm |
Hey Rafa, I love those “ahaaa” moments when you discover a much better way of doing something!
February 24, 2010 at 2:54 pm |
Hi John !
I have to tell you : Until then I thought that text tuts in AE were Aharon R.’s field (he’s really great).
But really you managed to teach it a still easier way ! I had trouble understanding what to animate in text property, specially the offset, and the global use of the “range selector”.
Now it’s perfectly clear : Man you put it to the next level for me. Thanx a lot, can’t wait for part 2.
Snake
February 25, 2010 at 2:39 pm |
Thanks Snake
February 24, 2010 at 2:58 pm |
He pretty much covered it, didn’t he? I suspect Part 2 may be about modifying other non-text presets like the curtain-y backdrop in the sample.
February 24, 2010 at 3:15 pm |
While on the subject of text in After Effects, make sure to check out the new pt_TextEdit script on aescripts: http://aescripts.com/pt_textedit
February 25, 2010 at 2:39 pm |
Thanks Lloyd.
February 25, 2010 at 3:46 am |
Thanks, John, nice tut!
Might as well (or even faster) start from scratch 
I only wondwer what was the purpose of using an animation preset since you reworked it completely after all?
Anyway, look forward to seeing the next part (hopefully not the last one)!
February 25, 2010 at 5:56 am |
Hi john and everybody, about text layers and animators i’m still wondering if there is a workaround to make Layer styles in text layers, render before the text animators. did you ever had some issues with that or is just me? Thanks for sharing this video BTW.
February 25, 2010 at 2:42 pm |
Hi Joel, Yes this can be a problem, especially when placing an outer glow or stroke around the text.
July 22, 2010 at 10:24 pm |
nice, great tutorial
thanx a lot.
and lol why does all tutorials on all websites resets once i reach the end of the line?
what if i wanted to review the tutorial again?
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