After Effects Layer Styles

If you’re a stylish person like me you already know it’s better to look good than it is to feel good. And after effects knows it too. That’s why it has no feelings and layer styles. these things are awesome and you will love using them if you have cs4 or later. If you don’t… then you will love wishing you could use them.

Learn more about making cool things look cooler!
Learn about gradients?

Learn about Textures?

Connect with me on the Internets?
http://twitter.com/ecabrams
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECAbrams/193708234045591

How To Make Things Look “good” In After Effects

Today I talk at you from my living room about making things look “good” and though that’s a matter of taste it won’t get me down! Certainly there are many things you could do and I’ve thought of only three because I have a lot of other things going on in my day to worry about. So check out those tutorials and I’ll see you around the Internet.

Tutorials:
Learn about gradients?

Learn about Layer Styles?

Learn about Textures?

Connect with me on the Internets?
http://evanabrams.com
http://twitter.com/ecabrams
http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECAbrams/193708234045591

Extrude 3d Letters

Make your words, letters, whatever 3d inside adobe after effects! No plugins or fancy expensive 3d programs needed! All boring vanilla after effects. All you need is a little expression and a lot of duplicating. So we can’t actually make something “really” 3d but we can make it “fake” or “imaginary” 3d using many layers like plywood or 3d printers. 3d printing is so hot right now right?

The expression used is:
value+[0,0,index*thisComp.layer(“Controls”).effect(“Slider”)(“Slider”)]
BUT the “thisComp.layer(“Controls”).effect(“Slider”)(“Slider”)” needs to be changed to whatever your slider control is… so use the pick whip to make it happen.

For those who are wondering duplicate is ctrl+d or command+d as a short cut and I use it a lot of a lot of times in this one. I really need to watch my short cut slips. How about I do a series on JUST short cuts so we can all learn them together.. as a team?

Anyway, people have been asking for more typography tutoirals so here’s one just for you… yes you. And if you have any comments or questions or suggestions for upcoming tutorials holler at me in the comments or on twitter or facebook or even my own site right here?

http://twitter.com/ecabrams
http://.facebook.com/pages/ECAbrams/193708234045591

The Wiggle Expression

It’s the wiggler! Not just a really greasy hairless wrestler from the 70s but a really commonly used expression in Adobe After Effects. Everyone uses it but who really understands this strange creature. You’ll learn how to wrangle the wiggler and wiggle your way around riding it like a sand worm.

Want to download the project file? Go for it!
http://www.mediafire.com/?1cswft6b4ttuxny

The expression is correctly spelled wiggle() with a comma in between it’s respective parts.

here are the expressions used:
COMPLEX FANCY PANTS WIGGLING
seedRandom(1)
x= wiggle(effect(“X – Interval”)(“Slider”),effect(“X – Amout”)(“Slider”));
y= wiggle(effect(“Y – Interval”)(“Slider”),effect(“Y – Amout”)(“Slider”));
[x[0],y[1]]

SIMPLE WIGGLING
wiggle(1,500)

If you have any questions hit me up in the comments or on twitter and facebooks
http://twitter.com/ecabrams
http://facebook.com/pages/ECAbrams/193708234045591

Stabilize Shaky Footage

Feeling unstable? Shaky? unsure of your self and your camera skills? Well than don’t worry because your crappy footage can be saved with the adobe after effects image stabilization tool. Just get two decent tracking points and get ready for a long wait. Then once you’ve watered the cat and taken the plants outside your footage is fixed and you don’t looks like a dummy any more… or you look less like a dummy at least.

Those links I talked about?
Movember – http://mobro.co/ecabrams
Twitter – http://www.twitter.com/ecabrams
Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/pages/ECAbrams/193708234045591

Thanks for watching and hit me up if you have any questions about mustaches or after effects. As you can see i know a thing or two about both.