After Effects Lesson 5

(Double Exposure Effect)

Import the Footage

1. In a New Project double click the project panel and shift-click to import all the
footage.

Creating the Composition

1. Click Composition > New Composition.

2. Choose the Preset as HDTV 24.
3. Ensure the px rate is set at 1920 x 1080.

Creating the Background

1. Put the layers Aaron and Trees into the timeline, ensuring the trees layer is at
the top of the layer stack.

Next well create the background image. To do this well create a pre-composition
allowing us to work in a composition with its own adjustments, within our original
composition.

2. Select the Trees layer in the timeline and create a pre-composition by

pressing Ctrl+Shift+C or by clicking Layer > Pre-Compose.
3. In the dialog box name the composition trees and click the radio button
Move all attributes into the new Composition.
4. Double click on the trees composition to enter it.

The background suits our setting but it lacks a certain 3D feel to it. To fix this well
make some position, scale and colour adjustments as well as adding some motion.

5. Inside the Trees composition duplicate the trees layer by clicking on it and
pressing Ctrl+D.
6. On the duplicated layer set the mode to Multiply. If you cannot see the mode
you will need to click the toggle switches/modes button at the bottom of the
timeline panel.

All modes are ways to blend layers together. By clicking multiply weve mixed the
layers together so we can see them both at the same time.

7. Adjust the position of the duplicated layer placing it lower than the original
layer and scale it up in size.
8. On the duplicated layer go to Effect > Colour Correction > Curves.
9. In the effects paneldjust the curves settings so that the two images blend
together. Make sure you dont lose view of the duplicate layer. You may also
need to drop the Blue values by clicking the blue option from the Channel
drop down list options.
 10. Go to the bottom layer and also scale this one up and position it until both
layers are clearly visible.
11. Now keyframe gentle position movements into both layers so that they
pan/creep left at different paces.
12. Exit the composition trees and return to your original
composition.
13. Click on the trees composition in the timeline panel and add
Effect > Colour Correction > Tint and Effect > Colour
Correction > Levels.
14. On the Levels Histogram slide the marker on the right until it
reaches the end of the graph ramp (see fig 1). If you wish to
change the background colour you can do this by adjusting
the map to colour boxes.

Creating the Character Matte

FIG 1
1. Deselect all layers by pressing F2 and click on the eye radio
button for the trees composition so that we are looking at the
Aaron file in the composition window.
2. Select the Aaron layer and go to Effects > Keying > Keylight (1.2).
3. Working in the Effects panel select the eye dropper tool by screen colour and
click on the green to key out the green.
4. Click on the View drop down menu and choose Screen Matte.
5. Expand the Screen Matte menu and adjust the black and white clipping
properties until our character is clearly separated from the background. Then
increase the screen softness settings to make the image smooth.
6. Change the View back to Final Result.
7. Now move the Trees composition to the bottom of the layer stack and set the track matte
settings to Alpha Matte Aaron.
8. Make sure the Aaron layer is now hidden from view and the trees are now selected as
visible.

Making the Look 3D

1. Duplicate the Aaron layer and make the duplicated layer visible.
2. Select the layer and go to Effect > Colour Correction > Tint and
Effect > Colour Correction > Curves.
3. Adjust the curves graph in the Effects panel so that the image
becomes stylised with a low key lighting effect (see fig 2).
4. Pre-compose the layer by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C or by clicking
Layer > Pre-Compose.
5. In the dialog box name the composition Aaron gradient and click
the radio button Move all attributes into the new Composition.
6. Drop the new Aaron Gradient composition to the bottom of the
layer stack and make it invisible.
7. Select the trees layer and choose Effect > Distort > Displacement
Map.

FIG 2
8. Adjust the Max Horizontal and Max Vertical Displacement settings until the
image takes on a 3D effect by displacing the background (around 10 for
each).

Adding an Edge Mask

1. Duplicate the Aaron footage layer again and go into the keylight settings
and select the screen matte option from the view drop down menu.
2. Turn up the screen softness to about 210.
3. Pre-compose the layer by pressing Ctrl+Shift+C or by
clicking Layer > Pre-Compose.
4. In the dialog box name the composition Edge Mask and
click the radio button Move all attributes into the new
Composition.
5. Enter the Edge Mask Composition and use the pen tool to
create the shape displayed in fig 3.
6. Go to Effects > Blur > Fast Blur and blur the shape until it
fades into the layer below (see fig 4). FIG 3
7. Press P to enter the position properties, add a keyframe for
the start of the video. Hit END and move the shape layer
to the suitable position so that it matches the layer below.
8. Return to main composition.

Adjusting the Edge Mask

1. Duplicate the Aaron layer and rename it Edge Aaron.

2. Make the duplicated layer visible and apply a Luma FIG 4
Inverted Matte.
3. With the Aaron Edge layer apply Effect > Colour Correction >
Hue/Saturation and Effect > Colour Correction > Curves.
4. Adjust these settings to suit your colour choices.

Creating the Background

1. Press F2 to deselect all layers and go to Layer > New > Solid, choose a pale
brown colour and select Make Comp Size and click ok.
2. Move this layer to the bottom of the layer stack.
3. Select the Trees layer and choose Multiply form the Modes menu to blend the
layer colours together.

Adding the Finishing Touches

1. Add the Dust and Soft Flare files to the top of the layer stack and set the
modes for both to Add.
2. Use the Text Type tool to add a text layer featuring a title and keyframe in
some Opacity properties to apply fade in and fade out effects.
3. Add a Vignette by adding Layer > New > Solid setting the composition colour
to black and the selecting the Make Comp Size button. Once the layer has
been made use the ellipse tool to change the mask size. Press M to bring up
your mask settings and set the mode to Subtract and adjust the Feather
settings to create the vignette.