There are two types of paths. Rotobezier and Bezier. Bezier paths have handles, Rotobezier paths have control points that sit at the apex of the radius between points. There is no freehand sketch option inside After Effects.
If you want to draw in Illustrator, import the AI file as a comp, and then use the trim paths tool you have to use the Layer>Create>Shapes from Vector Layer. This will only give you a path with a stroke if you did not use a brush or any effects on the path you drew in Illustrator.
The tutorial you are watching is not very good. Manipulating the path with the Selection tool (v) is very limited. A more efficient way to manipulate paths is to use the pen tool (g) and the Alt/Option and Ctrl/Cmnd key to make selections and move points. Here is a very quick tutorial I did a long time ago that shows the basics of manipulating paths.
There is no way to just use a Graphics Tablet to sketch a path freehand in After Effects with the pen tool. The only way to do freehand sketching in AI is to use the brush tool. This will give you a path with a brush attached so you will have to remove the brush after you create it in Illustrator by selecting the path and changing the brush to Basic. Only then can the path be converted to a bezier path inside After Effects.
If you want to freehand sketch in After Effects using a Graphic Tablet and end up with something that you can animate as a shape layer you have to do some fairly straightforward conversion from a Paint (effect) path to a bezier path. I'll quickly run through that workflow.
- Create a solid or import the artwork you want to trace into the After Effects timeline
- Change the workspace to Paint to make working more efficient
- Select your brush size and options and use your graphics tablet to draw or trace the image you want to create using the Layer panel
- When the drawing is complete select the layer you were painting on and press the "u" key twice to reveal all of the brush strokes
- Start with the first brush stroke and set a keyframe for the path then cut the keyframe (Ctrl/Cmnd + x) to make sure that the path has been copied to the clipboard
- Start a new shape layer, select the pen tool with a stroke only and click to set the first point of the path anywhere in the Comp Panel then paste (Ctrl/Cmd + v)
- A new path will be created in the shape layer that you may now animate using Trim Paths
- Repeat for every path you created using Paint - they can al be in the same shape layer if you want or you can create a new shape layer for each path
Depending on the style of animation you want to create the animation options available in Paint may be sufficient for your design. Without knowing exactly what you are trying to create it is pretty difficult to point you to the right workflow.
One more suggestion. Please spend some serious time using the Learning resources available on the Home Screen inside After Effects or on the Adobe After Effects product page. It is nearly impossible to learn AE by watching a few tutorials you find on YouTube that were prepared by well-meaning enthusiasts like the one you watched. Most of them that I have seen in the last several years promote very inefficient workflows and some are just wrong. Here's the link you'll find on the AE Home page: Learn AE
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