Hi. Have you drawn the ellipse on the Adjustment Layer, where it shows up as a mask? If not, select the Adjustment Layer then the Ellipse Tool. ... View more

Hi. Go to the time you want the cut then Edit/Split Layer. Then scale/position the top layer (you might want to swap the layer order for logic's sake, I always do). ... View more

Hi. Could be a couple of things. Firstly make sure you are not zoomed in, secondly check that your resolution is set to Auto or 100%, thirdly check your Project dimensions etc are right (in your Project Window drag your footage onto the Make New Composition icon at the bottom of the screen and it will open a new composition with all the correct settings). ... View more

Hi. You could use a solid the same colour as your background as your top layer. Draw a circular mask the size of the outside of your ring, then add the radial wipe effect and keyframe its position/timing to match the ring so it covers the outer regions of your rectangular boxes. ... View more

Hi. It's 3D compositing, this tutorial (though ancient) gives you the idea: VIDEO COPILOT | After Effects Tutorials, Plug-ins and Stock Footage for Post Production Professionals ... View more

Hi, set the Life longer. ... View more

Hi. Have a look at the Refine Matte effect, it may do what you need with a bit of study. ... View more

Hi. You need to describe in clear detail exactly what you are doing. What are "exposures", what "graph" looks fine? Possibly upload a screen shot as well. ... View more

You might also try some of the Distort effects such as Bezier Warp, Mesh Warp etc. ... View more

Thanks dlui862, great job! ... View more

Hi, if you are actually editing then an NLE like Premier Pro is the program you should be using, and would solve your problems. After Effects is only intended to be used for making small clips/sequences which require special effects/graphics/compositing etc. and is hopeless with things like cutting and sound. ... View more

Hi. I've no idea how you have ended up with Precomp 2 looking like that? At the top of this page dlui862 has three screen shots, the final one is what Precomp 2 should look like. It looks like you haven't set the Track Matte up (in either comp?) as per instructions: Put the green solid below the video. You should see a TrkMat pulldown box beside the pickwhip symbol - if not press the Toggle Switches/Modes button at the very bottom of the screen and it should appear. Toggle the box open and select Alpha Inverted Matte. This will leave you with only green bars on a transparent background. Then in Precomp2 you need to mask the keyboard out entirely (including the yellow line) and make the mask thinner and even. You need to copy/paste the mask onto the solid, and turn off the eye icon on the video layer - as per instructions: In Precomp 2 turn on the eyeball switch beside the video - the video will reappear. Use the pen tool and draw a wide thin box just above the top of the keyboard - this is the area that the particles will appear from. Toggle open the video layer and you will see Masks listed. Select the heading "Masks" and copy it (Ctrl +C). Select the Green Solid layer and paste the mask (Ctrl + V). Turn off the eyeball for the video layer and you should have a thin slit which the green bars will move through with a transparent background. ... View more

Layer sampling should be one of the others (try Birth Time). Check that there is absolutely nothing in the bottom of the mask in Precomp 2, even the tiniest trace of the keyboard will give you added particles - also double check that the eye icon is turned off on the video layer. ... View more

Sorry, my mistake. Duplicate your original Precomp in the Project Panel (Ctrl+D) to create Precomp 2 (not as I said by selecting the layers). For now you can copy the layers from Precomp 2 into Precomp 1 (delete the "Precomp 2" layer you created), then delete the masks on both layers in Precomp 1. (I've edited my earlier comment to correct it) ... View more

NEW, SIMPLER WAY TO DO IT. The original poster needed to have the particles come from behind the bars, which makes the process far, far more complicated and is probably unnecessary. Here is a simpler way that will render much faster: In your main comp have your video, duplicate it (Ctrl +D) and Precompose the top layer - call it Precomp In Precomp add the Keylight Effect and key out the green bars (toggle the Transparency Grid on at the bottom of the screen, it's the checkerboard symbol next to Active Camera). You should see a checkerboard pattern where the green used to be which shows that it is transparent. Add a new solid and make it the same green as the bars (use the eyedropper tool and sample the green from the Keylight swatch). Put the green solid below the video. You should see a TrkMat pulldown box beside the pickwhip symbol - if not press the Toggle Switches/Modes button at the very bottom of the screen and it should appear. Toggle the box open and select Alpha Inverted Matte. This will leave you with only green bars on a transparent background. Turn on the eyeball switch beside the video - the video will reappear. Use the pen tool and draw a wide thin box just above the top of the keyboard - this is the area that the particles will appear from*. Toggle open the video layer and you will see Masks listed. Select the heading "Masks" and copy it (Ctrl +C). Select the Green Solid layer and paste the mask (Ctrl + V). Turn off the eyeball for the video layer and you should have a thin slit which the green bars will move through with a transparent background. Now, in your Main comp: make a solid and add Particular to it. The layers should now be: Particular Precomp (turn off the eyeball - make it 3D) Video Now go to your Particular settings. In emitter settings: Particles/sec very high (say 100,000?); Emitter Type - Layer; Layer Emitter - Precomp: Layer Sampling - Particle Birth Time. You should now have little green balls coming out from the green bars when they reach the keyboard - now is the time to work on the actual particles to get them to look like you want. * make sure that you don't have any part of the keyboard within the mask, even the smallest bit will cause extra particles to emit from it. ... View more

The above reply is to Chopinish (didn't realise this post is now onto two pages). However dliu862 you have drawn the mask on Precomp 1, it should only be on Precomp 2. Also make sure that the mask does not include any of the keyboard, not even the slightest slither - I think that is why you are getting all those extra particles. ... View more

Hi. I have no idea what is going on however: There are pink lines on the right hand side of the screen (one going down and one going across) which shouldn't be there. I suspect you have nudged the video out of position in Precomp 1. (Go into Precomp 1, select the video and press Ctrl+Alt+F. Does this get rid of the pink lines?). Have you mistakenly drawn the thin mask on Precomp 1 instead of Precomp 2? Precomp 1 should show all of the bars coming down from the top, Precomp 2 should be the masked thin line. ... View more

Hi, duplicate Precomp in the Project Panel (Ctrl+D), ... View more

Hi. 1 Draw on the video layer - it needs to be wide enough to be able to see a small bit of the green bars through (it's not critical how wide it is but, if at the end, the particles are starting too far away from the top of the keyboard you can always make it thinner). 2 To get Precomp 2 into the main comp select it in the Project Panel and drag it into the main comp 3 Start off the screen draw a line exactly along the top of the keyboard and off the other end of the screen, click and continue the line at a 90 degree angle to below the bottom of the screen, click and continue the line below the screen to the other end, click and making a 90 degree turn join the line to your first point. The only critical thing is the line running along the top of the keyboard, the rest can be really rough (not 90 degrees) as long as it is drawn in the area off the screen. I trust you have read this whole thread as the original poster had some issues which you might have as well. Good luck with it. ... View more

Hi, yes changing your composition size will show all of the video and get rid of the boxes. I think we're all confused, what are you finally doing with your video (why is it in a square shaped composition)? To get your video to show at its correct size, frame rate etc. go to your project widow (upper left where the video is listed) select it and drag it onto the little rectangular icon next to the "8 pc" text at the bottom of the window. A new composition will open with all the correct settings. ... View more

Hi. Two thoughts: use a particle system that's creating a solid line as the emitter travels, or have a look at Buy Red Giant Trapcode 3D Stroke | 3D Lines Plugin for After Effects ... View more

Thanks Warren. I was imagining that he would make each 'pre'comp from scratch which would negate having to extend the layer (I shouldn't have changed the wording which originally said "Put each of your Polaroid videos into its own composition which is 2 m 45s long.") ... View more

Hi. Put each of your Polaroid videos into its own precomposition which is 2 m 45s long. Make a main composition (2:45) and place each of the precomps into it - you will then have the video layers going from the beginning of the comp to the end. ... View more

Hi. You can split the layer twice (ending up with three layers) the add the reverb to the section that you want it on - though to be honest AE is terrible for manipulating sound and as Peru Bob suggests PP (or Audition) would be Infinitely better to use. ... View more