Editing Text Frame By Frame In After Effects

[sk8_aholic]

Hey all,

I've started an after effects project. I have imported an approx. 6 second video that I will be using. The clip was filmed with a tripod so that background never moves, the subject in the video is a skateboarder starting from outside of view on the left, riding by and doing a trick in the middle then ending by going outside of you on the right.

My goal is to animate text in 3d space to make it match with the skateboard. The text will need to spin in 3d space because of how the skateboard rotates when doing the trick. I have already sized the text to match the length of the skateboard, and I have also duplicated the text layer 30 times and for each one I added plus 1 to the Z axis to make the logo have depth/make it look the same thickness as the skateboard when the text rotates 3d with the skateboard. I also parented all the layers to the first text layer so I can move the all at once.

Now my problem:

I don't know how to make it so if I'm on frame 1, I can put the text starting to come into the screen like the skateboard does, but then lets say on frame 55 have the text in another position in the frame for when the skateboard is rotating for the trick. or even frame 2 for that matter. I stretch all the frames to match it with the 6 second. when I select the parent text layer and move it from the first frame to the 2nd frame to match the skateboard movement between frame 1 and 2, when I go back to frame 1, it moved it to where I did in frame 2.

Don't tell me I have to duplicate all 30 text layers everytime theres a new frame that i need to move the text. thats like atleast 90 frames. 90 frames times 30 layers!!!!

please help!
thanks

[guns1inger]

You have a couple of choices.

1. Track the corners of the section of the skateboard you want to replace (look up the tracker in the help files), then use this to automate the placement of the new text. You will still have to adjust by hand afterwards, but it will do the bulk of the work for you. Note : this won't work as well if the skateboard flips or the corners aren't visible for the bulk of the clip.

2. Track the corners by hand and simply keyframe the changes.

You certainly do not want to, or need to, duplicate the text over and over again. Keyframes and tracking (and probably some manual masking) are all you need.

Have a look at this tutorial - http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorial/advanced_sky_replacement/ to see tracking in action.

[sk8_aholic]

This site is amazing. you guys reply so fast, can't thank you enough!

I just opened that link but just wondering something else. Is there any option that I can select that will allow me to edit the 6 second long text layer so that I can manipulate each frame without effecting another? Maybe an option like "enable frame by frame layer editing" haha because that would be perfect.

The skateboard does flip and someparts are hard too see beacuse of that so for a lot of the clip I don't think tracking would work that well.

[guns1inger]

That is what keyframes are for. If you turn on auto keyframing then every change you make will be recorded for that frame. Move to the next frame, adjust, next frame etc. If you have a second or so where the board is static then you may not need to adjust those frames.

Basically you should only need one text layer.

[sk8_aholic]

That's what I was looking for, the auto keyframe button. thanks a lot!