From looking at some motion graphics inspiration in this blog Contextual Analysis- Motion Graphics Inspiration, I realised the professional looking ones were just simple revealing ones so this is what I wanted to do for the ending of Josh’s videos, so I thought I would watch the tutorial below by Justin Odisho who shows us how to make a simple text reveal in after effects.
Step one: New composition, pick whatever size and duration is relevant to what I am doing.
Step two: Layer, new solid, pick a colour (this is the background)
Step three: Layer, new shape layer, pen tool, click tool creates shape (star tool at the top), fill none, stroke set to a colour.
Step four: Creates two points with the pen tool, to centre it go to layer, transform, centre anchor point in layer content, then layer, transform, centre in view.
Step five: (TEXT LAYERS) Layer, new, text, type out the word. Place next to the centre line, then align the text vertically using the tools on the right hand side. Then copy and paste that text layer, change the text and move it to the opposite side of the line.
Step Six: (MASK) Layer, new solid, click on the solid layer, select a new mask, aline the layer mask so the edge is in the centre. Track matte section and select ‘Alpha Matte Black solid 2.’
Step Seven: (KEYFRAMING) Position click stop watch icon, drag the mask node on the timeline to the 2 second mark (depending how long you want the animation to be) then go back to the start of the timeline and move the position of the text until it is out of the mask in this case to the left, this will create another keyframe on the timeline. This creates the reveal animation.
Step Eight: Select both keyframes, right click and easy ease them.
Step Nine: (Doing the same to the other text layer) So copy the mask layer (Command,C then Command,V) Copy and paste. Drag the mask layer on the other text layer in this case over Odisho. Then select ‘Alpha Inverted Matte’ on the mask layer.
Step Ten: (KEYFRAMING) Click the stop watch icon on position. Move the keyframe down the timeline to 2 seconds. Go back to the start of the timeline and move the text position to the right so it’s off the mask. Easy Ease the keyframes. Now both text reveal.
(YOU CAN HAVE THE TEXT LAYERS APPEAR AT DIFFERENT TIMES IF YOU MOVE THE KEYFRAMES FURTHER DOWN THE TIMELINE)
Step Eleven: (Make the line reveal) Drop down the properties, transform, Scale (Keyframe) then unlink the X and Y position by clicking the chain link, decrease the Y axis to zero percent, then go further down the timeline and put the Y axis back to 100.
(IF YOU WANT THE TEXT TO DISAPPEAR THE WAY THEY CAME OUT, COPY THE KEYFRAMES THEN JUST SWITCH THEM AROUND SO THE SECOND KEYFRAME IS NOW THE FIRST ONE)
Now that I have learnt how to do a simple logo reveal I am going to practice this before I edit the video and do all the motion graphics so I know what I am doing beforehand and so the post production process is faster.
YouTube. 2019. After Effects Simple Line Text Reveal Intro Animation Tutorial. [online] Available at: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XJt9uXwMwM> [Accessed 24 March 2020].
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