## Instructions - Structure comps like a pro: MAIN_1920x1080_30fps master, PRECOMP_ per section (Intro/Map/Demo/Outro), 8-bit + motion blur only where needed, 3-5s handles on each precomp for transitions. - Name and label everything: layers `TXT_Title / SHAPE_BG / NULL_Control`, color labels per type (text yellow, solids blue, nulls red), shy-switch hidden rig layers, posterize-time test at 12fps for timing checks. - Ease every keyframe: Easy Ease (F9) minimum, Graph Editor speed-curve polish (fast-in 0-70%, soft-out last 30%), overshoot on UI pops via 2-frame anticipation, never linear position moves on hero elements. - Master the 4 essential expressions: loopOut("cycle") for backgrounds, time-based wiggle for handheld, valueAtTime delays for followers, Math.round counters for stats. Alt-click stopwatch, never bake unless exporting. - Build lower-thirds as templates: Essential Graphics with source-text + color + position controls, 300-400px safe-title margins, in 12 frames / hold / out 10 frames, .mogrt export for Premiere handoff. - Animate text correctly: text animators (opacity + y-offset + tracking) over per-letter keyframes, range selector ease-high 60%, 2-4 words per line max, 0.15-0.3s stagger for readability. - Control motion blur and depth: shutter angle 180 default, 270-360 for extra smear on fast slides, camera DOF only on final hero shots (kills render time elsewhere), 3D only layers that need it. - Rig with nulls + parenting: single NULL_Control drives scale/position of card groups, pick-whip children, separate X/Y dimensions only for bouncy paths, collapse transformations on vector precomps. - Manage media: trim precomps (right-click > Trim Comp to Work Area), purge every hour (Edit > Purge > All), proxies for 4K footage, fonts collected via File > Dependencies > Collect Files. - Render smart: Render Queue ProRes 422/Lossless master first, then Media Encoder H.264 delivery (VBR 2-pass 20-40 Mbps), never render final H.264 straight from AE on long comps — queue can fail late. - QC motion: RAM-preview at full res for timing, half-res for color, watch on phone for text legibility, check 0.25x for easing pops, verify safe margins for broadcast. - Archive projects: Collect Files + version `PROJ_AE_v05.aep`, render log CSV, fonts + links folder, one-frame contact sheet PNG per comp. ## Examples - Good: PRECOMP structure, eased moves, loopOut bg, mogrt lower-third, ProRes master then H.264. Bad: 200 layers in one comp, linear keyframes, baked wiggle, direct H.264 render crash. - Good lower-third: name + role, 12-frame slide + fade, Essential Graphics editable in Premiere. Bad: flattened text, 60-frame crawl, off-safe-margin. - Good counter: `Math.round(effect("Slider Control")("Slider"))` with ease. Bad: 60 manual keyframes for 0-100 count. ## Workflows 1. Setup: comp settings match delivery, folders (Precomps/Text/Shape/Audio), NULL rig + color labels. 2. Animate: key poses first, Easy Ease, Graph Editor polish, expressions for loops/followers. 3. Template: Essential Graphics controls, mogrt export, Premiere test swap. 4. Render: ProRes master via queue, H.264 via Media Encoder, collect + archive. ## Templates - AE expression snippets: - `loopOut("cycle") // seamless bg loop` - `wiggle(2,18) // handheld drift on null` - `thisComp.layer("Leader").transform.position.valueAtTime(time-0.15) // trailer follow` - `Math.round(linear(time,inPoint,inPoint+2,0,100)) // 0-100 counter over 2s` - `loopOut("pingpong") // bounce loop for icons` - Lower-third spec: `In 12f ease-out / Hold 90f / Out 10f | Font Inter SemiBold 54px | Bar 8px brand color` - Render presets: `Master ProRes 422 + WAV | Delivery H.264 VBR2 30Mbps AAC 320k | Review H.264 12Mbps draft` ## Tools - After Effects Graph Editor + Essential Graphics, Media Encoder queue, ffmpeg for trims. - SARAH file tools for comp checklists, expression libraries, and render logs. ## Advanced - Build one master Motion-Toolkit comp: null rig, color-control null, text-preset bank, export as template .aet for every new video. - Use time-remap + loopOut on stock loops to stretch 5s clips to 30s backgrounds without visible cuts. - Link AE comps via Dynamic Link for Premiere tytu edits, but render-and-replace before final export to avoid link breaks. - Speed-curve formula: 70% fast-in / 30% soft-out on entrances, reverse on exits; 8-frame overshoot on pops via two-key anticipation. - Text animator stack: opacity 0-100 + Y -30px + tracking +5, range ease-high 65%, stagger 0.2s — one animator beats 20 keyframes. - Null-rigged card flips: single orientation pass on control null, children pick-whipped, motion blur on, DOF off until final. - Counter/stat rig: slider control + Math.round + comma-format via `toLocaleString()` expression for 1,000,000-style counts. - Precomp discipline: trim to work area before nesting, collapse transforms on vectors, continuous rasterize on Illustrator layers. - Render insurance: image-sequence (PNG/TIFF) render for long comps so crashes resume at last frame, then encode to ProRes/H.264. - mogrt handoff checklist: expose only font/size/color/position, test-swap 3 titles in Premiere, collect fonts with project. - Phone-legibility test: 50% zoom preview + actual phone export still — body text under 36px at 1080p fails. ## Quick Reference - Comps: MAIN master + PRECOMP per section, 3-5s handles, label text/shape/null layers. - Ease everything: F9 minimum, Graph Editor 70/30 curves, 2-frame anticipation on pops. - Expressions: loopOut cycle/pingpong, wiggle(2,18), valueAtTime(time-0.15), Math.round counters. - Lower-thirds: 12f in / 90f hold / 10f out, Essential Graphics controls, .mogrt to Premiere. - Text via animators (opacity + Y + tracking, 0.2s stagger), never per-letter keyframes. - Render: ProRes master via queue first, then Media Encoder H.264; image sequences for long comps. - Purge hourly, trim precomps, Collect Files + fonts on archive. ## Documentation - Adobe After Effects User Guide: keyframes, expressions, Essential Graphics, rendering (helpx.adobe.com/after-effects). - Adobe expression language reference (helpx.adobe.com/after-effects/using/expression-language-reference.html). - Motion design easing curves: easings.net + Adobe Graph Editor docs. - Premiere Dynamic Link + render-and-replace workflow docs.