Using Layers for a DVD Menu in After Effects
The real essence of After Effects, what makes it tick, is its clever use of layers. Most people know layers in Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, and in many ways After Effects mimics these almost identically. However, layers can be so much more than they seem at first glance. Here are a few cool examples of where you can save time and money in creating a DVD menu background using layers for more than just the basics. What a perfect subject for this magazine!
The specs for this project are an NTSC D1 composition (720×486), 29.97 frames per second, 5 seconds long, with a background color of black.
STEP 1 Import Footage; Arrange in Timeline
After creating the new project and composition in After Effects, go to File>Import>Multiple Files, and bring in some elements to use as your backdrop. In this case, I’m bringing in a couple of Artbeats clips, namely from their Light Alchemy and Digital Microcosm collections. These are perfect for looping backgrounds and for using as mattes and effects. Choose the main clip to play in the background and drag it into the Timeline at 0 seconds (I’m using Digital Microcosm clip 119).
STEP 2 Add Light Layer; Remove Background
Now, drag the next clip (Light Alchemy 106, or something similar with a dark background and swirling areas of light pixels) into the Timeline at the top of the layer stack. The black background covers up the original pixels, so let’s use a blend mode to get rid of it. Control-click (PC: Right-click) in the Switches header in the Timeline and choose Columns>Modes. Next to the Light layer under the Mode column, click on Normal and choose Add. Now you’re using a layer as its own matte. Cool!
STEP 3 Duplicate and Rotate Light Layer
How about adding another set of light wisps, but changing their color? For this, we can use a new blank layer of color with an existing layer as its matte. With the Light layer selected, hit Command-D (PC: Control-D) to duplicate it, and hit R to access its Rotation values. In the second input field (0.0°), key in 180 to spin the light around. Hit 0 for a RAM Preview and check the composite you have created, all with a few simple layers.
STEP 4 Change Clip Speed and Duration \Let’s change the speed of the second Light layer so it plays back faster than the other, as if we used a completely different clip. Click the small <> icons at the bottom-center of the Timeline to expand the In, Out, Duration, and Stretch sections in the Timeline. For the current Light layer, click on the number in the Duration column (in this case, 0;00;14;03) to bring up the Time Stretch dialog. Change the New Duration to 0;00;05;01 and hit OK. Playback will now be much faster.
STEP 5 Add Color Solid; Change Layer Order
So how best to change the color of that light to be bright yellow and stand out? Let’s use another layer! Go to Layer>New>Solid. Make sure to click the Make Comp Size button, and then click the color swatch and change it to a bright, strong yellow. Click OK and the new solid comes in on top of the stack. Drag it down in the Timeline to below the first layer (the duplicated, rotated light).
STEP 6 Create Luma Matte; Adjust Levels
Go to the TrkMat column in the Timeline for the yellow solid and choose Luma Matte from the options. You now have beautiful yellow wisps! The luminance values of the Light layer are being used as transparency information for the yellow solid, but we can make them even stronger. Select the top Light layer again and go to Effect>Adjust>Levels. Under the topmost histogram in the palette that appears, drag the white slider toward the left until the yellow wisps become as strong as you like.
STEP 7 Create Fractal Noise Layer
Now let’s create a water-like movement on a layer, which can be used to distort our main title. Once again, go to Layer>New>Solid, and set the color to black. When done, go to Effect>Noise & Grain>Fractal Noise. To make this look like rippling water, change Noise Type to Spline and set Contrast to 130 in the Effect Controls palette. Under Transform, turn off Uniform Scaling and adjust the Width to 600, Height to 20, and Complexity to 3. This makes a nice, elongated noise with a very soft feel to it.
STEP 8 Animate Fractal Noise
Making sure you’re at 0 seconds in the Timeline, click the little Stopwatch icon next to Evolution in the Effect Controls palette to add a keyframe, and also click the Stopwatch icon next to Offset Turbulence. Now, hit End on the keyboard to go to the end of the Timeline, change the Evolution value to 2 full rotations, and the Offset Turbulence value by 100 pixels down from 360, 243 to 360, 343. When done, do a RAM Preview to see the water-like motion you have just created from a blank layer!
STEP 9 Import & Position Title Elements
Now for titles: Go to File>Import>Multiple Files and import the title/text graphics you wish to use. I’m importing an Illustrator CS2 file (although any version will do) with three separate layers. Choose Footage in the Import window, then select a layer from the next dialog, but make sure that Document Size is selected also. When done, drag these graphics into the top of the Timeline and hit Option-Home (PC: Alt-Home) to make sure they start at 0 seconds.
STEP 10 Pre-Compose Fractal Noise
Our desire here is to use the animated water layer to animate a ripple onto our titles (all layers or just one—it’s up to you). However, our Noise solid cannot be used for animated distortion of another layer, as AE doesn’t see the animated pixels in motion until they’re rendered. But we don’t want to render! So, select the Fractal Noise black solid layer and go to Layer>Pre-Compose. Select Move All Attributes into the New Composition and click OK. Visually, nothing changes.
STEP 11 Hide Pre-Comp; Apply Displacement Effect
Now, click the Eye icon on the far left of the Noise Pre-Comp layer to turn it off and see the original composite. Select the title layer to which you wish to add the ripple animation and go to Effect>Distort>Displacement Map. In the window that appears, change the Displacement Map Layer to the Noise Pre-Comp (layer 4 in this case). Change the Max Horizontal Displace value to 0 and the Vertical to 10. Set the Displacement Map Behavior to Center Map, then do a RAM Preview. Very nice!
STEP 12 Create Solid; Add Mask
Go to Layer>New>Solid and create another black solid at 0 seconds. Hit Q twice on the keyboard to access the Ellipse Mask tool, and with the Shift key held down draw a circle mask on the new solid. Create it slightly off to one side. If you need to move it, press Command-T (PC: Control-T) and adjust its size and position. When done, hit M to show the mask in the Timeline, and click the Invert checkbox next to it. Finally, hit F to show the Feather value, and soften the mask to around 160 pixels.
STEP 13 Make New Solid an Adjustment Layer; Add Effects
In the Switches column, click under the small half-black/half-white circle for the masked layer—it will disappear, but that’s okay—it’s waiting for us to add effects now. Go to Effect>Blur & Sharpen>Gaussian Blur, and change the Blurriness value to 8 pixels. Go back to Effect>Adjust>Levels, and this time let’s drag the right-hand white slider on the grayscale ramp about a third to the left. These two effects are now combined and applied through a soft-edged mask on an adjustment layer!
STEP 14 Final Layer Order; Summary
One more thing—adjustment layers only affect layers beneath them. If your layer is affecting all your titles and you only want it to affect one (or none), simply move the other titles above the adjustment layer in the Timeline!
So, we have used layers for many different things: simple composites, self-masking with blending modes, luma masking on basic solid layers, creating animated textures and applying as distortion effects, and as masked adjustment layers with effects that affect everything else! As I said, a layer is definitely more than just a layer! Enjoy.
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