(upbeat music)
- Hello, and welcome to the 37th video
in this Beginner's guide to Adobe After Effects.
In this tutorial, I'm going to demonstrate
how you can synchronize a video presentation to music
in After Effects.
Now, most of the time, when people use audio
for their videos,
it's commonly simply played in the background,
where it just plays.
And there is no real connection between the visual
and the audio.
Now, sometimes, you will see a video presentation
that is edited to an audio clip,
and the edit is in time with the background track.
For the video presentation we are creating,
we are going to edit it alongside an audio track.
Now, editing a clip along a audio track
can be a little complicated and tricky to do.
In this video, I'm going to share a technique
I often use, which works quite well for me,
which I hope will help you.
In the previous episode, we finished
the introduction section to our video presentation
by animating the last frame, the British flag.
Now, before we move on and look at how we are going
to animate the next part,
we are going to think about how we are going
to structure the presentation to a background track.
So, looking back at the project plan,
one of the big things we need to
do with this video presentation,
is structure it in time with music.
In this video, I'm going to bring in a music file,
and we're going to look at how we can prepare to sync
the entire video presentation to music.
So, in this video, we are going to be covering
the following topics.
Working with audio in After Effects.
Listening for audio cues in music.
Planning structure around music.
And synchronizing a presentation to music.
So, let's get into it.
So, here I am, where we left off in the previous episode,
where we completed the introduction section
to our video presentation.
Now, if you're watching for the first time,
and wish to follow along,
you can find this document in the project folder,
which you can download.
Link is in the description.
The download folder comes with lots of exercise documents
we will be using on this course,
that have been carefully developed
to aid your learning experience.
The folder also comes with document resources,
such as videos, graphics, and images,
you can use to build your first video presentation
from scratch, later on in this course.
To get the full learning experience,
I recommend you get the project folder.
Download link with instructions is in the description.
With the project folder open, click into folder three,
create a project,
then click into folder 37, synchronizing to music,
and open the synchronizing to music document.
Now, if you're continuing on from the last episode,
make sure you have your document up and ready.
So, with our document open, let's proceed.
So, what we are going to do now,
is think about the background track we are going to use
for this presentation,
and how we are going to structure
our video presentation around it.
A process I use to synchronize my audio
around a music track is, one, listen to the track,
two, visualizing the parts I need to section on the track,
three, listen for structural cues and mark the track,
and four, place my sections on the timeline.
So, let's start with step one, listening to the track.
So, with the project folder open,
click into folder two, project assets,
and then into the audio folder.
Here, I have an audio file I have downloaded free
from the YouTube audio library.
If you have already downloaded it, great.
However, if you have not,
simply click on the instructions document,
contained in this folder,
and this has a download link,
which you can access the audio file for free
from the YouTube library.
So, once you have downloaded the audio file,
be sure to place it in this audio folder.
So, let's take a look at this audio file, and listen to it.
So, this is an audio file from the YouTube audio library,
called Roll and Drop.
Now, I suggest you listen to it yourself a few times,
to familiarize yourself with the track.
But, for now, let's listen to this together.
(upbeat electronic music)
So, this is what we are going to work with.
Next, we are going to need to think
about how we can break this up to place in our sequences.
So, once you have familiarized yourself with the track,
let's move on to step two,
visualizing the parts I need to section on the track.
So, what we are going to have to do here,
is break the track up into various sections,
which we will structure our presentation around.
Now, earlier on in this course, right at the beginning,
before I even started in After Effects,
I undertook a planning and design process.
So, let's now, quickly, look back at the plan document.
So, looking back at the project sheet
and the timeline plan I did earlier,
I initially planned for this presentation
to have seven sections.
One, introduction.
Two, Hyde Park.
Three, the aquarium.
Four, Shoreditch.
Five, Camden Town.
Six, tower bridge.
And seven, the outro sequence.
So, what we are dealing with in this presentation
is seven parts.
Now, whenever you think about synchronizing music
to a track,
it helps to have an initial idea of your sections
so you can visualize them.
So, for this presentation,
I have to work with seven sections.
Once I now the sections I am working with,
I can move on to step three,
listen for structural cues and mark the track.
So, now I'm going to come back to my audio track,
and listen again, for cues
where I can possibly place my sections.
To do this, I'm going to listen to the track
and place markers to get an initial idea
of how we can possibly edit the track.
So, I'll begin by placing a marker at the start.
And now, let's listen to the track together.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so, there, between zero and eight seconds,
there is, what feels like an introduction buildup.
So, here I can place a marker on the music timeline
at eight seconds.
There is my second marker.
So, let's continue on from eight seconds.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so there was a change there.
Let's look at that again.
(upbeat electronic music)
Now, the music seems to change there, at 23 seconds.
So, here I can place a marker there, at 23 seconds,
and there is my third marker.
So, let's continue on from 23 seconds.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, another change there.
Let's look at this again.
(upbeat electronic music)
So, the music changes there, at 39 seconds.
So, here, I can place a marker at 39 seconds.
And there is my fourth marker.
So, let's continue on from 39 seconds.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, another change there.
Let's look at that again.
(upbeat electronic music)
So, the music changes there, at 46 seconds.
So, I'll place a marker there, at 46 seconds.
And there is my fifth marker.
So, let's continue on from 46 seconds.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, and that's the end of the track.
So, right now, I have five markers on my timeline,
with four obvious changes in the music.
These changes will work really easy to cue the sections.
So, right now, we have five markers,
but seven sections to place on the timeline.
So, we need to find another two markers.
So, what I'm going to do next,
is look back at how we can place additional markers
on the track to give me more to work with.
So, looking at my timeline,
I can see that there is a gap, here,
between eight and 23 seconds.
So, I'll come back to eight seconds
and listen up to 23 seconds.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so this section is quite repetitive.
There seems like there could be a marker
in the middle, here.
So, let's listen to that again.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so at 15 seconds, the music section plays again.
So, let's put a marker down here, at 15 seconds.
And that seems to fit nicely
in between marker two and three.
Okay, so that's working well for now.
Let's look at trying to find the last marker.
Now, the last marker is currently at 46 seconds.
And I have to keep in mind, there is going to be
an end sequence to this video presentation.
So, I now want to come and find a marker
I can place towards the end,
to give me a cut where I can place the end sequence.
So, now, I'll come to 48 seconds and listen.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so at 58 seconds, the music seems
to build up to the end, so I'll drop a marker here.
Now, for this presentation, we only have to establish
seven sections.
If I needed more, I would have to continue this process
and try to identify more markers.
So, it really helps to listen to the track
over and over again.
And identify markers on the track,
you can potentially edit your video sequence to.
Now, for this example,
I showed you how I did this on screen,
but this is how it looks when I did this originally.
To do this, I always draw a line on a sheet of paper,
and mark the line with the timecode of the music track.
I listen repeatedly, and put down markers.
So, when I have established the amount of markers I need,
I can then move on to step four,
place my sections on the timeline.
So, now, I have identified seven markers
that work on my audio track.
I can now make sense of what I'm going to do
and how I'm going to edit
my video presentation going forward.
So, now, I'm going to come back
to my After Effects document,
and this is where we left off in the previous video.
So, first, I'm going to bring in the audio file.
So, with he project folder open,
click into folder two, project assets,
and then into the audio folder.
So, now, you should have the Roll and Drop audio file
here, ready, which we looked at earlier.
Next, simply drag it into the After Effects project panel,
like so.
So, now we have the audio file in the project panel,
ready to place in our comp.
Before that, let's toggle down our assets folder,
and drop the audio file into the audio folder.
Nice.
So, with the audio file ready,
I'll simply click and drag it into the comp,
and release, like so.
Upon release, we now have a new layer in the timeline panel.
Also notice, the layer bar only goes as far as one minute,
five seconds.
This represents how long the audio video is.
Next, I'll just select the layer
and drag it to the bottom of the layer stack.
So, what I'm going to do now,
is place down some markers to match my audio markers.
So, first I'll come right over to the far right
of the timeline panel,
and we will see this little marker icon here.
Now, we can use these to place markers on the timeline,
which we are going to use as reference points.
So, I'll click and drag this out, like so,
and place it right at the start of the timeline.
Now, we have our first marker.
So, looking back at our audio timeline,
my second marker is at eight seconds.
So, what I'll do here, is come over to my timecode
on the timeline panel,
and double click on the time.
So, I'll type in eight seconds and press enter.
This will place my time indicator right at eight seconds
on my timeline.
With my time indicator in place,
I'll come right over to my timeline panel,
I'll click and drag a marker out, while holding shift,
and snap it over my time indicator, like so.
And now, we have our second marker.
So, looking back at my audio timeline,
my next marker is at 15 seconds.
So, I'll come over to my timecode on the timeline panel
and double click on the time, and enter 15 seconds
and press enter.
And that will press my time indicator at 15 seconds.
I'll click and drag another marker out,
while holding shift,
and snap it over my time indicator, like so.
And now, we have our third marker.
So, looking back at my audio timeline,
my next marker is at 23 seconds.
I'll type in 23 seconds on the timecode and press enter.
I'll click and drag another marker out while holding shift,
and snap it over my time indicator.
And now, we have our fourth marker.
Now, notice, as we drag out the markers,
they will have markers on them.
So, now, we are starting to clearly define the sections
on our timeline.
So, looking back at our audio timeline,
my next marker is at 38 seconds.
So, I'll type in 38 seconds on my timecode, press enter,
and I'll click and drag another marker out,
while holding shift, and snap it over my time indicator,
like so.
And now, we have our fifth marker.
So, looking back at my audio timeline,
my next marker is at 46 seconds.
I'll type in 46 seconds on my timecode, press enter.
I'll click and drag another marker out, while holding shift,
and snap it over my time indicator, like so,
and now we have our sixth marker.
And lastly, back into my audio timeline,
my last marker, here, is at 58 seconds.
So, I'll type in 58 seconds on my timecode, press enter,
and I'll click and drag another marker out,
while holding shift, and snap it over my time indicator.
So, now, I have my audio file in place,
with my seven markers.
But now, we need to come in and really check,
they are in the right place.
So, I'll come in, and zoom in on marker two.
I'll place my time indicator
just a little before marker two,
and I'll press space bar to activate preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Now, that looked like the music changes sooner
than where the current marker is.
So, I'll place my time indicator a little before
and press space bar to preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so I'll just bring my marker in a little,
and that now appears to be right on cue.
The marker is placed just where the music changes.
(upbeat electronic music)
So, next, I'll come over and inspect marker three.
I'll place my time indicator just a little bit before
marker three, and press space bar to preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so this one is a little out.
So, I'll just bring my marker out a little,
(upbeat electronic music)
and that's right on cue, perfect.
So, next, I'll come over and inspect marker four.
I'll place my time indicator a bit before marker four,
and press space bar to preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so this one is a little out as well.
So, I'll bring my marker out a little.
(upbeat electronic music)
And now, that's right on cue.
So, next I'll come over and inspect marker five.
I'll place my time indicator a bit before marker five,
and press space bar to preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so this one is a little out as well,
so, I'll just bring my marker out a little.
(upbeat electronic music)
And that's a lot better, that's right on cue.
Next, I'll come over and inspect marker six.
I'll place my time indicator just a little bit before
marker six, and press space bar to preview.
(upbeat electronic music)
Okay, so this one is a little bit out as well.
So, I'll drag my marker out a little.
(upbeat electronic music)
And the marker is now right on cue, excellent.
So, lastly, I'll come over and inspect marker seven.
I'll place my time indicator
just a little before marker seven,
(upbeat electronic music)
And this one is actually just right.
So, I'll zoom out on my timeline,
and now, I'm 100% happy with the positioning of my markers.
These markers are now going to help me
edit and produce my video presentation
around the music track.
So, once we have established the timeline structure,
we can now move on.
Now, at this point, if you are following along,
I would recommend saving your document
so we can continue on in the next episode.
(light upbeat music)
So, that is the process I always use
to synchronize my video presentations
to a background music track.
With my sections in place, I am now ready to proceed
with the rest of my video presentation.
So, looking back at the Photoshop design,
the next section is Hyde Park.
So, what we are going to do next,
is build up this layer in After Effects.
We are going to create a video sequence
and then animate the type to appear on top.
And in the next video, we are going to begin
with the background part,
and look at how we are going to edit a video clip.
So, see you in the next video.