(gentle music)
- Hello, and welcome to the 22nd video
in this beginner's guide to Adobe After Effects.
In this tutorial, I'm going to demonstrate
how you can use adjustment layers in After Effects.
In the last video, we looked at how we could add
color effects directly to our layers.
In that video, we looked at some very simple compositions
where we applied color effects to just one layer.
Now, as you build your video presentations,
there will be times where you'll want to build
complex compositions consisting of multiple layers
and you will want to apply a single color effect
to the entire comp.
Now, it would take some time and be a little bit tedious
to apply the same effect to every layer.
Well, in After Effects, there is an easy way.
In After Effects, we can use
what are called Adjustment Layers.
In this video, we will be looking at how adjustment layers
work and how they can be used to apply effect
to an entire composition.
So in this video, we'll be covering the following topics.
What are adjustment layers and how to use them.
After this video, you will understand how to use
adjustment layers easily in your video sequences.
So, let's get into it.
So here I am in After Effects and I have a project open here
that I'm going to use to demonstrate how you can apply
color adjustments to your video sequences.
So let's take a look at a few examples.
Now if you have the project folder,
you can open up the document I have here.
With the project folder open,
click into the S2 Essential Practice folder,
into folder 22 Adjustment Layers,
and open the Adjustment Layers After Effects file,
and you will have the same document I have open here.
This is a document you can use to quickly experiment
with adjustment layers with me in this video.
Now, if you don't have the project folder,
and you want to follow along with this tutorial
using the document I have prepared especially for you,
you can download this project folder for a small fee.
The download link with instructions 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 the S2 Essential Practice folder,
into folder 22 Adjustment Layers,
and open the Adjustment Layers After Effects file,
and you will have the same document I have open here.
So I want to draw your attention first,
over to the Project panel.
Here you can see I have a folder called Adjustment Layers
and one called Practice.
For now, I need you to pay attention
to the Adjustment Layers folder.
So double-click on the first comp Aquarium Edit
and it will appear in the Composition panel.
So I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start
of the timeline and I'll press
space bar to activate preview.
So, unlike the previous video, where we had
just one video layer, here we have a composition
with multiple video layers making the short video edit here.
This is consisting of six video layers.
Now looking at the video in the Composition panel,
we can see that it has this blue filter applied
to the entire comp.
To create this effect, I applied an adjustment layer.
Now, if we look carefully down in the Timeline panel,
we can see this layer on the top called Adjustment Layer.
Now, if I toggle the visibility of this layer
by hitting the eye icon on the left to turn it off,
we will see all the videos played with the normal color.
So we can toggle the visibility of this adjustment layer
to either apply the effect, or turn it off.
So what is an adjustment layer?
Well adjustment layers are layers you place in your timeline
that have no visual appearance in your video sequence.
However, they do hold effects information
that is applied to any layer below them.
For example, if we click on the adjustment layer,
come over to the Project panel and carefully click
on the Effect Controls tab at the top of the panel,
we can see there are a number of effects
applied to this adjustment layer.
We have a black and white, an auto contrast
an a photo filter.
If I toggle these off from the bottom to the top
by hitting the effects icon, you can see
that this overall effect has been built by a number
of effects, just like we learned in the previous video.
So I'll toggle these back.
So right now, this layer is sitting
on the top of the layer stack.
If I click and drag the adjustment layer three layers down,
we won't see any effects applied to the layers
above the adjustment layer in the timeline.
When using adjustment layers, you have to keep in mind
where it is placed on the timeline.
When using adjustment layers, you have to keep in mind
where it is placed in the layer stack.
Remember, anything placed below it will be affected,
and anything above will not.
So let's take a look at another example.
So back into the Project panel,
I'll carefully click on the Project tab at the top,
and this time double-click on Camden Edit,
and it will appear in the Composition panel.
So I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start
of the timeline and I'll press
space bar to activate preview.
So this time, unlike the heavy filter applied
to the previous examples, this time I have
a subtle photo filter.
And if we look down in the Timeline panel,
we can see again, we have an adjustment layer on the top.
If we toggle the visibility of the adjustment layer
on and off by hitting the eye icon,
we can see the effect this is having.
So why do we use adjustment layers?
Well in this example, you can see I have six video layers
making up this video composition.
To apply effects to each video would take a bit of work,
and I decided to tweak or change the effect,
I would have to change every single layer.
Adjustment layers allow you to easily apply an effect
to an entire composition very easily.
So, adjustment layers are really for convenience
when working in After Effects, and an adjustment layer
can be used for all sorts of effects,
from color to distortion.
So, back into the Project panel, this time,
double-click on Hyde Park Edit.
So I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start
of the timeline and I'll press
space bar to activate preview.
This time I have an overexposure effect applied.
And if you toggle the adjustment layer off,
you can see it's having quite a drastic effect.
Now if we select the adjustment layer,
come into the Project panel and click on
the Effects and Controls tab at the top,
you can see what's been applied
to the adjustment layer to create this effect.
So lastly, back into the Project panel,
double-click on Tower Bridge Edit.
I'll make sure the time indicator is at the start
of the timeline and I'll press
space bar to activate preview.
This time, I have an effect applied
to make it look a little more vintage and dreamy.
Again, if you toggle the adjustment layer off,
you can see it's having quite a drastic effect.
Now this time, we don't only have color effects applied,
but also distortion effects to create
this abstract visual effect.
So when using an adjustment layer,
you can apply a wide range of effects.
So let's now take a look at how we can apply
and use an adjustment layer.
So back into the Project panel,
if you look below the Adjustment Layer folder,
we have a folder called Practice.
In this folder, we have the same compositions
we have just seen, but without the adjustment layers.
And you can use these to apply adjustment layers with me.
So let's begin by double-clicking on Aquarium
and it will appear in the Composition panel.
So here we are with a video sequence
I have prepared earlier, very similar
to what you may create in After Effects.
So instead of applying a color effect
to each individual video layer,
I want to apply it quickly to the entire comp.
To do this is easy.
So first place your mouse cursor over on the left hand side
of the Timeline panel, into the blank space
below the layer names and right-click.
Scroll up to New, then come down
and select Adjustment Layer.
Upon click, you will see a new layer
appear on the top of your layer stack.
By default, the layer will be named as Adjustment Layer,
followed by a number corresponding
to its place in the layer stack.
So now we can go ahead and apply effects
to this adjustment layer, so I'll come over
to the After Effects panel, I'll drop down
the Color Correction folder, I'll click and drag
the Auto Contrast effect onto my adjustment layer,
and upon release, I can see that has
enhanced my video below nicely.
Also, in the Effects Controls panel to the left,
we will now see the effects controls we can modify
if we wish to tweak the effect further.
Now that may be all I want to do to this comp,
but if I wanted to add more effects,
I could keep applying more presets to the adjustment layer,
and this time I'll drag Vibrance onto the adjustment layer
and push that up to around 70 over in the Effects Controls,
just to make those colors pop more.
Now, what if I wanted everything to be black and white?
Well this time, I could drag the Black and White effect
onto the adjustment layer.
Now, what if I wanted to apply a lens distortion effect?
Well this time, I'll click down on the Distortion folder,
and drag the Warp effect onto the adjustment layer.
Over in the Effects Controls, I'll click down
on the Warp Style and select FishEye.
And now it looks like we are looking
through some strange glass.
In the Effects Controls, we can also toggle off
some of the effects if we don't want them any longer.
I'll toggle off black and white, and I'll make sure
the timeline indicator is at the start of the timeline,
and I'll press space bar to activate preview.
And just like that, we have applied a number of effects
really simply to an entire composition of layers.
And if for whatever reason, I want to take away the effect,
all I need to do is simply click on the eye icon
for the adjustment layer to turn the effect off.
So that's how simple it is to use
adjustment layers in After Effects.
So over the past few videos, we have been applying
color effects using some of the effects and presets.
Now while we are on the topic of color adjustments,
there is another option you can consider.
In After Effects, we can also use
what are called Blending modes.
Blending modes can be used to apply further dynamic color
and video effects to your compositions.
In the next video, we will be looking at how blending modes
can be used, so see you in the next video.
(upbeat music)