Basic Tracking and Pre-comping

Basic tracking within After Effects is very easy to use and can look very professional. This effect can be used to track a certain spot of a video, and as the video moves, the spot that you choose to track will be analysed, which then allows you to put content, and connect it to the tracker, so the new piece of content moves with the tracker.

First of all, put the footage that you want to track into a composition and select Animation < Track Motion. This will then put a square onto your footage, with a smaller square inside it. Select the area you want to track and move the square around the chosen area. Make sure the specific area you want tracked is covered by the smaller square, and the larger square is around connecting areas. The bigger the area, the longer it takes to render. Once the area you want tracked is chosen, select the 'analyse' button.

Now create a null target, as you will use this to link to the tracker. After the tracking is complete, select 'edit target' on the tracker and change the layer to the null layer and select 'apply'. The null layer is now linked with the tracker. Now you can apply any sort of media to the null layer, for instance, a logo. Position the logo on the screen, most of the time it will be around the previously tracked area, and use the link tool to link the logo with the null layer. This will give the logo the same pathing as the null layer, of which has the same pathing of the tracker. Another way to do this is to copy the pathing of the tracker and paste it into the null layer, and then doing the link stage.

Pre-comping is when you create a piece of animation of media in a different composition to the main composition, and then place the smaller composition into the main comp. For instance, you could create a small animation in a different comp, so that it is less clogged up then if you were to do everything on one comp. Also, you can easily edit the smaller comps within the smaller comps editing areas, and they will automatically change within the main comp. For instance, you could make a small animation, and pair it with the tracker. Insert the smaller comp with the animation into the main footage comp with the tracker, and link the small composition to the null object. You now have an animation that is tracked onto footage, and if you want to alter the animation, choose the smaller comp it is in and edit it from there. Pre- comping is very simple and can help make work look hundreds of times better, as well as helping the workspace remain tidy.