Create effective random motions in After Effects

The combination of creative animations and technical skills is an art in itself, especially in the world of After Effects. In this tutorial, you will receive a detailed step-by-step guide on how to explore creative possibilities for random movements of animations using expressions. Based on the idea of "Random Bouncing," you will learn how to create an intuitive and controllable animation that also deepens technical skills in working with expressions.

Main Insights

• The use of expressions enables you to create creative and dynamic animations in After Effects.
• Through the targeted use of variables and controllers, you can simulate custom movements.
• Handling the random and seed random functions gives you the ability to generate random values repeatedly.
• With implementations in 3D, you can visualize light animations that behave like real "Trapcode Lux" lights.

Step-by-Step Guide

First, start by creating a new composition and a placeholder for your animation.

Create a new solid. Go to “New” and select the “Solid”-option. Set the size to 30x30 pixels and choose a color that is clearly visible. This solid will act as a placeholder for your animation.

Next, add a new adjustment layer that contains some controllers. These controllers will help you control your animation parameters later. Click on “New” and select “Adjustment Layer.” Add a slider that you name “Amplitude” to control the height of the jumps.

Create additional sliders for “Frequency” and “Range.” These are responsible for controlling the jump frequency and the random range. Now you have the necessary variables for your animation.

Now the real fun begins with the expressions! Hold Alt and click on the position of your solid to open the expressions box, and start constructing your animation. Start with the X value, which should be equal to the original value. This means you set it to value[0].

The Y value will provide the random jump movement. Use Math functions for this. Incorporate the previously created controllers into this expression. For example, the command for the amplitude would be: Amplitude = Amp;. Also, change the frequency in the sine wave to shape the frequency of the jumps.

Now comes the exciting part: add the expressions for random movement using random! Define a range within which the value is generated randomly. For example, you can set the range from -Range/2 to Range/2 to capture the jump height and width.

To ensure that values are updated only at certain points, use the seed random and timeless functions. This will ensure that new random positions are generated only when certain conditions are met.

Now you have your animated solid that moves randomly. Watch the animation, and you will see how it dynamically responds to the beat of imaginary music. Activate the RAM Preview to see the animation in all its glory.

If you want to create a three-dimensional effect, create a new composition and add a 3D camera. Add lights that are also animated to create additional realism. You can align the lights with the original solid so that they appear dimensional in space.

To create more detail, add a radial blur to the light to make it appear softer. Use the "Circle" effect and place the center at the center of your light object.

Finally, implement the Trapcode Lux effect by setting the midpoint of the light to match the color of the light. This allows the light to adapt to the surroundings and creates a harmonious overall look.

Summary – Creating Random Jump Animations in After Effects

In this tutorial, you learned how to generate random movements for your animation projects in After Effects using expressions. From basic solid instantiation to complex light simulation, we covered various techniques that enable you to create dynamic and customizable animations.