Parallaxing a Background in Adobe After Effects

Industry Pros Brent and Max show you a simple After Effects Tutorial to pan a background. We learn about Keyframes, moving layers, and importing photoshop files. We also explain keyframe easing.
Special thanks to all of our Guest Artist
Brianne Neumann
www.bonjourbri.com/
And our wonderful artists submissions!
Connor Sebo
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Kurt Peterson
/ iyoharn
Parker Catalano
/ choney_stark
BaM is dedicated to teaching artists all about the animation industry, and skills sets including character design, background design, animation, and painting! Send us your art, and BaM will make an episode about YOU!
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[@mrsnapoly]

Woow, this is so much simpler than I thought it was!!! I already work with after effects, so this was very simple to understand, but I thought that doing camera movement like this in 2D animation was much more complicated!! I'm loving this channel, I'm learning SO MUCH!!

[@BaMAnimation]

oh gosh thank you! I hope all this makes it easier!

[@GirlArmy21]

Just learned this in school. Your explanation was clearer. I would like some "slower" tutorials though....I am a newb.

[@rotblush]

This is exactly what I was looking for to make with a vertical illustration just like yours, and in about 2 mins straight to the topic and comprehensive! Thank you so much guys!

[@UCCAWiditha]

me too, so glad I found their channel, mind blown for sure!!

[@matheusfsa10mass]

Great video! The form how you, guys, explain how the things works is amazing, i just loved!

[@ghostie7790]

Woww I’m loving how easy these tutorials are! Keep them nice and simple!

[@benzeno1995]

I just subscribed to you guys yesterday and your already giving me exactly what I need.

[@celestyelle6164]

You guys are amazing! So short and to the point, accessible, and full of interesting things to learn! Thanks so much!!

[@TomisaLami]

Perfect easy tutorial. You get right to the point and explain it clearly without wasting any time thank you so much.

[@GastHeer_]

Woah, you guys are like a diamond in the rough! these videos actually explain step by step how to do the thing that is promised in the title! thank you! Do you guys happen to have more After Effect tutorials by any chance? keep up the great work!

[@narasiriarthachinda2802]

This is exactly what’s i looking for! You guys are too brilliant 😮

[@marsillusionist]

you guys are the most awesome thing to ever happen to youtube!

[@mcsilberman]

Super cool tutorial. Straight to the point and a great explanation. Thanks!

[@NekoriBlah]

It took me less then a minute to hit subscribe, you guys are so fun to listen too! also VERY helpful :D

[@CutieMoli]

I've been looking everywhere for a tutorial on this but of course it would be on BaM Animation... I don't know why I didn't look it up on your channel right away... Thank you guys :P

[@newme8674]

You guys are awesome!!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge!!!

[@almercado9676]

This is Killer-Super informative! Thanks for sharing your knowledge fellas :)

[@karamaticedm3693]

This is awesome! Much love

[@OwliSketches]

just found my favorite channel! been binging you today!!

[@ajaymatale3427]

How awesomely perfect this tutorial is short and sweet...i just loved it!

[@BaMAnimation]

thanks man. just wanted to make something fast and easy!

[@Peebiie]

Just found this channel and holy crap you guys are awesome!!!

[@rilakumacakerolls9094]

Though technology wise, lacking new insights, but these two gentlemen really making life worth living. Love

[@harambe6972]

Y'all are the best.

[@PoMkAc27]

Nice explanation ❤

[@BEYONDlCHAN]

Great video

[@guxxart]

Amazing! :)

[@chickenlurkinyungchihuahua]

You guys are cool!!!!

[@Hapipaa456]

Thank you 😭💖💖💖

[@Sufkio]

amo este canal

[@terrology]

best channel!

[@shrishak00]

2 hours works tutorial done in 2 minutes 👌

[@luigieberbesada9869]

nice tutorial

[@JellyMotion]

You could also emulate the original method by turning on 3D mode for the images, add a camera, and pull them closer to it. Then move the camera rather than the images. This also helps for if you want to change things in a more complicated set up without upsetting other key frames.

[@vazak11]

Cool!

[@mxcq]

thank you!

[@Kurlyfox]

Could you do more tutorials for 2d Environment animations on loop in after effects as well?

[@agoulziprod]

i see some bodies are disliking the video ! they just want to download it hahahah really nice tutorial ! Thanks BaM

[@asktheangles]

Awesome!! Could you make a tutorial about zooming in on a background?

[@sirkarmart]

How did you get h264 in your file codecs section in after effects ?

[@wofty088]

NIce!!!!

[@gusathaydesants]

yeah dudes! awesome! that's what I call the cat's jump (sort of hot tip from pro's land) thank you!

[@thedreampipe]

Cool. I thought you were going to use 3D layers and a camera. That's how I do it in some of my shots. Thanks!

[@kaylenn]

it would be awesome if you could make the camera pan down like that, and then the characters are moving, or the fire is lit. Could you make a video like that?

[@jmalmsten]

I prefer to make a separate null object to parent things to in these situations. If you rename it "camera null" it becomes very intuitive later on to know what layer things are parented to. If you use the built in camera you can even parent it to a 3D null to make it easier to handle. :)

[@BaMAnimation]

I love null objects

[@auk6826]

Thanks

[@toastersfriend6869]

Hey, absolutely love it, but I think it may look a tad better if you added a little overshoot to the camera when it first settles into where it’s gonna stay, that way it feels more natural. Other than that, I love it, keep up the good work

[@marinarabiruchi8665]

I just found the channel and I'm in love! How do you combine the loop animation with the parallax effect?

[@BaMAnimation]

the background animation has to loop as well. and as long as a multiple of the original loop. and you nest the first animation inside and then repeat it. example. background animation is 8 seconds. the original loop is 4 seconds. so 2 nested loops to 1 bg loop

[@faizaqil1203]

Please do tutorial about lighting and shadow for 2d compositing (anime style)

[@seanodonnell7169]

nice

[@omegaman2846]

All I think of when I hear parallax is the green lantern villain

[@lochlinpeters]

What size was the original document before you fit it to the comp width?

[@feedmeunagi2312]

thankyouthankyouthankyou

[@6p00l]

UltraSenseiTruthoftheuniverse-Question here! How would you go to "cleverly" animate the lighting of such a scene (the part around the firecamp) . I mean, the moving shadows on the characters and the moving lightings and the fire) ? If you could answer (or even make a video about such a complex task, I'd erect some kind of memorial to you two here in Switzerland. Even just a hint of an answer would be great! (In my head I had something like: animate blob shapes in after effects with blend modes to create the movement of the fire on the characters? What do you think?)

[@jeruma2002]

Very cool, but does the motion blur happen automatically, or is that an extra step?

[@reddevilsunited7780]

SO if you have the lasyers in correct sequence. you could just select 3D on the layers, and you get the same effect based on how far and close you position the Images in the scene rather than animating the images separately. you only have to animate the Camera.

[@Yukuri0508]

How can I animate this as well? Like make the trees, fire move while the camera movement moves too

[@surenart756]

awesome guys, im just learning Animation in AE, please guide me how to create different scenes?

[@LiamJonesArtist]

Can you do this same thing in photoshop with the 3D feature they have in cc?

[@Hubert99999]

What about moving stuff sideways that should shift in perspective?

[@christopherwright6032]

Love your videos! What's the song in the beginning and end? So nice!

[@FreakStyler]

I think its from Kerbal Space Program: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qorLaaRur5eeedk

[@dgreeky]

So what is the difference beyween importing exprorted image and importing directly with Ps layer files (dont know if i word that right....)

[@silvercrow8985]

which style is it i would love to practice it

[@iam.2022]

Great video, I also love the music!!! What music is it?

[@FreakStyler]

Kerbal Space Program: kzbin.info/www/bejne/qorLaaRur5eeedk

[@bluephoenixsylvester3804]

theres also kzbin.info/www/bejne/lam8Z2eIpsuChM0 8 Bit March

[@hansdiamante8884]

You make us sound like we are a bunch of idiots who doesn't know how to use adobe.... actually it's really useful for me BECAUSE I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL THANKS!

[@Bluewaterdice]

How do you add a transform section for key frames? I can't find key frames

[@josephkachnic3396]

Why not use cameras in AE? I was extremely surprised you didn't use this technique after you basically outlined it @1:17. You can just make the layers 3D and move them closer to the camera on the z-axis. The parallaxing would occur without having to individually keyframe each layer you want to appear to be in the foreground.

[@GrzesiekWiesiek]

@@bibliografiyaabusrda7683 So rescale it i was suprised too why you dont put layer in 3d space

[@bibliografiyaabusrda7683]

@@GrzesiekWiesiek Yeah not really a problem anymore but ty

[@NamHung999]

I thought you would turn the layers to 3d mode and move the z position to far away And create a camera layer and move the camera downwise :)))

[@TheTreatR]

K there is something I don't get and that's knowing how to start and finish creating on are If I wanted to I wouldve had to search something that How is there a way for me to know how to use are and know what I'm doing like a professional designer

[@starmorpheus]

I'm sorry but your sentence made zero sense my guy lmao

[@kareemaiqbal3133]

I have a question please answer me..i have made animation in 3d max of 1 sec(24 frames) now i want to add this animation in 2d background in after effects...is it possible??plz reply me

[@kareemaiqbal3133]

If its possible then how it works plz make a toturial on it😏😢😢

[@ColinJWiens]

The camera can do this with Animate CC, but apparently it breaks on export, so I wrote a tutorial which uses code to do parallax in Flash CS3 to Animate CC. Anyone can comment if you want me to link it; it's easy but not really fit for complete beginners.

[@mattian5366]

i have a question, is after effect work with programs like krita?

[@luukkoffeman7905]

well it can work, but not as well as photoshop. because photoshop keeps all the layers and AE is compatible with PS it will import the layers as shown in the video, with krita it wont do this. what you can do is save the background and all the layers as seperate images (transparant images should be saved as PNG and not as JPEG), it just takes a little longer

[@yourfriendmars611]

I wanna see you guys use FlipaClip

[@vicnoay]

what was the music used

[@darksparks07]

If only I could do this in FlipaClip ;-;

[@weakgait]

maybe you can tho. hmm

[@darksparks07]

Trust me you can't

[@panjimaulanai8343]

add file documentation please, to make us easy practice

[@michellesetiawan348]

when i import psd file it become super messy?? the layer and position changes

[@BaMAnimation]

make sure you hit "import as composition and retain layer sizes" . also the order of the layers may change. but you just need to re order them

[@michellesetiawan348]

it worked! thank you

[@michellesetiawan348]

btw i make a video using your parallax effect :) it's in my channel thank you so much for helping

[@tomantony6495]

I want to animate like bright side but illustration is lot time consuming

[@prycetv4626]

I dont see the tutorial of creatin that background yall keep pointing on a blank space

[@artofwalker]

This video makes me think 3 year olds are learning AE now.

[@agfirs_o2579]

What is parallel really?

[@Rin-dr5gh]

Do you guys even reply to comments?

[@BaMAnimation]

Cherry blossom Sure we do!

[@Rin-dr5gh]

BaM Animation I have a question about “Ae” this video link kzbin.info/www/bejne/eoiQYpusapVmiLc I like what this girl did in her video it’s all mystery like abs how the words type on the screen and you know what I mean just the whole thing I like but I was wondering if I could do the same with “Ae” can I get the same out come?

[@BaMAnimation]

you can do the same thing if after effects. Just type out the words you want. and with an animated mask . you can reveal the words. I would suggest looking up AE tutorials on animated texts and masking.

[@Rin-dr5gh]

BaM Animation okay thanks I’ll try and see how it goes

[@duranimusprime5989]

Hey draw my character! :) lol 😝

[@felipemeneses5132]

Help me, quien de ustedes que hayan hecho el tutorial efecto glicht sabe como ponerle el fondo sin que el efecto afecte el fondo link kzbin.info/www/bejne/f56WnKmYrZmqZtU

[@lieutenantlaceyakajohntheb4948]

Damn this is confusing.

[@ursroymustang]

This video is too fast for me to understand 🥺🥺