AFTER EFFECTS: ADDING SHADOWS TO WALK CYCLES

Make sure that you have named the Main Composition

To be efficient at compositing your walk sequence project, you should place the aforementioned cycle in its own "nested composition" or "pre-composition." In the "pre-comp," you will add the figure's shadow. Everything will then exist within the project's main composition. Similarly, you should do the same with backgrounds and foregrounds (which will include their panning key frames) and make them into separate pre-comps.

However, before you do anything, you should make sure that you have named the Main Composition, calling it something like "Walk Sequence Project." If you have not done this yet, please do so now:

• Go to the main menu and select Composition> Composition Settings.
• Referring to the entry box at the top of the Composition Settings Window, type a suitable name.
• Press OK.

Pre-compose layers

• Referring to the Timeline, select the walk sequence layer.
• Go to the main menu and choose Layer > Pre-compose:
  • New composition name: You should call the composition something like "Walking Sequence."
  • Select "Leave all attributes in [the main composition's name]."
  • Choose "Open New Composition." By doing this, the new composition will subsequently appear as a tab in both the Timeline and Composition windows. You will then be able to tab back and forth from one composition to another, allowing you to easily make adjustments to various comps.
  • If, by chance, you happen to close the composition tab in either the Timeline or Composition windows, don't worry, this action won't delete the composition from the After Effects project. To open the nested composition again, simply return to the Project Window and double-click the pre-composition's icon. The nested comp will then reopen as a tab in the Timeline and Composition windows.
• Press OK.

To make a shadow layer

• Bring your walk sequence into the Timeline (or into the Composition Window).
• Duplicate the layer by going to Edit > Duplicate. This will now be referred to as the character’s shadow layer.

Then, you can go about making adjustments to the shadow layer.

To make adjustments to the shadow layer

• Use the Pan Behind Tool to move the files Anchor Point (refer to figure "i" in the definitions at the top of this page).
• Use the Selection Tool (figure a.) to drag the middle layer handle past the layer’s Anchor Point. You should refer to the Info Palette while doing this, to keep track of the layer’s position. It should move to “Scale: -100%, 100%.”
• Use the Rotation Tool (figure b.) to rotate the layer.
• For fine tuning, you should expand the layer outline in the Timeline, and, under Transform, adjust the Scale and Rotation.
• You could distort the shadow, to make it seem as though it naturally casts across a ground surface. To do so, go the Main Menu and choose Effect > Distort > Corner Pin.
  • When the effect appears in the Composition Window, click on the "lower corner pins," the Lower Left and Lower Right and drag each to the left or right, to subsequently distort the head and shoulder areas of the shadow, and to the Upper Left and Upper Right to adjust the position of the shadow feet.
  • After doing so, you might have to reposition of the shadow again, so the feet line up -- somewhat (it might be difficult to precisely match the character's feet to the shadow feet).

To make the layer into a more of a shadow

• As shadows often consist of a colour other than black, you might consider using a New Solid as a Track matte:
• Go to Layer > New Solid and choose a suitable colour.
• In the Timeline, move the solid’s position below the shadow layer.
• With the intention of setting a Track Matte, refer to the Timeline and make sure that “Modes” is selected on the bottom edge of the Timeline Window.
• At the “Shadow Colour” layer, go to the “Trk Mat Column” and choose Alpha Matte.

To change the shadow’s opacity and then make it blurry

• Go to the “Shadow Colour” layer and expand the layer to reveal Transform. Choose Opacity and adjust the amount (e.g., 40%).
• To add a bit of blur to the shadow, go to Effect > Blur & Sharpen > Gaussian Blur. Under Blurriness, adjust the amount of distortion (e.g., 3.0).