After Effects for Absolute Beginners: Capstone Project—A Polished Lower-Third Pack

What You’re Building (and Why It’s a Capstone)

In this capstone, you’ll build a mini “lower-third pack”: three polished variations of the same lower-third design. The goal is not to invent three unrelated graphics—it’s to create a consistent system that can be reused quickly. You’ll combine: shape layers (for the bar and accent), text animation (for name/title), masking reveals (for a clean wipe-on), easing (for a professional feel), and a controller null (so timing can be adjusted without hunting through keyframes).

Success Criteria (Use This as Your Checklist)

• Consistent motion style: all three variations use the same timing, easing, and reveal behavior.
• Clean layer organization: clear naming, color labels, shy layers where appropriate, and a predictable structure.
• Editor-ready exports: versions that can be dropped into an edit (with alpha if needed), plus a clear file naming convention.

1) Planning the Design (Before You Touch the Timeline)

Define the “System”

Plan one base lower-third that can be varied by swapping accent color and/or layout. Keep the structure identical so updates are fast and mistakes are rare.

• Text fields: Line 1 = Name, Line 2 = Role/Title.
• Core shapes: A main bar (neutral), an accent block/line (color), optional small icon placeholder.
• Animation beats: (1) bar reveals, (2) accent pops/slides, (3) text appears slightly after.
• Timing target: 2–3 seconds total with a short hold (enough time to read).

Choose Three Variations (Simple but Meaningful)

Pick variations that are clearly different but still feel like one pack:

• Variation A: Accent block on the left, text to the right.
• Variation B: Accent underline beneath the name, bar behind both lines.
• Variation C: Stacked layout: name above, title below, accent line on the right edge.

Decide Safe Margins and Placement

Lower-thirds must respect title/action safe. Decide a consistent anchor position (e.g., bottom-left) and keep all variations aligned to the same safe margin guides so editors can mix them without visual jumps.

2) Building the Base Comp (Your “Master” Lower-Third)

Create a Master Composition Structure

Create one master comp that will drive the pack. Use a predictable naming scheme so duplicating is painless.

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• LT_MASTER_01 (main comp)
• LT_PRECOMP_GFX (shapes + masks)
• LT_PRECOMP_TEXT (text layers + text animation)
• LT_CTRL (null controller)

This structure keeps the main comp clean: it becomes a container that’s easy to preview and export.

Build the Graphic Base (Shapes + Mask Reveal)

Inside LT_PRECOMP_GFX, create your main bar and accent element using shape layers. Then create a reveal using a mask (or a matte layer) so the bar appears to “wipe on” rather than simply scaling.

• Main bar: neutral color, slightly rounded corners if desired.
• Accent: a smaller rectangle or line that can slide in after the bar.
• Reveal: animate a mask expansion or a matte layer moving across the bar.

Keep the reveal direction consistent across the pack (e.g., left-to-right). This is a big part of “consistent motion style.”

Build the Text (Two Lines, Staggered)

Inside LT_PRECOMP_TEXT, create two text layers: TXT_NAME and TXT_TITLE. Animate them with a simple, readable motion: a subtle position/opacity entrance, staggered so the name leads and the title follows.

• Stagger: name starts shortly after the bar begins revealing; title starts a few frames after the name.
• Readability: avoid excessive bounce; keep movement small and controlled.

Add a Controller Null for Timing Adjustments

In LT_MASTER_01, create a null named LT_CTRL. Add a few essential controls so you can adjust timing without manually shifting multiple layers.

Recommended controls (effects on the null):

• Slider: IN (frames or seconds)
• Slider: HOLD
• Slider: OUT
• Color Control: ACCENT_COLOR

Then link key animation points to these controls using expressions. Keep it beginner-friendly: you’re not building a full template system—just centralizing timing.

Simple Timing Expression Pattern (Optional but Powerful)

If you want the pack to be easy to retime, you can drive key moments from the controller. One approachable approach is to use the controller sliders as “time offsets” and reference them in expressions for opacity/position. Example concept: instead of hardcoding when text starts, you offset it by IN and then animate over a fixed duration.

// Example idea for a layer's opacity (0 to 100) using IN slider as start time: var ctrl = thisComp.layer("LT_CTRL"); var tIn = ctrl.effect("IN")("Slider"); var dur = 0.25; // seconds var t = time - tIn; ease(t, 0, dur, 0, 100);

Use the same pattern across elements so everything stays synchronized when you adjust IN.

Assemble in the Master Comp

In LT_MASTER_01, place LT_PRECOMP_GFX and LT_PRECOMP_TEXT. Align them to your chosen safe margin position. Parent text precomp to the graphics precomp (or to a shared anchor null) so the whole lower-third can be repositioned as one unit.

3) Duplicating Variations (Three Looks, One Motion Language)

Duplicate the Master, Not Random Layers

To keep organization clean, duplicate the master comp and its precomps in a controlled way. Create:

• LT_A_LeftAccent
• LT_B_Underline
• LT_C_RightEdge

For each variation, duplicate the related precomps so changes don’t ripple unintentionally. A simple rule: if the layout changes, duplicate the GFX precomp; if the text animation stays the same, you can reuse the TEXT precomp.

Variation A: Left Accent Block

• Keep the main bar reveal identical to the master.
• Place a colored accent block at the left edge of the bar.
• Text sits to the right with consistent padding.
• Accent animates slightly after the bar reveal begins (same easing style).

Variation B: Underline Accent

• Main bar sits behind both text lines.
• Accent is a thin line that animates under the name (mask reveal or scale from left).
• Text timing stays the same; underline appears between name and title entrance for a “build” feel.

Variation C: Right Edge Accent + Stacked Layout

• Stack name and title more vertically (tighter width, taller block).
• Accent is a vertical line on the right edge of the bar.
• Reveal direction remains consistent (don’t reverse it unless the whole pack is designed that way).

Keep Motion Consistent Across Variations

As you adjust layouts, do not reinvent the animation. Match these across all three:

• Ease type: same “feel” (snappy but not bouncy, or smooth and gentle—pick one).
• Stagger: same delay between bar → name → title.
• Reveal method: same mask/matte logic so the wipe looks like one family.

4) Quality Checks (Polish Pass Before Export)

Alignment and Spacing

• Consistent padding: same left/right padding between text and bar edges across variations.
• Baseline alignment: name and title should align predictably (especially if editors swap names with different lengths).
• Anchor points: ensure scaling/position animations originate from sensible anchors (no drifting).

Timing and Readability

• Entrance speed: fast enough to feel modern, slow enough to read.
• Hold duration: ensure the lower-third stays fully readable before animating out.
• Exit behavior: mirror the entrance style (same direction and easing family).

Safe Margins and Edge Cases

• Title/action safe: verify nothing important sits outside safe areas.
• Long names: test with a long name and long title; decide whether to reduce font size, tighten tracking, or allow a second line (choose one consistent rule).
• Short names: ensure the design doesn’t look empty; spacing should still feel intentional.

Layer Organization Standards (Pack-Ready)

• Naming: every layer starts with a prefix like GFX_, TXT_, CTRL_.
• Color labels: one color for controllers, one for text, one for graphics.
• Shy layers: hide helper layers (mattes, guides) to keep the timeline readable.
• Precomp boundaries: avoid stacking dozens of layers in the master comp.

5) Exporting Deliverables (Editor-Ready Pack Output)

Decide What You’re Delivering

A practical beginner-friendly deliverable set for a lower-third pack usually includes:

• Three final comps (A/B/C) ready to render.
• Alpha-enabled renders (so they overlay on video).
• Optional preview renders (small H.264 files for quick review).

Render Naming and Versioning

Use a naming convention that helps editors instantly understand what they’re using:

• LowerThird_A_LeftAccent_1080p_Alpha
• LowerThird_B_Underline_1080p_Alpha
• LowerThird_C_RightEdge_1080p_Alpha

If you revise timing or design, increment a version number in the filename (and keep old versions if the project is already in edit).

Export Checks Before You Hit Render

• Background: ensure transparency is correct (no accidental solid layer behind).
• Duration: consistent length across A/B/C so editors can swap easily.
• Frame rate: matches the intended edit timeline.
• Edges: no unwanted fringes; check against both light and dark footage.

Pack Organization for Delivery

Include a short usage note in /Docs like: “Edit text in LT_PRECOMP_TEXT, adjust timing in LT_CTRL, export comps LT_A/LT_B/LT_C.”