After Effects Tutorial: Keyframing & Movement
Step 1: Open after effects – You should see a screen like the one below
Step 2: Select “New Composition” – Select “New Composition” highlighted in the screen above. This should give you a screen shown below.
Step 3: Adjust settings – You can change the composition settings to whatever your preferences entail. I’ll briefly go over a few of the setting in the dialogue box below. Begin by naming your composition (Your editing timeline)


Step 4: Hit OK – Once you’ve got your settings the way you want them, hit “OK” to create your composition.

Step 5: Drag in your media – For this tutorial I’m using a random picture I had on file, but you can use whatever you want to whether it be a photo or a video.

Step 6: Drag your media into your composition – Now is the time to drag your media down to the timeline, so you can begin editing! (As I’ve done in the photo below
Step 7: Accessing your transform options – Clicking the triangle shown in the photo below will drop down your various transform options.


Step 8: Turn on the position stopwatch – Begin by clicking the icon highlighted below. By activating the stopwatch, you activate the ability to keyframe. Without hitting that, nothing you change will become animated.

Step 9: Set a keyframe – Clicking the icon pictured below will add a keyframe wherever the time indicator on the timeline is located.



Step 10: Move the time indicator – Move the time indicator ahead a few seconds, as shown below.


Step 11: Create a new keyframe – Hit the add a keyframe icon again. This will create a new keyframe at the new time code.

Step 12: Change the position – While on the new keyframe, change the position settings. The second keyframe will save a new position for the picture. When we play it back, the different positions indicated by the keyframes will get filled in.

Step 13: Play it back – Hit the play button to see your picture or video move across the screen between the keyframes.

Just to give you an idea of how it works, this is how it should look as it plays back
Step 14: Save your project and Export – Make sure to save your project in case you want to change something later. If everything is good, go ahead and give it an export! Show your video off! You now know the basics of keyframing and movement. Keep playing with these concepts, and you’ll find you can do some really fancy things.