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You want to make an ad to promote your business, so you shoot all the footage you need for it and it looks great. When you go to compile your clips in a video editing software you realize there is a problem, your logo is nowhere to be found! Here’s how you can fix this using Adobe After Effects (and it’s easier than you may think).
First, open After Effects and create a new project using one of your video clips. If you have your whole video in the timeline, the camera tracker we’ll be using may get confused about what to track, so for the best results it’s important to only include one clip for this process. Now you are going to want to locate the “Effects & Presets” tab. This could be on the right-hand side of your screen depending on what workspace you have enabled. If it’s not there you can always find it by clicking the “Window” dropdown menu at the top of your screen. In the Effects & Presets search bar type “3D Camera Tracker” and drag that onto your composition.
A “3D Camera Tracker” effect controls menu should have appeared on the left-hand side of your screen. In here you are going to want to click “Advanced” then check the box next to where it says, “Detailed Analysis” then click the “Analyze” button. The software will interpret the footage which may take longer depending on your video length and your computer specs.
Once this is complete there should be several multi-colored tracking points all over your composition. When you hover your mouse in between these points a target should appear. Once you find a target over the wall or object where you want to put your logo, click on it, then right click and select “Create Solid and Camera”. Now there should be a placeholder square over the targeted area.
Here’s how you can replace that square with your very own logo. Go to the bottom portion of your screen and right click on the “Track Solid 1” layer then select “Pre-compose…” > click OK > then double-click the pre-comp layer. Once you are in the pre-comp, delete the placeholder’s color fill layer and drag and drop your logo from your files. Now you can scale and move around your logo (using transform options) to fit the box’s dimensions.
Finally, return to the original composition and your logo should be following that targeted area during playback. If your logo is crooked or the size is wrong, you can use the pre-comp layer’s transform options to adjust it to your liking.
The result gives a sense of dimension and space to your clip that can’t be achieved by simply overlaying your logo. I hope you found this to be helpful. If you would like help from professionals with a video project like this or any of your marketing needs, please consider contacting a solutionist at AG Marketing Solutions.
