The keyframe is the atom
Every animation in After Effects, from a simple fade to a feature-film VFX shot, is built from keyframes. A keyframe stores a value at a specific time; the animation is the interpolation between two keyframes.
Linear vs eased
Default linear interpolation moves at constant speed and looks robotic. Right-click → Easy Ease (F9) creates smooth in/out motion. Easy Ease In (Shift+F9) for stopping motion, Easy Ease Out for starting motion.
The Graph Editor in depth
Switch to the Speed Graph for velocity, Value Graph for absolute values. Bezier handles control how quickly speed ramps up and down. Steep curve at the start = punchy launch; long flat tail = soft settle.
Overshoot and bounce
Add an extra keyframe past the target value, then return to the target — the layer overshoots and settles. This single technique adds personality faster than any plug-in.
Anchor point — the pivot
Press Y to move the anchor point. Animations rotate, scale and parent around the anchor. Place it at the base of a logo for a satisfying "plant and pop" entrance.
Wiggle and loopOut
Alt-click the stopwatch to add an expression. wiggle(2, 30) jitters a property twice per second by 30 units — perfect for handheld camera shake. loopOut() repeats two keyframes infinitely without copying them.
Time remapping
Layer → Time → Enable Time Remapping. Now you can keyframe the layer's internal time — freeze, reverse, ramp from 50% to 200% speed for stylized hits in title sequences.
Twelve principles of animation
Disney's principles — squash and stretch, anticipation, follow-through — apply directly to motion graphics. A shape that anticipates by shrinking before it leaps, then squashes on landing, feels alive. Study them and your motion becomes instantly better.