• Adobe After Effects

  Tracking text to an object

  Posted by Harry Sona on July 25, 2009 at 11:34 am

  Hi guys

  I am pretty new to after effects and i just getting to grips with it all. What i am looking for is help in learning how to track texts to moving objects. i have seen it in alot of commercials and music videos recently and i just wanted to know if there were any tutorials or best ways to do this. Here is an example of the kind of stuff i want to be able to do.
  I am trying to make my own music video after shooting in locations and have the words of the song come up in a similar way.

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m4yjOEtsRTE

  check at 26″ 1’05 1’32

  Harry Sona replied 16 years, 9 months ago 3 Members · 5 Replies
• 5 Replies

• 

  Stuart Elith

  July 27, 2009 at 12:40 am

  You actually answered your question… it’s a matter of tracking.
  If you are looking to do the 3D style stuff including side-to-side rotation you may need to do a 3D track, which is more than the built-in tracker can handle (though perhaps Mocha in CS4 can, i’m not sure). Making something just stick to a person’s movement on a 2D level is very achievable within AE.

  For the 3D stuff, i think my workflow would be :

  (1) Do a 3D track (can sometimes be done within a 3D program like Maya, or with another piece of software like Boujou).
  (2) In a 3D program, create your text, which will follow the tracked camera movements perfectly. Render it out in whatever style you want.
  (3) In AE, you will just need to integrate it into the scene with color correction, masking/rotoscoping.

  But as you can see this does require more than just AE. Stuff like 0:30-0:40, 0:51 are just 2D so are much easier.
• 

  Harry Sona

  July 27, 2009 at 11:59 am

  Thanks for the response stuart.i am actually super new to After effects so i dont even know about the tracking feature i have just been manually moving the text frame by frame. Is there any tutorials ont he tracking feature you could tell me about.
• 

  Harry Sona

  July 28, 2009 at 8:17 pm

  Thanks
  i know i must seem like a dumb a$$ but it sall pretty new tome.

  ez
  H
• 

  Stephen Curry

  August 5, 2009 at 4:17 pm

  Here is a tutorial here, not sure if it will help with all that you want but its a good start.

  https://www.digitaljuice.com/dj_training/detail.asp?sid=315&sortby=&page=7&rpid=0&rvid=0&swid=0

  not sure how long that link will be good….if its broken then just search DJ training for Tracking
• 

  Harry Sona

  August 10, 2009 at 11:04 am

  thanks for all the guidance for a newbie. appreciate it

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