How to track motion in Adobe After Effects CS3

In this tutorial we will understand how motion tracking works inside of after effects. Motion trackers tracks pixel location on frame-by-frame basis. You can track the movement of an object and then apply that tracking data to another layer or to an effect control point. Motion tracker can also be used for stabilizing the footage. You can also track multiple objects in the same layer. After Effects Motion Tracker is a flexible tool and used widely.

Some examples are listed below.

1. Combining elements filmed separately.
2. Stabilizing the footage to remove hand held camera motion.
3. Stabilizing the footage to hold moving object stationery.
4. Animating effects.
5. Animating a still image to match the motion of action footage.

You prepare your short before shooting to get the best result out of the AE tracker. You should attach high contrast markers in your scene because trackers works great when it track a high contrast region. Set the appropriate numbers of track points in your trackers. You can track many points with one tracker. Try to track a point that is visible in entire shot; it should have contrasting colors from the surrounding areas and a consistent shape throughout the shot. One thing more you have to remember is that automatic tracking is not always perfect, some time you have to manually adjust the track points.