How to Make a File Loop in After Effects CS5
Filmmakers sometimes save time and film by shooting a short scene and making it repeat. One way to do this is to instruct a video editing program such as Adobe After Effects CS5 to loop a clip. For example, you might find this technique handy when you need to overlay live action footage on top of a calm background scene that rarely changes. After Effects CS5 has a simple control hidden away in a menu that can loop a file in seconds.
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Instructions
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Open After Effects and click the "New Composition" button. Click "OK," then click "File" to display a menu. Click "Import," then click "File" to view your hard drive's files. Double-click a video file to add it to the After Effects Project panel.
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Click the video file to select it, then click "File." A menu appears. Click "Interpret Footage," then click "Main." After Effects opens the "Interpret Footage" window.
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Locate the "Loop" text box at the bottom of the window, and type a value representing the number of times you wish to loop the file in the text box. For instance, to make it loop twice, type 2 in the text box.
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Press "Enter" and drag the file from the Project panel to the Timeline panel.
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Press your Spacebar. The movie plays, and the file loops the number of times specified in the "Loop" text box.
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Tips & Warnings
Consider identifying a looped file by giving adding "Loop" to part of its name. For example, if its name is "River," you might name it "River_Loop." This will help you recognize it as a loop file when you view it in the Project panel. Rename a file in the Project panel by right-clicking the desired file and clicking "Rename." An input box allows you to type over the existing name.
