How To Create Stop Motion Paper Rip Transition in After Effects

Description

This tutorial will show you how to create a hand-made, stop-motion, paper rip transition using Track Mattes in Adobe After Effects CC 2025.

**Expressions Used:
**
loopOut()



Effects Used:
Hand-Drawn Effect
Drop Shadow

———————

Stop Motion Studio iOS App:
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/stop-motion-studio-pro-2/id1485449898?mt=12

Blue Tack Adhesive: 

https://amzn.to/422wcrD

Joby Impulse Remote:
https://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/1731216-REG/joby_jb01751_impulse_2_wireless_remote.html

———————

**Gear I Use:
**
https://mikemurphy.co/resources


To try or buy Adobe After Effects CC 2025:
https://mikemurphy.co/adobe (affiliate link)

Terrapin Textures:
https://terrapintextures.com

⭕️ Check out my Domestika Course on Adobe Audition:
https://mikemurphy.co/domestika

——————

Chapters:
00:00 Intro: About The Tutorial
00:13 Example Animation Overview
00:26 Step 1: Stop Motion Video
01:00 Import to Adobe Lightroom Classic
01:11 Import LR Images to Photoshop
01:21 Remove Background
01:43 Export Layers To Files (PNG)
02:18 Import To Adobe After Effects
02:41 Import Dialogue Box
03:05 Housekeeping: Project Panel Cleanup
03:24 Create New ‘Main’ Comp
03:38 Add Paper Tear Comp to Main Comp
03:56 Enable Time Remapping
04:40 Add loopOut Expression
05:12 Create Placeholder Comp
05:30 Add Placeholder Comp to Main
06:00 Track Matte Column
06:37 Swap Out Footage
06:58 Scale Paper Tear Comp
07:19 Rotate Paper Transition
07:52 Time Reverse Keyframes
08:22 Finishing Touches
08:40 Replace Graphics + Maintain Effects

**Software Used:
**Adobe After Effects CC 2025 (Click To Try or Buy)

How To Set Up Stop Motion:

1. Open Stop Motion Studio Pro App on iPhone or iPad
2. Use Blue Tack adhesive to secure background and one side of paper
3. Rip paper. Take Photo. Repeat
4. Export stop motion capture as images

Process & Edit Photos:

1. Import all photos into Lightroom or Photo Editor of choice
2. Convert to Black & White
3. Export all edited images

Import Images to Photoshop:

1. Create new Photoshop document (1920 x 1080)
2. Go to File…Scripts…Load Files Into Stack
3. Select all edited images to import as layers

Remove Background in Photoshop:

1. Select Layer
2. Select Object Selection Tool (W)
3. Hover cursor over paper until pink stroke appears around edges
4. Click to make a selection
5. Press Cmd/Ctrl + J to jump to new layer
6. Delete layer below
7. Repeat for all Layers

Export PNG Images from Photoshop:

1. Go to File…Export
2. Select Layers To Files
3. Select Destination to Save
4. Add Prefix Title
5. Select ‘PNG 24’ for Type
6. Check ‘Transparency’
7. Uncheck ‘Trim Layers’
8. Click ‘Run’

Import PNG Sequence into After Effects:

1. Open After Effects
2. Go to File…Import…File
3. Select first image…Press Shift and select last image
4. Check ‘Create Composition’
5. Uncheck ‘Multiple Compositions’
6. Click ‘Open’
7. Create ‘Single Composition’
8. Still Duration: 0:00:00:02 (2 frames)
9. Check ‘Sequence Layers’

How To Create Paper Tear Transition:

1. Create New Comp called ‘Main’ (1920 x 1080, 24fps, 10 secs)
2. Add Paper PNG Sequence
3. Right-click..Time…Enable Time Remapping
4. Go to 2nd keyframe
5. Press Cmd/Ctrl + Left arrow to go back 1 frame
6. Click diamond to add a keyframe
7. Delete the last keyframe
8. Extend layer to fill timeline
9. Option/Alt + Click Time Remap Stopwatch
10. Enter loopOut() Expression to loop animation
11. Create New Comp called ‘Placeholder’ and add footage
12. Return to ’Main’
13. Select Placeholder Layer
14. Go to Track Matte Column (Right-click Header…Modes)
15. Select ‘Paper Tear’ Comp as Alpha Matte
16. Add ‘Hand-drawn’ Effect + Drop-Shadow
17. Tap Spacebar to Preview