Lip sync matches a character’s lip movements to the audio they speak. This can be a challenging task, but it is essential for creating realistic and engaging animation.

This blog article will walk you through the steps to set up lip sync in After Effects. We will use a simple mouse character as an example, but the same principles can be applied to any character.

Step 1: Create a pre-comp with all the mouse layers.

The first step is to create a pre-comp containing all of your mouse character’s layers. This will make managing the layers easier and keep your project organized.

Step 2: Create a null layer.

A null layer is a special layer that can control other layers. In this case, we will use a null layer to control the lip movements of our mouse character.

Step 3: Connect the null layer to the mouse layers.

We need to use the Layer List connector to connect the null layer to the mouse layers.

  1. Open the Duik panel.
  2. Click on the gear icon next to the Connector option under Links and Constraints.
  3. Select Layer List from the list of connectors.
  4. Ensure the null layer is selected when you click on Layer List.
  5. Select all of the mouse layers.
  6. Click on Connect opacities.

Step 4: Check to make sure that the mouth shapes are working.

Once you connect the null layer to the mouth layers, you should test to ensure the mouse works properly.

  1. Click on the Null Layer in the timeline.
  2. Check the different options in the drop-down list.
  3. You should see the corresponding mouth movements on the character.

Step 5: Extract the controller.

The final step is to extract the controller from the pre-comp. This will allow you to use the controller in any other comp in your project.

  1. Click on the Comp layer in the timeline.
  2. Click on the Extract Controller button in the Duik panel.
  3. Make sure the list layer is tagged as a controller within Duik Angela

That’s it! You have now successfully set up lip sync in After Effects.

Here is a quick example of using lip sync to animate a character.

  1. Create a new comp and import the audio file you want to lip sync.
  2. Import the mouse character that you created in the previous steps.
  3. Place the mouse character in the comp and position it so that it is centered on the screen.
  4. Create a null layer and position it above the mouse character.
  5. Connect the null layer to the mouse character’s mouth layer using the Layer List connector.
  6. Click on the stopwatch icon next to the Menu layer in the timeline.
  7. Press the U key on your keyboard.
  8. You should see a keyframe appear at the current time in the timeline.
  9. Move the mouse cursor over the different options in the drop-down list.
  10. You should see the corresponding mouth movements on the mouse character.
  11. Play the animation to see the lip sync in action.