Important: I have designed this tool for my own use. Bugs may remain.
Please write me if you bump into one, or to suggest upgrades.
This free template allows to create a visual representation of a series of events/periods, and easily scroll through it (zoom, fast forward…). I have designed it for forensics video formats, but you may find a different use for it. It was inspired, in its concept, by the work of Forensic Architecture, notably in this investigation.
⚠️ This After Effects project will bug if you are not running with one of these two languages. More info at the bottom of the page.
Note
- It is not a “working” timeline (…like, something you would use to synchronise, or analyse footage). It is tool to present your analysis.
- Events are anchored in seconds. Meaning that it is relevant to visualize time frames from several minutes, up to ~5-10 hours. But not really more than that I guess.
- I recommend to edit it in your editing software, after a render in transparency. (I detail my workflow below, on tutorial #2.)
- It is designed to be adapted to your own visual identity.
- This is a version one. So feel free to report me any bug or remark. (And if you end up using it, please share with me the result!)
Use-cases
- In a Paris suburb, how a police operation turned to chaos Le Monde
- How the French police sabotaged a Paris demonstration Mediapart
- The death of Zineb Redouane Disclose & Forensic Architecture
- What happened to Adama Traore Le Monde & Forensic Architecture
- The Killing of Mark Duggan Forensic Architecture
- How the French police wounded a peaceful Yellow Vest demonstrator Le Monde
- Affaire d’Outreau: 20 ans après, où en est-on ? La Voix du Nord
Tutorial
⚠️ About the bug: this project file works with expressions, language sensitive. I provide above english and french versions. If you are not running After Effects with one of these: the bug comes when expressions are pointing to a “Slider” component. In the code, you just need to change “Slider”, by the word used in your language. You can also contact me, and I can help you to fix it. (Oh and, if you know how to bypass this issue, please let me know!)