Swap text and footage in a template the right way

Find the master composition

Well-built templates have one composition that contains the finished sequence, usually marked with a name like “MAIN”, “FINAL” or “Customise me”. Everything else is a pre-comp. Do your editing from the master, and use the essential-properties controls the designer exposed rather than diving into nested comps.

Replacing a media placeholder

1. 1Select the placeholder layer in the master comp and look for an Effect Controls panel entry named something like “Media 01”.
2. 2Use the layer’s Replace Footage (or drag your clip onto the layer with Alt/Option held) so the layer keeps its scale, mask and track matte.
3. 3Match the aspect ratio of your clip to the placeholder. If it differs, use Fit to Comp rather than dragging the corner handles, then reposition inside the frame.
4. 4Check the frame at the start and end of the shot — templates often animate scale, so a clip that is cropped correctly at frame 0 can expose its edges later.

If your clip is much larger or smaller than the placeholder, scale it uniformly. Non-uniform scaling in a template with motion blur looks wrong immediately.

Typing text without breaking the layout

Text in a designed template is sized for a specific character count. Replacing “YOUR TITLE” with a 60-character headline will overflow, and After Effects will not warn you.

1. 1Keep the first draft close to the original character count, then adjust.
2. 2Use the paragraph panel’s tracking and leading before changing font size — a small tracking change keeps the design intact.
3. 3Check the text at the widest frame of any scale animation, not just at rest.
4. 4If you must shrink, reduce size by 5% steps and re-check the box; large jumps break the visual hierarchy against the surrounding elements.

Keep the copy inside the title-safe area

Every template ships with guides for title-safe and action-safe. If a shot is destined for broadcast or a platform that crops to a different ratio, keep the important text well inside the safe guides so a vertical cut-down does not slice through your headline.