How to Easily Create Text Flicker in After Effects

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Want to add some cool energy to your text in After Effects? A flicker effect is a fast and simple way to do just that. It’s used in music videos, intro titles, and even spooky scenes to grab attention. Best part? It’s super easy to make—even if you’re a beginner!

TL;DR:

You can make a flicker effect by animating the text layer’s opacity using keyframes or an expression. Use the Opacity property to manually add on/off flickers or go a step further with a wiggle expression for a random strobe-style effect. Add glow or color shifts to spice it up! Once you experiment, the possibilities are endless and awesome.

What is Text Flicker?

Text flicker is when your text blinks, flashes, or pulses quickly. It’s like your text is dancing! You’ve probably seen it in edgy music videos or horror movie intros. This little trick adds drama and makes your titles pop off the screen.

Method 1: Flicker Using Opacity Keyframes

This is the most basic method and it’s great for beginners.

  1. Open After Effects and create a new composition.
  2. Add a new text layer. Type whatever you like—maybe your name or a catchy title.
  3. Open the text layer by clicking the arrow beside it.
  4. Go to Transform > Opacity.
  5. Move your time indicator to where you want the flicker to start.
  6. Click the stopwatch next to Opacity to add a keyframe.
  7. Set the opacity to 100%.
  8. Move forward a few frames and set the opacity to 0%.
  9. Then a few frames later, set it back to 100%.

Repeat this pattern to make the text turn on and off. You can space the keyframes evenly or mess with timing to make it flicker randomly.

Pro Tip: Zoom in on the timeline by using the zoom slider at the bottom. It helps you flick more precisely!

Method 2: Use an Expression (Wiggle!)

This method is magic. It’s super fast and gives a more random, natural pattern.

  1. Click the text layer and hit T to reveal Opacity quickly.
  2. Hold down Alt (or Option on Mac) and click the stopwatch beside Opacity.
  3. A code box appears. Type this:
freq = 10;
amp = 100;
randomStep = Math.round(freq*time)%2 ? 100 : 0;
randomStep

Let’s break it down:

  • freq is how fast it flickers (10 = 10 flickers per second).
  • amp sets how strong the flicker is (in this case, 100%).
  • randomStep makes the opacity jump between 0 and 100.

You can tweak freq for faster or slower flickers. Try 5 or even 20 and see the difference!

Want It to Look Extra Cool?

Text flicker is already awesome, but let’s juice it up. Here are some bonus effects you can add:

  • Glow: Add it from Effects > Stylize > Glow for an electric vibe.
  • Color Shift: Animate the Fill Color to change between red, green, purple, etc.
  • Blur In/Out: Use Gaussian Blur to make it look like it fades in or out of focus while flickering.
  • Shake It! Parent the text to a Null Object and use the wiggle expression on the null’s position for a full-screen shake.

Pro Tip: Do all these on different layers with different timings. This creates chaos (in the best way). It’ll look like your text is alive!

Method 3: Use an Adjustment Layer

Flicker for everything under one layer? Yes please!

  1. Go to Layer > New > Adjustment Layer.
  2. Apply an effect like Exposure or Glow.
  3. Add keyframes to flick those effects on and off, just like we did with opacity earlier.

This works great when you want an entire text animation or multiple layers to respond to the flicker at once. Less work, more style.

Bonus: Pre-Made Presets

Not in the mood to DIY? No shame. There’s a secret weapon: text flicker presets. Some cool ones are available online—just drag and drop them onto your text layer.

  • Motion Bro and AE Juice offer packs with flicker presets.
  • Many of them are free or have trial versions.
  • You can even make your own preset after setting up a flicker and reuse it anytime.

How to save a preset:

  1. Select your text layer with the flicker setup.
  2. Go to Animation > Save Animation Preset…
  3. Name it “My Cool Flicker Thing” (or something cooler).

Now it’s saved and ready to rock in any project.

Common Mistakes to Watch For:

  • Too fast? It may look like it’s just solid text—lower the frequency.
  • Too slow? You may not see any animation. Increase the frequency or use tighter keyframes.
  • Weird looking glow? Adjust glow thresholds or use multiple glows stacked together.
  • Text getting cut off? Increase the comp size or padding around the text.

Wrap Up: Flicker Like a Pro

Creating a text flicker in After Effects isn’t rocket science. You just need a little creativity, a few keyframes, or a tiny bit of code. Whether you’re making something spooky, flashy, or funky, a flicker can breathe new life into your motion graphics. Try different styles, combine effects, and stay playful. That’s the magic of After Effects—test stuff out and make it your own!

Now go forth, add some sparkle, and let your words blink their way into motion greatness!

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