Expressions automate animation in After Effects using simple code. You don't need to be a programmer — these three expressions solve most common motion challenges.
wiggle(frequency, amplitude)
Alt+click the stopwatch on Position and type: wiggle(3, 25)
This creates random organic movement — 3 wiggles per second with 25 pixels of displacement. Perfect for handheld camera shake, floating particles, or subtle texture movement. Adjust frequency and amplitude to taste.
loopOut()
Animate a property with keyframes, then add loopOut() as an expression. The animation loops indefinitely without duplicating keyframes. Use loopOut("pingpong") to reverse direction on each cycle, or loopOut("cycle") for a simple repeat.
time
The time expression returns the current time in seconds. Applied to rotation: time * 90 rotates 90 degrees per second. Applied to position X: time * 200 moves 200 pixels per second. Simple, linear, no keyframes needed.
Combining Expressions
Expressions can be combined. For a constantly rotating element with organic wobble: apply time * 45 to Rotation and wiggle(2, 15) to Position. Layered expressions create complex, organic animation with zero manual keyframing.