Learning After Effects: Basics and Keyframes

I've started learning how to use After Effects recently and thought that I should post some of the progress here. Now I am starting from the very beginning, so the first week or so shouldn't be anything amazing. My plan is to use a video I recorded a while ago and edit it using the techniques I learn from both college and the video series I'm currently watching, when I have learned enough I'll have a well-edited video.

Basics and Keyframes: To start working I first had to import a video file from my computer, I use Nvidia shadowplay to record my gameplay and save it in a folder on my desktop. To import the file you can either go to file, click import then click file, or you can use control+I.

The file will open in the project tab in After Effects to begin with, to begin editing and viewing the video you can either drag the file to the centre of the image, or down to the "create new composition" button.

Now you can begin to edit using the timeline at the bottom of the program, any effects you use will be visible on the video above. You can move frame by frame when editing, this ensures that any effects you add can be almost perfectly lined up, for some effects you can use keyframes. Keyframes tell the program when to start and finish an effect, I used a slight zoom effect when the gun fires.

The first keyframe, on the left, tells After effects that the zoom should start when the video reaches that point, the second keyframe, in the middle, is where the zoom is at its maximum, so if the zoom is set at 120% the middle keyframe will be the point where it reaches that percent. The last keyframe is the point where the effect ends, so the zoom will return to normal. I like to picture keyframes as being commands for After Effects, they tell the program what to do and when to do it.

The video I used: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMVzqU2GRwU