What It Does
Tickler generates stop-motion style animations by applying animated transforms and displacement maps to selected layers. The effect simulates the frame-by-frame differences found in hand-drawn animation, creating a trembling, choppy movement distinct from After Effects’ wiggle expression. Layers shift position, scale, and rotation to mimic the natural imperfections of traditional stop-motion work.
Key Features
Speed and amplitude controls. Two sliders adjust the intensity and timing of the animation. Higher speed values increase frame-to-frame variation, while amplitude determines how far layers move from their original position.
Precomposition options. Tickler can group selected layers into a single precomp or process each layer separately, depending on whether you need unified movement or independent animation per layer.
Animated glow effect. Simulates exposure variations that occur naturally in stop-motion photography. The glow has independent speed and amplitude controls, letting you match it to your animation or set it differently for contrast.
Non-destructive undo. The built-in undo button strips Tickler settings from layers while preserving any additional edits you’ve applied afterward. Useful when testing different settings or changing direction mid-project.
Who It’s For
Motion designers working on projects that need a handmade or retro aesthetic. Title sequences, explainer videos, and promotional work where digital perfection feels too polished. The script handles the tedious keyframing of position, scale, and rotation jitter automatically.
Pricing
Tickler uses a pay-what-you-want model (minimum price not specified on the product page). Note that the plugin is currently marked as temporarily discontinued, so availability may be limited.
Compatibility: After Effects CC 2015, CC 2014, CC, CS6.