<p>You can drag the footage to the left, until the point you want is aligned with the start, or you can type in an exact number in the <strong>In</strong> column in the timeline window. By default this column is not shown, to show it right-click in the column headings, where it says <strong>Source name … Parent &amp; Link</strong> and select <strong>In</strong> from the list.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ZBGjK.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ZBGjK.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>You can click the number and enter <code>-24.</code> in the text field. **Pro tip:**you don't have to type the zeroes, AE will add them for you if you type <code>.</code>, this works for hours and minutes too, so if you wanted 1:02:00 you could just type <code>1.2..</code></p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/TO9KS.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/TO9KS.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<p>This brings me to the third way to do it. In the current time box, type <code>-24.</code> to set the current time to -24, then hit <kbd>[</kbd> to set the layer's in point to the current time (the comp window will be grey because you're outside the composition). Hit <kbd>home</kbd> to go back to the start of the comp.</p>
<p><a href="https://i.sstatic.net/jCr8O.png" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/jCr8O.png" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-17T07:57:52.620Z
2020-08-17T07:57:52.620Z
stib
<p>Here is screenshot of my projects.
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/COH2Q.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/COH2Q.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a></p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Pre-comp 1</strong> is made with inerted shapes</li>
<li><strong>phoneFooting_New.mp4</strong> is a <strong>8 second</strong>s video</li>
<li><strong>Red Solid 1 Comp1</strong> is a composition made with :
<a href="https://i.sstatic.net/ElXXN.jpg" rel="nofollow noreferrer"><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/ElXXN.jpg" alt="enter image description here" /></a>
<ul>
<li>A <strong>36 seconds</strong> video called <strong>iphoneNavigation.mo</strong>v and</li>
<li><strong>Red Solid 1</strong></li>
</ul>
</li>
</ul>
<p><strong>iphoneNavigation.mov</strong> starts playing at <em>0s</em>. I want it, to start playing at <em>24s</em> instead. Please how can I perfom that ?</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-08-20T18:11:52.900Z
Does this answer your question? [How can you automatically trim a new layer in After Effects?](https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/13081/how-can-you-automatically-trim-a-new-layer-in-after-effects)
LetTheWritersWrite
<after-effects><compositing>
Change video start playing time inside a composition - After Effects
kabrice
# Change video start playing time inside a composition - After Effects

(Asked by: username_0 on 2020-08-16)

Here is screenshot of my projects.
[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/COH2Q.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/COH2Q.jpg)

* **Pre-comp 1** is made with inerted shapes
* **phoneFooting\_New.mp4** is a **8 second**s video
* **Red Solid 1 Comp1** is a composition made with :
  [![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ElXXN.jpg)](https://i.sstatic.net/ElXXN.jpg)
  + A **36 seconds** video called **iphoneNavigation.mo**v and
  + **Red Solid 1**

**iphoneNavigation.mov** starts playing at *0s*. I want it, to start playing at *24s* instead. Please how can I perfom that ?

**Tags:** after-effects, compositing

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Does this answer your question? [How can you automatically trim a new layer in After Effects?](https://video.stackexchange.com/questions/13081/how-can-you-automatically-trim-a-new-layer-in-after-effects)  

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## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2020-08-17. Score: 3 | Accepted answer

You can drag the footage to the left, until the point you want is aligned with the start, or you can type in an exact number in the **In** column in the timeline window. By default this column is not shown, to show it right-click in the column headings, where it says **Source name … Parent & Link** and select **In** from the list.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/ZBGjK.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/ZBGjK.png)

You can click the number and enter `-24.` in the text field. \*\*Pro tip:\*\*you don't have to type the zeroes, AE will add them for you if you type `.`, this works for hours and minutes too, so if you wanted 1:02:00 you could just type `1.2..`

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/TO9KS.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/TO9KS.png)

This brings me to the third way to do it. In the current time box, type `-24.` to set the current time to -24, then hit `[` to set the layer's in point to the current time (the comp window will be grey because you're outside the composition). Hit `home` to go back to the start of the comp.

[![enter image description here](https://i.sstatic.net/jCr8O.png)](https://i.sstatic.net/jCr8O.png)


---

