Why am I unable to preview my project in the layer window?

[anjalis62096963]

After double clicking on the footage, the layer window pops up but I can't see the  video anymore! See below:

FYI: I'm trying to paint over the video, and have made a few short clips in the past, but I'm a total newbie when it comes to After Effects!

[Mike_Abbott]

Could you have accidentally dragged the view of the layer outside of the frame?

Try double clicking the hand tool in the toolbox.

[Dave_LaRonde]

Why obsess about it?  Just delete the layer in the timeline and add it to the comp again.  The problem goes away.

[anjalis62096963]

yeah, that's what i ended up doing