After Effects Essentials
with Trish & Chris Meyer
Dates: 2 days – no dates scheduled.
In this intensive 2-day hands-on class, learn the essential techniques for creating professional motion graphics in After Effects through in-class examples, tips and tricks used by the instructors Trish & Chris Meyer (authors of the best-selling Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects and After Effects Apprentice series of books).
This course is for new users of After Effects who would like to hit the ground running – in the right direction! You'll learn not only how to create refined animations, but also how to organize a hierarchy of compositions so that a complex project is easy to manage and edit. Emphasis is placed on learning the most useful keyboard shortcuts and developing good working practices.
Although no prior experience is necessary, basic familiarity with After Effects will be helpful. It is suggested that students acquire After Effects Apprentice as a companion to this course.
Please note that depending on the facility, this may be a “bring your own laptop” course, in which case you will need to have a laptop with the current version of After Effects installed before the class begins.
Day 1:
- Introduction to the After Effects Interface
- Importing Footage
- Navigating in time and space
- Animating Transformations (Position, Scale, Rotation)
- Editing motion paths in the Comp panel
- Adjusting velocity controls and interpolation in the Graph Editor.
- RAM Preview vs. Standard Preview
- Layer management & trimming
- Editing the Anchor Point
- Making a complex animation easy with Parenting & Null Objects
- Building hierarchies by Nesting and Pre-composing comps
- Understanding the internal render order
Day 2:
- Importing Photoshop & Illustrator files as Compositions
- Continuously rasterizing Illustrator layers
- Blending Modes
- Alpha & Luma Track Mattes
- Using Track Mattes in a hierarchy
- Basic Masking techniques
- Creating text and using Text Animators
- Apply and animating Effects
- Adjustment Layers
- Using and creating Animation Presets
- The Render Queue: time-saving shortcuts and workflow tips
- FLV and SWF Export
Recommended Reading:
Custom Class
Prefer to design your own class?
If you have a group of students and access to appropriate training facilities, we may be able to work with you to arrange private training for your company. This may be a more economical solution then sending several members of your staff out of town, and the topics covered can be customized to your needs. Contact Trish if you are interested in arranging a custom class for up to 8 students. Please put "Custom Class Request" in the email subject line.