After Effects Training: The Ultimate Guide For Beginners

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After Effects is an extremely powerful program used by video professionals and everyday people who want to make home movies that look a little more polished. It is one of the most popular video-editing software packages in use today. However, it can be intimidating to those who have never used it before.

In this guide, you’ll learn the following:

  • the basics of After Effects
  • benefits of joining After Effects training courses
  • how to learn After Effects
  • how to search for the best online After Effects course

So, whether you’re a complete beginner or just looking to brush up on your skills, read on for our ultimate guide to After Effects training.

 

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After Effects and Its Features

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After Effects is a motion graphics software by Adobe. It is used to create title sequences, visual effects, and animations.

Among the best features of After Effects are:

Multi-Frame Rendering

Multi-frame rendering in After Effects is now faster than ever!

Take advantage of this new feature, and you can speed up your rendering process by 50% to 300%. This means you’ll be able to create more complex projects with less waiting around for things.

Get excited about all those hours saved when working creatively. This is great news for those with multiple cores in their processors.

Rotobrush 2.0

The new and improved Rotobrush 2.0 is a game changer for animators who need to work quickly with difficult effects like rotoscoping.

The tool now offers consistent tracking for a smoother result. You do not have to spend plenty of hours manually cleaning up footage or dealing with jittery results from previous versions of this effect. Not only does it work better, but it also saves time getting back into editing once done processing.

Lumetri Scopes

Lumetri Scopes is a fantastic tool for colour correcting and grading your video. You can find it under the Window tab in After Effects, where you’ll see several different scope displays and options to change how they look.

Motion Graphics Templates

Make your videos stand out with these new templates!

With every update, Adobe seems to add more functionality for Motion Graphics Templates in After Effects. You can now change fonts and sizes without leaving the program. You can also do full media replacement using images or video clips. This feature opens up tons of easy customisation options that will help you make better projects faster than ever before.

Improved 3D Design And Space Tools

The new 3D design and space tools in After Effects make it easier than ever to work with layers. You can move, scale or rotate a layer just by clicking on its gizmo—no more diving through menus.

The update also includes many improvements made specifically for motion graphics artists. This includes the improved camera tool that closely resembles those found in traditional 3d programs such as Cinema 4D and Blender.

These additions will help you create your next masterpiece quickly without any hassle.

Camera Shake Deblur

If there is lots of motion blur on the footage, it can be quite jarring to see.

Using the Camera Shake Deblur feature in After Effects will automatically detect which frames have an abundance of motion blur on them. That way, you can adjust its settings to reduce or remove this issue without any extra work. It helps you fix those pesky stabilisation issues.

Content-Aware Fill

Adobe’s new Content-Aware Fill feature will change how you replace content in After Effects.

Mask out unwanted areas or objects with your footage, and let Adobe fill up what was removed. This is great for replacing things like product logos, text over images (which can be hard), as well other various tasks where previously there had been no easy way to seamlessly integrate foreign objects into an image without navigating around manually fixing each individual pixel.

Face Tracker

Some people find it necessary to blur or emphasise the features of someone in an image. For instance, they try to hide acne and other blemishes. That’s where this handy new tracking function by Adobe comes into play.

The face tracking feature automatically conforms your mask around any face you’re working on. That way, everything gets blurred out according to how you want them.

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5 Benefits of After Effects Training Courses

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If you’re looking for a creative and challenging way to improve your video editing skills, then After Effects training may be right for you. After Effects is a powerful video editing tool that can help you create professional-looking videos with special effects.

Here are some perks of taking up After Effects training courses today:

1. Improve your video editing skills

After Effects training can help you improve your video editing skills and become more efficient in your work. You will learn how to use After Effects to create special effects and animation. You will also discover how to edit video footage to create a polished and professional-looking final product.

2. Create professional-looking videos

With After Effects, you can create videos that look truly professional. The software’s powerful tools and features can help you add special effects and animation that will make your videos stand out.

3. Stay updated with the latest video editing trends

After Effects training lets you stay up-to-date with the latest video editing tools, trends, and techniques. This will allow you to keep your skills sharp and be able to create the latest and greatest video effects.

4. Challenge yourself creatively

After Effects training can also help you challenge yourself creatively. You will learn how to push the software to its limits to create the most amazing and innovative video effects possible. This can help you stay ahead of the curve in the video editing industry.

5. Get ahead in your career

If you want to level up your video editing career, then the After Effects course can help you achieve your goals. The skills you gain from this training will make you more employable and marketable and help you land your dream job.

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4 Ways to Learn After Effects

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After Effects can be daunting to learn on your own. Luckily, there are thousands of resources available to help you get started. Here are some of them:

1. Take an online course

There are many excellent online courses that can teach you the basic knowledge about After Effects. After taking one of these courses, you will have a strong foundation in the program and be able to start creating your own animations.

These training courses can provide a more comprehensive introduction to After Effects. It will help you build up your skills over time. There are paid and free courses available, so you can choose the option that best fits your needs.

2. Watch tutorial videos

There are tons of After Effects tutorials available for free on sites like YouTube. These videos can walk you through the basics of the software and help you get started on your first project.

YouTube is a great resource for finding After Effects tutorials. There are videos on virtually every aspect of the program, so you can learn at your own pace and find the topics that interest you the most.

3. Read After Effects books

If you want to dive more into After Effects, consider picking up a book on the subject. There are several great After Effects books available that can teach you everything from the basics of the software to advanced techniques.

4. Experiment

You can learn After Effects by experimenting.

Open up the program and start exploring all of the different features. As you become more familiar with After Effects, you’ll start to figure out how to use it to create the types of animations you want.

Start with simple animations and work your way up to more complex effects. Use reference materials to help you understand the software, but don’t be afraid to experiment. The more you use After Effects, the more you’ll learn.

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6 Important Considerations When Taking Up Online After Effects Courses

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After Effects courses are available online, making it convenient for you to learn at your own pace. And because After Effects is a widely used tool in the video editing world, taking an After Effects course can also help you make friends and network with other professionals in the field.

So, whether you’re looking to create some amazing visual effects or just want to learn something new, an After Effects course may be right for you.

Here are 6 considerations when looking for the best After Effects course online:

1. Comprehensive course

You want to make sure that you’ll learn everything you need to know about After Effects, from the basic animation principles to more advanced techniques.

If you’re a complete beginner, you’ll want to look for a course that covers the basics and builds up to more complex topics. But if you’re familiar with the software, you may want to find a course that focuses on more specific animation techniques or features that you’re interested in learning.

2. Lots of examples, tutorials, and course materials

Seeing how Adobe After Effects CC is used in real projects can be very helpful in understanding how to use the program yourself.

The best After Effects courses will include high-quality video tutorials, downloadable project files, and helpful PDF guides. Make sure you preview the materials of your next course before you sign up.

3. Experienced instructors

Make sure you choose an instructor who has extensive experience with After Effects.

They should be able to share tips and tricks that you won’t find in a book or online tutorial. Also, they must be able to answer any questions you have and help you get the most out of the program.

4. Your learning style

After Effects can be complex, so finding a course that matches your learning style is important.

If you’re a visual learner, look for a course that includes video tutorials. If you’re a hands-on learner, look for a course that provides practice projects and practical exercises.

5. Your schedule

Some online courses are self-paced. That means you can work through the material at your own pace.

Others have set start and end dates and require you to complete the course within a certain time frame.

6. Competitive pricing

After Effects courses can range in price from free to several hundred dollars. It’s important to find a course that fits your budget, but also remember that you get what you pay for. If you’re serious about learning After Effects, investing in a high-quality course with the most competitive pricing plans is worth investing in.

Taking an After Effects course online can be a great way to learn the program and create amazing graphics and animations. Just make sure to choose a comprehensive, well-taught, enjoyable course with lots of examples and tutorials.

Conclusion

After Effects is a motion graphics software that can be used to create stunning visual effects for videos. If you’re looking to improve your video skills, an After Effects training course can be an excellent way to learn the basics of this program and get started with creating motion graphics and amazing visuals.

There are various ways to learn After Effects, so it’s important to consider which works best for you.

And finally, when choosing future courses on After Effects, there are some important things to keep in mind.

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About the author

Ana Moniz

Ana lectures for computer games design at higher education. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Games Design and a  Master’s degree in Digital Media Design from the University of Edinburgh

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