After Effects Fast Forward - DVD Edition
For almost two decades, video professionals and motion graphic artists have been using After Effects to create countless broadcast motion graphics, show opens, title sequences and visual effects. With an installed user base of millions, Adobe After Effects is considered the standard bearer for compositing, animation and motion graphics. After Effects Fast Forward was created with a singular purpose; to get you up to speed faster than you thought possible.
After Effects Fast Forward is presented in 11 individual lessons with a running time of just over 3 hours. The tutorial also includes project files for following along in After Effects CS4 and CS5. Each lesson focuses on building fundamental After Effects skills such as setting up a comp, animating with keyframes, using cameras and lights, creating mattes, pre-composing, working with layered illustrator files and much more!
For full descriptions of what's in each lesson, check out the table of contents
below.
Who is this Tutorial for?
This tutorial was designed for people with little or no experience using After Effects. Anyone currently using Adobe's Create Suite (CS 4 - CS5) and Final Cut Studio (1-3) will also benefit from this tutorial. If you are an editor, broadcast designer, animator, visual effects artist, producer, director, and even graphic artists working in traditional print media, then adding Adobe After Effects to your arsenal is critical to staying current and competitive.
Build a Solid Foundation
Our tutorial doesn't just teach you After Effects, but actually guides you, step-by-step in the course of creating real-world projects. More specifically, the focus of our training is on creating the final product, not simply teaching you where to click with your mouse. By the end of the training you will have successfully completed 10 professional projects that will give you a solid foundation for confindently approaching your own projects and works-for-hire.
In lesson 3 you will learn how to build a 3D picture montage. This lesson will familiarize you with After Effects 3D camera, lights, mattes and text tools.
So much of the eye candy we see on network and cable television was created using After Effects. So we thought it essential to have you actually build a show open in lesson 10 with your new skillset.
Lower thirds are a mainstay in documentaries, reality shows and news programs. In lesson 5 you will learn how to use masks, blend modes, textures and layered Photoshop files to create an animated lower third.
In lesson 9 you'll build a movie trailer and along the way learn about layer markers, how to animate to music, and work with the effects.
Learn how to create an animated logo using Adobe Illustrator files. You'll learn why Illustrator files are a motion designers best friend as well as how to parent layers and work with a camera.
Learn how to build a cool video wall in Lesson 2 using the included SD and HD stock footate from Revostock.com
After Effects Fast Forward comes with over $500 worth of stock video clips provided by Revostock.com. You can use these clips in your own projects royalty-free.
Table of Contents
The After Effects Interface
- The Project Window
- The Timeline
- The Toolbar
- The Composition Window
- Comp Design Tools
- The Effects & Presets Window
- Animation Presets
- The Preview Window
- The Effects Control Window
- The Render Queue
Building a Video Wall
- Importing Assets
- Importing Photoshop Files
- Adding a Layer Mask
- Adding Effects
- Animating with Keyframes
- RAM Previews
- Outputting Your Movie
Creating a 3D Picture Montage
- Setting up an HD Comp
- Creating a Border from a Solid
- Adding a Camera
- Animating a Camera
- Adding Text to Your Comp
- Animating Text
- Customizing the Video Boxes
- Adding a Background Image
Animating an Illustrator Logo
- Working with Illustrator Files
- Import Options for Illustrator Files
- Adding Cue Points for Animation Timing
- Parenting Layers
- Animating the Logo in 3D
- Adding More Depth
- Working with Keyframe Assistants
- Continuous Rasterization
- Creating Shallow Depth of Field
- Adding a Gradient Solid
- Edit in Original App
- Output Your Animation
Creating Lower Thirds
- Creating Lower 3rd Background Elements
- Creating a Custom Mask Shape
- Working within Title Safe
- Creating a Beveled Border
- Adding a Glint
- Adding a Drop Shadow
- Pre-Composing to Create a Texture
- Applying a Fractal Noise Effect
- Adding a Tritone Effect
- Adding Random Numbers
- Adding Animated Text
Creating Transitions
- Creating a Linear Wipe Transition
- Creating a 3D Overlay Wipe
- Adding an Animated Mask
- Adding a Particle Effect
- Controlling the Particle Birth Rate
- Animating the Particle Birth Rate
- Changing the Particle Color
- Adding a Flash Transition
- Adding an Adjustment Layer
- Working with the Transform Filter
- Changing the Keyframe Interpolation
- Adding an Exposure Filter
- Replacing Layer Content
Creating Animated Backgrounds
- Creating Fractal Noise Effects
- Working with Brainstorm
- Adding Depth to Your Background
- Creating Radial Rays
- Creating Seamless Loops
- Creating Swooshes
- Creating One-Color Looks and Distortion
- Using Text as a Background Element
- Copying and Pasting Keyframes
- Creating Repeated Shapes
Creating Elements for Promos
- Creating Flying Text
- Working with the Text Tool
- Trimming & Duplicating Text Layers
- Adding Motion Blur
- Creating the Ken Burns Effect
- Using Images as Mattes
- Adding Reflections
Creating a Movie Trailer
- Importing Multiple Assets
- Setting up the Project
- Working with Audio
- RAM Previewing Audio
- Adding Audio Layer Markers
- Adjusting Marker Placement
- Trimming Layers to Markers
- Slipping Media in a Layer
- Animating Layers to Music
- Adding a Color Correction Filter
- Applying the Same Effect to Other Layers
- Altering Transparency
- Creating a Vignette Effect
Creating a TV Show Open
- Setting up the Project
- Creating Video Boxes
- Changing the View Layout
- Manipulating a Layer in 3D Space
- Creating Parent/Child Relationships
- Animating a Null Object
- Pre-composing Layers
- Replacing Media in a Layer
- Adding a Light
- Adding a Background
- Creating a Title Card
- Convert to Editable Text
- Adding a Transition
Working Faster
- Scrolling, Zooming
- Autozoom
- Numeric Timecode Entry
- RAM Playback Options
- Arranging Layers in Time Sequentially
- Motion Sketch
- Preview Region of Interest
- Scaling in the Comp Window
- Soloing and Shying Layers
- Keyboard Shortcuts
Minimum System Requirements (Mac)
- Mac Computer with 1.25 GHz or faster G5, Intel Core Duo or Intel Xeon processor
- Mac OS 10.5.5 or later
- iTunes 8 or later
- SuperDrive for backing up the iTunes lessons
- 1 GB or more of RAM
- QuickTime 7.5.5 or later
- Monitor Depth - Millions
- 1280 x 800 screen size or better
Minimum System Requirements (Win)
- 2.8 GHz Intel Pentium 4 or better proecessor
- Windows XP (Service Pack 2 or later)
- Windows Vista or Windows 7
- iTunes 8 or later
- DVD Burner for backing up the iTunes lessons
- 1 GB or more of RAM
- QuickTime 7.5.5 or later
- Monitor Depth - Millions
- 1280 x 800 screen size or better
