Adobe. Work smarter with digital and print media.

This two-day Adobe After Effects training course is designed to help those new to motion graphics get the most out of this immensely powerful software. Whether you're a graphic designer, web designer, rich media artist or broadcast video editor, Adobe After Effects will help you create stunning broadcast quality motion graphics and visual effects.

Your own Adobe Creative Cloud account is required for this course. You will also need your own device. For further details, see 'Before the course'.

Content

After Effects Interface

• Workspace
• Panels
• Tools panel

New Project

• Start a New Project
• Importing Footage and Organising Media
• Importing Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator files
• Layer Import Options
• Replace Footage with a Layered Composition
• Preparing Illustrator files

Building Compositions

• Create a New Composition
• New Composition from an existing file
• Composition Settings
• Layer Properties in the Timeline Panel
• Trim or Extend a Layer
• Split Layers

Creating Animations

• Keyframe Animation
• Anchor Point
• Aligning
• Auto Orientate
• Roving keyframes
• Adjustment Layers
• Parenting
• Precompose
• Nesting

Create Text

• Creating Titles
• Character and Paragraph Settings
• Text Animation Presets
• Adjust Text Animator Properties
• Source Text Animation
• Text on a Path

Create Shapes

• Create a Shape
• Shape Layer Properties
• Animating Shapes
• Trim Paths
• Repeater

Motion Tracking

• Motion Tracking Overview
• Track Motion
• Null Object
• Motion Tracker Settings

Effects and Presets

• Browse Effects & Presets
• Warp Stabilizer
• Motion Tile Effect
• Radio Waves Effect
• Puppet Tool
• Motion Sketch
• Content-Aware Fill
• Speed Change

Colour Correction and Grading

• Basic Correction
• Creative
• RGB Curves
• Hue Saturation Curves
• Colour Wheels
• Secondary Colour Corrector

Masking, Transparency and Keying

• Masking
• Tracking a Mask
• Keying
• Opacity and Blending Modes
• Track Matte
• Roto Brush & Refine Edge Tools

Introduction to 3D

• Working with 3D Layers
• Cameras
• Move the Camera through a Scene
• Lights & Shadows

Save and Export

• Save and Export
• Adobe Media Encoder

Intended audience

Suitable for anyone wanting to fast track themselves with motion graphics techniques.

Prerequisites

This introductory course assumes little or no prior knowledge of the software. While previous experience with Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator is not mandatory, it can be beneficial since some functions and concepts overlap between these programs and After Effects.

Delivery mode

• Face-to-face, presenter-taught training using your own device
• Online training via the platform Zoom

Delivery style

Face-to-face classes

These classes run in a classroom and you will need to bring your own device with Adobe After Effects installed. You should ensure it is fully charged as access to power is limited. Please note that the University does not carry any responsibility for your lost, stolen, or damaged devices whilst on the University premises.

Online classes

You will need your own device with Adobe After Effects installed. We also recommend using a computer with a larger screen, or two screens/devices. A small laptop screen provides limited space, and it can be difficult to manage following the facilitator’s screen and using your own software.

Materials

Course materials are provided electronically using Dropbox.

Before the course

You will need an Adobe Creative Cloud account to participate. If you don't have an existing account, you can purchase an Adobe Creative Cloud account here. Please bring your account login details with you to class.

Recommended operating system: Windows or Mac

Recommended software for PC: Adobe After Effects CC 2023

Recommended software for Mac OS: Adobe After Effects CC 2023

Download the BETA version through your Creative Cloud to access the AI features.

Plugins: Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop, so you can open the course file types (they can be downloaded from your Adobe Creative Cloud Installer)  

Additional information

Adobe product box shot(s) reprinted with permission from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Adobe After Effects® are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Adobe Systems Incorporated in the United States and/or other countries.