Introduction to Adobe After Effects

Lesson 1: Fundamentals of Motion Graphics

• After Effects and the RGB Color Mode
• Frame Size
• Resolution
• Pixel Aspect Ratios
• Working with Native Transparency and Alpha Channels
• Understanding Frame Rates
• Time Code Options
• Interpreting Footage Frame Rates and Field Order

Lesson 2: Getting to Know the Workflow

• Creating a Project and Importing Footage
• Creating a Composition and Arranging Layers
• Adding Effects and Modifying Layer Properties
• Animating the Composition
• Previewing Your Work
• Optimizing Performance in After Effects
• Rendering and Exporting Your Composition
• Customizing Workspaces
• Controlling the Brightness of the User Interface
• Collaborating in After Effects
• Finding Resources for Using After Effects

Lesson 3: Creating a Basic Animation Using Effects and Presets

• Importing Footage using Adobe Bridge
• Creating a New Ccomposition
• Working with Imported Photoshop and Illustrator Layers
• Applying Effects to a Layer
• Applying an Animation Preset
• Pre Composing Layers for a New Animation
• Previewing the Effects
• Adding Transparency
• Understanding Keyframing Basics
• Creating and Working with Keyframes
• Rendering the Composition

Lesson 4: Other Animation Options

• Animating using Motion Sketch
• Using the The Smoother and The Wiggler
• Using Motion Blur
• Using the Graph Editor
• Auto Orienting Motion Paths
• Splitting and Sequencing Layers
• Using Adjustment Layers
• Manipulating Time and Time Remapping

Lesson 5: Animating Text

• About Text Layers
• Installing a Font Using Adobe Fonts
• Creating and Formatting Point Text
• Animating with Scale Keyframes
• Using a Text Animation Preset
• Animating Imported Photoshop Text
• Animating Type Tracking
• Animating Text Opacity
• Animating an Image to Replace Text
• Using a Text Animator Group
• Using Per Character 3-D
• Animating a Layer’s Position
• Adding Motion Blur

Lesson 6: Working With Shape Layers

• Creating the Composition
• Adding a Shape Layer
• Creating a Self-Animating Shape
• Duplicating a Shape
• Creating Custom Shapes with the Pen Tool
• Positioning Layers with Snapping
• Animating a Shape
• Animating using Parenting
• Using Nulls to Connect Points
• Previewing the Composition

Lesson 7: Animating a Multimedia Presentation

• Adjusting Anchor Points
• Parenting Layers
• Pre-Composing Layers
• Keyframing a Motion Path
• Animating Additional Elements
• Applying an Effect
• Using Adjustment Layers
• Splitting Layers
• Animating Pre-Composed Layers
• Animating the Background
• Adding an Audio Track

Lesson 8: Animating Layers

• Getting Started
• Simulating Lighting Changes
• Duplicating an Animation Using the Pick Whip
• Using a Track Matte to Confine Animation
• Animating Using the Corner Pin Effect
• Simulating a Darkening Sky
• Retiming the Composition

Lesson 9: Working with Masks

• About Masks
• Creating a Mask with the Pen Tool
• Editing a Mask
• Feathering the Edges of a Mask
• Replacing the Content of the Mask
• Adjusting the Opacity
• Adding a Shadow
• Creating a Vignette

Lesson 10: Distorting Objects with the Puppet Tools

• About the Puppet Tools
• Adding Position Pins
• Adding Advanced and Bend Pins
• Stiffening an Area
• Animating Pin Positions
• Using the Puppet Tools to Animate Video
• Recording Animation

Lesson 11: Performing Color Correction

• Adjusting Color Balance with Levels
• Adjusting Color with the Lumetri Color Effect
• Using Lumetri Scopes
• Replacing the Background
• Color-Correcting using Auto Levels
• Motion Tracking the Clouds
• Replacing the Sky in the Second Clip
• Color Grading

Lesson 12: Rendering and Outputting

• Getting Started
• About Rendering and Output
• Exporting Using the Render Queue
• Creating Templates for the Render Queue
• Rendering Movies with Adobe Media Encoder