PDF COURSE INFO

Course Outline

Understanding After Effects

Adobe After Effects what it is and what to use it for
Compositing vs editing
What you can and can’t do in After Effects
What equipment you need
Overview of general workflow
Projects vs Compositions
Understanding the importance of linked files and where they are kept
Introduction to video terminology
Video resolutions and formats
Introduction to basic CODECs
Where to get help and resources
Checking for updates

Finding Your Way Around

The welcome screen
Creating a project
Project settings
Importing footage
Understanding the work area
Project, Composition and Timeline windows
Footage, Layer, Effect Controls, Flowchart & Render Queue Windows
Tools, menu bar and palettes
Customising the workspace
Preferences; memory, previews, Open GL, interface options
Saving projects, naming conventions, project storage

Adobe Bridge

Understanding the Bridge
Navigating folders
Viewing docs and folders
Resizing images
Viewing images full screen
Selecting files
Opening files
Workspaces
Important preferences
Adding favourites
Using filters
Creating Collections
Importing footage using Adobe Bridge

Creating & Editing Compositions

Composition settings, frame rates, duration
Aspect ratios, square pixels & presets
Creating a composition at the size of existing footage
Adding layers to the Timeline & changing stacking order
Creating a solid layer
Changing colour of a solid using the Fill Effect
Duplicating and renaming layers, compositions, footage
Background colour
Viewing transparency

Zoom & Navigation

Zoom and pan the Comp window
Zoom and pan the timeline
Toggle panels to full screen view
Fit composition in Comp window
Preview using a region of interest
Grids, Rulers and Guides
Safe Areas
Setting the work area
Navigating the timeline
Navigating the timeline using SMPTE timecode

Understanding and Creating Animation

Types of layers and the basic five attributes of every layer (TRAPS)
The easy way to view and modify layer attributes
Changing attributes of layers
Flipping footage, reflections
Basic animation principles
Adding keyframes to create animation of layer attributes
Changing the anchor point
Previewing your work in real time
Other ways to preview your work
Previewing audio
The importance of setting the Work Area
Test rendering a composition

Importing and Creating Animations using Photoshop and Illustrator layers

Ways to import and animate Photoshop files
Converting Photoshop text to editable After Effects text
Adding animation to Photoshop composition files
Preparing and importing Illustrator files as separate layers
Sequencing multiple layers to create animations, slide shows
Edit and update original file

Creating Motion Paths

Creating, editing and interpreting motion paths
Using the Pen Tool to add keyframes
Adding, deleting, moving and modifying motion path anchor points
Types of bezier keyframes
Modifying animations using keyframe assistant
Auto-orienting objects on motion paths
The Switches/Modes Panel
Soloing Layers
Adding and previewing Motion Blur
Rendering the composition

.

Keyframes

What the keyframe symbols mean
Roving keyframes to create smooth time
Hold keyframes
Copying keyframes
Constraining and snapping
Keyframe viewing and navigation
Changing keyframe types
Troubleshooting techniques

Managing Layers

Moving, trimming, setting in and out points, splitting layers
Navigating layers on the timeline
Soloing Layers
Continuous rasterisation
Align and distribute layers
Replace footage while retaining existing attributes
Exporting to SWF and Flash Professional

Modifying Footage and Effects

Basic retiming footage
Frame blending
Looping existing footage
Finding and applying Effects
How effects work
Using adjustment layers to effect multiple layers
Adjusting levels and curves
Adjusting color balance
Adding effects to multiple layers using pre-composition
Creating shadows and movement using blending Modes
Adding an animated track matte to reveal footage
Basic colour keying a greenscreen
Stencils

Creating and Animating Text

Creating and formatting source text

Point text vs text box

Text attributes (additional to layer attributes)

Creating text animation on a path

Using and customising text animation presets

Introduction to text animators

Adding a text animator group

Animating character tracking, opacity, scale, rotation

Adding a Wiggle selector to character attributes

Adjusting timing of keyframes

Adding a track matte to reveal images inside text

Adding a drop shadow effect

Creating an animated frosted glass title bar

Parenting the title bar with a text layer

 

Masks

Creating masks using the Pen Tool

Creating masks using Shape Tools

Changing the mask colour

Editing masks

Mask properties

Multiple masks

Adding feather to masks

Animating masks

Creating vignettes using masks

Importing masks from Photoshop

 

3D Space

Overview of how 3D works in After Effects

Converting an existing layer to 3D

Viewing Z space

Importing a 3D rectangle from Photoshop

Creating a 3D rectangle in After Effects

Pre-composing or nesting the After Effects rectangle

Collapse transformations

Animating individual faces of the AFX rectangle

Animating the Photoshop rectangle

Adding and parenting a null object controller

Adding blur effects to background layers to create depth of field

 

3D Cameras and Lights

Adding different types of lights

Pointing and moving a light

Animating light point of interest

Adding a camera

Pointing and moving the camera

Animating camera point of interest

Auto-orienting lights and cameras with layers

 

Animation Presets

Using and modifying After Effects Presets

Saving and using your own animation presets

Creating looping backgrounds

Adding and modifying text presets

Adding and modifying 3D text presets

Adding and modifying a Shape layer preset

 

Rendering and Outputting

More about the Render Queue

Creating templates for different outputs

Choosing the right output media settings

Basic CODECs

Adding multiple Output Modules to the same Render