Adobe After Effects 5/5.5 Essentials

Introduction

Welcome

What is After Effects?

Should I Learn After Effects or Something Else?

Why You Should Learn After Effects

The Best Way to Learn After Effects

Assumptions I have Made About You

How This Course Works

Get Your After Effects Notebook

What You'll Learn

What's New in AE 5.0

Lets Get on with It!

Basics

Basic Level What You'll Learn in the Basic Level

Example of What You'll Learn

Get Ready to Conquer

Quick Overview of Creating a Clip in AE

Details

Project Window & Importing in Detail

Organizing: Saving / Deleting / Renaming

Extra Tips: Essential De-Interlacing

Interlacing and Fields

Example Bad (Upper)

How to Fix

Example Properly De-Interlaced (Lower)

Compositions

New Comp Settings

Common Comp Sizes and Frame Rates to Memorize

The Comp Window

Time Line

How it All Works Together Review

Effects

The Coolest Part of AE

Applying Hue / Saturation and Fast Blur

Changing the Values

Deleting or Hiding Effects and RAM Preview

Assignment #1!

Adding Effects to Solid Layer Text and Glows

Quality Switches

Adding the Glow

Adding Effects to Adjustment Layers

Assignment Two!

Animation

Basics Learning to Keyframe Scale and Position

Opacity

Easy Ease

Fade Out

Adjusting Keyframes Proportionately

Reversing Keyframes and Copy / Paste

Animation Keyboard Shortcuts

Using Exponential Scale

Animating Opacity

Animating the Anchor Point and Setting Work Area Moving Layers

Animating a Blur Effect

Using Motion Blur

Lets Preview!

Rendered End Result

Assignment #3 Create Something Personal

RAM Previews and Time Controls

RAM Preview

Shift RAM Preview

Preview Keyboard Shortcuts

Ctrl (CMD) RAM Preview Saves the Preview

Region of Interest Tool

Dynamic Resolution

Audio Preview Preferences

Setting the Work Area B and N keys

Frame By Frame Shortcuts

Overview Shortcuts

Rendering Basics

RAM Preview

Changing Render Settings

Saving Render Settings

Output Module

Saving

Render Twirl-downs

Timeline and Layers

Customizing the Timeline

Area View

Adding Comp Markers

Layer Management

Reordering Layers

Using Numbers

Layer Markers

Nesting Compositions Grouping Layers

Centering and Aligning Layers

Copying and Pasting Attributes

AV Features

Solid Layers

Switches

Shy Layers

Continuous Rasterization

Quality Settings

Effects Switch

Frame Blending

Motion Blur

Adjustment Layer Switch

3D Layer Switch

Editing Layers

Editing Layers

Sequencing Layers

Straight Cuts

Sequencing and Dissolves

True Cross-dissolve

Trimming Clips and Slip Edits

Ripple Edit Inserts

Handy IBON keyboard Shortcut

Trimming on the Timeline Slip Edits

Playing a Clip Backwards

Time Remapping

Work Area Extras

How Footage Affects the Initial Work Area

B & N Keys / IBON / Shift Snap

Trimming Comp to the Work Area

Fades and Transitions

Cross Fade

True Cross Fade

Fade to Black

Text

Basic Text

Animating Size and Tracking

Adding Glow

Gotcha...Don't Animate the Scale

Using Title Safe Guides

Adding the Kickback

Adding Horizontal Blur

Using Path Text for Normal Text

Advance Options in Path Text

Animating Individual Characters

Final Touches

Normal Path Text

Number Generator

Typography

Basic Typography Intro / Serif Vs. Sans-Serif Fonts

Categories: Handwritten / Brush Scripts

Categories: Techno Type Fonts

Where to Find Fonts

General Design Guidelines

Further Resources: Books

Further Resources: Websites

Importing From Photoshop

Examining a Layered PS File

Importing Into AE as Composition

Modifying Layers

Importing with Alpha Channels

Creating an Alpha in Photoshop

Working with Pre-Multiplied Alpha Channels

Creating a Straight Alpha the Best Kind!

Multi-colored Straight Alpha Channels

Working with B&W Scans

Play Around with These

How to View the Alpha Channel in AE

Saving Out to a Layered PS Document

Illustrator

Difference Between a Raster Item and a Vector Item

The Vector Language

Working in Illustrator / Problems when Importing

Using Crops to Define Your Final Output in AE

Viewing Alpha Channel of Illustrator Files

Applying Effects - Continuously Rasterize Solution

Masks

Creating Simple Masks

Adding Feather

Modifying Masks

Editing Mask Points

Selecting Multiple Points

Deselecting Points

Adjusting Bezier Curves

Mask Interaction Multiple Masks

Drawing Masks with the Pen Tool

Learning to Trace with the Pen Tool

Freeform Drawing with the Pen Tool

Importing From Illustrator

Adding Effects

Animating the Masks

Track Mattes

Introduction to Track Mattes

Applying a Moving Luma Matte to a Movie

Pre-Composing to Add Effects

How the Mattes Were Created

Replacing Mattes

Improving the Bad Design

Alpha Track Mattes

Transfer Modes

Introduction to Transfer Modes

Dropping Out White

Dropping Out Black

Inverting Line Art

Review

Another Example of Dropping Out White

Adding Effects

Creating the Look of Heaven / Film / Instant Sex Photoshop Example

Some Alternatives

Using it in After Effects

Color Boost Defeating JPG Artifacting

Color to Black and White Fade

Difference Trick

Compositing Stock Effects Over Footage with Screen and Add Modes

Compositing Smoke Using the Screen Mode

Audio

Introduction to Audio Formats / Sample Rates and Bit Rates

Importing Audio

Previewing Audio

Previewing Shortcuts

Viewing the Waveform

The Audio Palette

Spotting Audio Setting Layer Markers

Adding a Script layer

Working with Markers in Pre-comps

Audio Effects

Stereo Mixer Effect

Looping a Music Track

Audio Fade is Not as Straight Forward as You'd Think

3D Layers

Introduction to 3D in After Effects

Turning on 3D layers: Views XYZ Handles

Rotating Along XYZ.

Customizing Keyboard Keys for Views

Difference Between Orientation and Rotation

Arranging in Space

Animating a Surreal Sky Photoshop Steps

Working with 3D Layers

Adding an Atmosphere

Final Render of Red Clouds

3D Lighting

Using Lights to Add Drama

Working in Draft 3D Mode

Using Views to Set the Scene

Adding a New Light Light Types

Positioning the New Light

Options: Intensity

Options: Color / Cone Angle and Cone Feather

Options: Shadow Controls

Example: True 3D Shadow Fall-off

Transform Properties: Point of Interest

A Note About AE 5.5

Negative Lighting

Parenting Lights

3D Cameras

Introduction to 3D Cameras

Creating a Fly-through effect

Adding a Camera

Using the Orbit: Pan and Track / Dolly Tools

Animating the Camera Setting Custom Resolution

Modifying the Motion Path

Using Roving Keyframes

Orient Layers Towards Camera

Using Multiple Cameras

Adding Depth of Field

Comparisons with and without Depth of Field

A Note About Multiple Views in After Effects 5.5

Expressions

Get Excited! Expressions Are Cool

Four Basics You Must Learn

Setting Up an Illustrator Cyber-Screen

First Option Using Parenting

Better Option - Using the Pick Whip Tool to Match Properties

Basics of Java Syntax

Using Math to Alter Expressions

Linking Dissimilar Properties - Rotation to Opacity

Converting Value Ranges 100 to 360

Linking Lights and Cameras to Layers with Expressions

Orientating a Camera the Wrong Way

Orientating a Camera the Right Way with Expressions

Rendered Example

Offsetting Time Values

Efficiently Working with Null Objects

New Features of After Effects 5.5

Awesome New Features

Resetting Preferences - Tip of the Day

Automated Proxy Creation Awesome!

Details Behind Proxy Creation - Creating a Motion Proxy

New Effects

The New Effects Palette

Four Color Gradient

Grid

Roughen Edges

Cell Pattern

Advanced Lightning

New Transfer Modes

Linear / Classic /Vivid / Pin Additions and New Keyboard Shortcut

3D Enhancements

Introduction to Multiple Views

Colored Shadows Simple Example

Colored Shadows Example Two

Colored Shadows Example with Video

Rendered Example

Setup Explained - Using Expressions / Changing Lighting Settings

Creating a Reflection Effect

Rendered Example

Final Word About Colored Shadows

Adjustment Lights

How Adjustment Lights Differ From Adjustment Layers

SWF Import

Importing Files From Flash or Livemotion

Demo Tips

Introduction

The Most Important Thing to Focus on

Selecting Work to Include

Tips for Motion Graphics Designers

Tips for Visual Effects Artists / Compositors

Delivery Options VHS / DVD

Targeting Your Market

Tips for the Perfectionists

End Notes

What Now?

Appendix Further Resources

Keep Moving Forward!

Some Favorite Learning Websites

Some Favorite Useful Websites

Some Favorite After Effects Books