Introduction to the Layout

Starting a New Composition

Importing Media

Start a New Composition from Media

Tools and Shortcuts

EXERCISE #1: Import and Adjust Footage

Folders & Organisation

Layer Properties

EXERCISE #2: Import, Adjust and Adapt the project

Students will learn how to create Shapes and Solids!

Student will Learn how to create Custom Shapes!

Student will Learn how to create Shape and Solid Properties

Student will Learn how to create Shape and Solid Effects

EXERCISE: Create a Shape and Customize it

How to Create 3D Shapes

How to FAKE 3D Effect

EXERCISE: Build a Custom Sequence with 3D Shapes

Students will learn how to add and format text and titles to enhance your After Effects compositions.

Character Tab: Customizing Text

Simple Animated Titles

Animation Presets Library

EXERCISE: Create an Animated Text Intro

Text Effects

Templates

EXERCISE: Customize a Template

Make a Video in Text Effect

Students will learn how to create and animate 3D text to add depth and dimension to their compositions.

Students will learn how to animate 3D text, adding motion and visual interest to their designs.

Students will learn how to Create Write-on Text

EXERCISE: Create a Write-on Text Effect with a Video Inside

Students will learn the most fundamental concept in motion graphics: keyframes.  They'll discover that a keyframe is a marker in time that records a property's value, and that by setting at least two keyframes, After Effects will automatically generate the smooth animation between them. This lesson is the essential foundation for bringing any layer to life.

Students will learn how to animate the five fundamental layer transform properties in After Effects.  They'll master applying keyframes to control a layer's Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity over time, which are the essential building blocks for creating any motion graphics animation.

Students will learn how to animate the individual properties of any effect using keyframes, moving beyond simple layer transformations.  They'll discover how to make their visual effects evolve and change over time by animating parameters like blur amount, color, or distortion in the Effect Controls panel.

Students will learn how to save time and create complex animations instantly by using the built-in Animation Presets library in After Effects. They'll discover how to browse and apply a huge range of pre-built effects for text, backgrounds, and transitions to their layers with a simple drag and drop.

Students will learn how to animate masks over time by setting keyframes on the Mask Path property.  They'll master this essential motion graphics technique to create dynamic text reveals and custom transitions where one layer wipes away to reveal another.

EXERCISE: Create an Animated Sequence using Multiple Moving Elements

Students will learn the full breakdown of the Effect tab, exploring essential tools and options for creative control.

Students will continue learning the Effect tab, diving deeper into advanced effects and customization options.

EXERCISE: Audio Effects

Students will learn how to use a variety of built-in color effects in After Effects to create stylized and dramatic looks in their videos.  They'll explore powerful tools like Tint for creating duotone looks and Leave Color to isolate a single color while making the rest of the image black and white, a common technique in film.

Students will learn how to warp, bend, and manipulate their footage using the powerful effects in the Distort category of After Effects.  They'll explore a variety of tools, from Turbulent Displace for creating organic looks to Corner Pin for advanced screen replacements, to add a new level of visual effects to their projects.

EXERCISE: Animate a Distort Effect

Students will learn how to add realistic and stylized light effects to enhance the mood and cinematic quality of their compositions.  They'll master how to use built-in After Effects plugins like CC Light Rays and CC Light Sweep and animate their properties to create dramatic lighting and professional logo reveals.

EXERCISE: Create a Text Shine Effect

Students will learn how to create the foundational backgrounds and environments for their projects, setting the stage for the action. They'll then move on to scripting or programming the behaviors that make characters or elements come alive and interact within that world, a key step in building any dynamic game or application.

Students will learn how to use generating effects to create shapes, patterns, and visual elements within their compositions.

EXERCISE: Add a Lens Flare into a Sequence

Students will learn how to visualize and animate audio using the waveform effect for dynamic sound-driven animations.

EXERCISE: Create a Waveform for a Podcast

Students will learn the fundamentals of chroma keying—the professional technique for removing a green or blue screen from footage. Using the powerful, industry-standard Keylight effect, they'll master how to create a clean and precise cutout of their subject, preparing them for compositing onto a new background.

Students will learn advanced techniques for salvaging poorly lit green screen footage with creases and shadows.  They'll discover how to use garbage mattes and advanced settings within the Keylight effect to pull a clean and professional key from imperfect source material, a crucial problem-solving skill for any compositor.

Students will learn the essential compositing technique of replacing the background in their video footage. They'll discover how to use methods like chroma keying (green screen) or rotoscoping to separate a foreground subject and place them into a completely new environment, a foundational skill for visual effects.

EXERCISE: Import and Edit a Green Screen

Students will learn how to film and edit green screen footage to create custom animations.

EXERCISE: Import and Edit a Green Screen Animation

Students will learn how to use the masking tool to isolate, hide, or reveal parts of a layer in their compositions.

EXERCISE: Mask a Still Image to Isolate a Shape

Students will learn how to apply masks to videos to control visibility and create dynamic visual effects.

EXERCISE: Mask a Moving Object

Students will learn how to create smooth transitions between scenes using masking techniques.

EXERCISE: Create a Seamless Transition using Masking

Students will learn how to use the powerful Rotobrush Tool in After Effects to quickly create a precise cutout of a moving object in their video.  They'll master the semi-automated process of separating a foreground element from its background, a crucial skill for advanced compositing and visual effects tasks like placing text behind a subject.

EXERCISE: Rotoscope a Video to Isolate a Shape

EXERCISE: Replacing the Background

Students will learn the essential visual effects technique of rotoscoping to isolate and track moving objects in their footage.  Using After Effects' masking tools and automated tracker, they'll master the process of replacing a screen on a smartphone or laptop, a common task in professional video production.

EXERCISE: Create a Rotoscope Transition

Students will learn how to use rotoscoping techniques to create a glowing eye effect for dramatic visual impact.

Students will learn the fundamentals of motion tracking to follow and attach elements to moving objects in their footage.

Students will learn how to track scale, rotation, and position to accurately attach elements to moving objects in their compositions.

EXERCISE: Motion Track Logo in a Video

EXERCISE: Motion Track a Sequence