Adobe After Effects CS4: Advanced

Course Description:

Bridge the gap between being able to use After Effects and being able to create visually stunning special effects using professional post production techniques.

This course is designed to give you the skills to get the most from After Effects enabling you to produce professional motion graphics and visual effects for film, video, multimedia, mobile devices and the web. We also recommend this course for those planning to gain Adobe Certified Expert status.

The course covers working in 3D space, advanced layer techniques, using expressions and masks, creating professional special fx, working with sound and gaining industry hints and tips from After Effects professionals.

This course includes the following modules:

Overview of features

• Optimising your system
• Finding ways to speed up previews
• Using different resolutions
• Using Adobe Clip Notes

Advanced layer techniques

• Using the Interpret footage dialog effectively
• Parent and child relationships
• Using Null layers
• Understanding the Anchor Point
• Using different blending modes
• Advanced text animation
• Using the Puppet tool

Working with compositions

• Nesting comps
• Pre-rendering comps
• Pre-composing layers
• Setting comp proxies
• Importing Photoshop and Illustrator comps
• Rendering order issues

Using masks

• Animating masks
• Using stencils and silhouettes
• Using RotoBezier masks
• Auto-tracing alpha channels
• Importing masks from Photoshop
• Creating Track mattes
• Using Keylight for Bluescreen and Greenscreen mattes

Generating professional special effects

• Motion tracking
• Motion stabilisation
• Image stabilisation
• Using colour keying
• Using the Difference Matte effectively
• Using a Garbage Matte
• Using Vector Paint
• Advanced keying and warping tools
• Colour management tools

Working in 3D space

• Creating a layer in 3D space
• 3D text animations
• Creating complex shapes
• Understanding the limitations of 2D planes in 3D space
• Using lights and cameras
• Using Nulls to control cameras

Using expressions

• Why expressions are useful
• Creating expressions to slave other layers
• Expressions vs Parent and Child
• Transferring properties in equations

Rendering comps

• The different Codecs in Quicktime
• Rendering effectively and quickly
• Understanding field order
• Rendering using Alpha channels
• Rendering to create a comp proxy

An introduction to Particle playground

• A guide to effects in After Effects
• 3D channel effects

Using sound in After Effects

• Adding and previewing sound
• Using sound markers to synchronise action

Hints and tips

• Creating PDF video files
• Best practice in After Effects