View Full Version : AE Effects Training Videos?
Hawk Teflon
05-16-2009, 09:51 PM
I grasp the basics of AE well enough. Though, when I look at the effects palate, there's a selection of maybe 15 I use with confidence, and I avoid the other like a swine flu. I was just watching a video on aetuts.com that used the wave simulation effect. The guy making the video went through every parameter of that effect. I understand that effect SO much better now. A lot of effects have 20 to 30 variables in them, and I have no idea what they all do. Even tinkering with them a lot of times does nothing (because I'm missing a step that needed before, but didn't know). I know that kind of thing is not listed in the manuel, so is there anywhere I can go for an exhaustive list of what everything does? Better yet, is there a video?
Matt Grunau
05-17-2009, 12:37 AM
That is something we all want. The Holy Grail of tutorials, in depth explanations on everything in s certain effect or filter. But that is a very rare find. VERY rare.
Usually, the best thing is of course to simply play with an effect and become familiarized with those options. Luckily, some effects have the same names. The Evolution parameter comes to mind, as I have seen that in multiple effects.
The hard part is when you apply an effect, and nothing happens. This could be any number of reasons, and you usually move on thinking it not very handy. Then the only thing is to really play, precomp, use different files as a Base the effect will work from, click buttons, Google it, and sometimes even offer up virgins to the gods for an inkling of what the options do.
My advice is to look for tutorials, regardless of by author, that tackle the same thing, like say a hologram. You may learn 5 different ways to do it, and many repeated effect uses, but uses with differing approaches and options. You may work 3 tutorials and each will give you a different setting for Wave Warp.
go to the links sticky and poke around. You will find some great stuff there.
Jordan_S
05-17-2009, 02:43 AM
This (http://www.amazon.com/After-Effects-CS3-Chad-Perkins/dp/1596714417/ref=sr_1_20?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1242549566&sr=8-20) explores every native effect.
Hawk Teflon
05-18-2009, 08:23 AM
jordan, that might be the best place for me to start ... thanks for that
kwan, I had just checked that site thanks to jordan ...
does it seem to be worth it? I've never used one of their tutorials
Jordan_S
05-18-2009, 02:27 PM
It's been over a year since I viewed this. However, from what I recollect, Chad Perkins is a good teacher and lynda.com sets the bar high. You will learn. How much will be determined by how much you currently know about the native effects. It is not the holy grail of AE effects tutorials but it is the most comprehensive effects video I've come across.
Matt is right to say that scouring for tutorials pays off. This (http://filmmakeriq.com/general/featured/1001-adobe-after-effects-tutorials.html) was posted in another thread. Creative Cow, Andrew Kramer you know already. Heck, I've picked up tips from tutorials on youtube hosted by 11-year-olds.