After Effects...learning the ropes...from scratch

S

sean90291

Veteran
What do you guys think is the best route to getting immersed in After Effects? Take a course? Buy a DVD self-teaching kit? I don't know the program at all. When I read a bit about it, I'm immediately lost (what's a mask?, etc. etc.). I'm very savvy with computers and know Avid Xpress pretty well now. So...what do you guys think?
 
the definitive series of books are the "creating motion graphics with after effects" tomes by the meyers. they are mind-numbingly slow at points, so even if you don't know masks and the like, they will hold your hand all you will ever need.
 
Two great answers. The Meyers books are simply the best, and totall traning DVDs allow you to see what's going on.

My additional suggestion would be to think of an effect you would like to do (like a lightsaber, casting lightning bolts, cloning, sompositing 3D) and find tutorials specifically for that. You will be learning the interface as you go, with a defined result at the end, teaching you that technique. Learn a few basic techniques, and you will find you can bring different basic techniques together for more advanced work.

Buy the books at the least, and download and print as many tutorials as you can.

Simply spending time looking around the program will help, but not as much as doing something goal oriented.

Lastly, remember that AE is Photoshop for video. DIfferent interface, but many of the same basic functions. A hell of a lot of much more advanced stuff too, but in the beggining it helps to think of it that way.
 
I am in no way affiliated with this company, but........I bought a series of training CDs on Ebay. They are called How To Gurus Video Based Training for After Effects 6 & 6.5. They were done by a guy named George Peirson. It's 6 cds, from Beginner to Advanced. I got the set for $20 and it was well worth the money. I think it retails for $200. This company is not as known as Total Training, but training is training. A book is great for reference, but I suppose I'm spoiled with the video tutorials. I found it very helpful when I started.
 
The best book for AE is After Effects 6.5 Studio Techniques. This is not a canned tutorial book, it shows you how to put effects together on a broader basis, not a tutorial for a specific type of effect. This way you have the building blocks of how to create the effects, match plates, matchmove, etc..

Plus, it was written by Mark Christiansen, who was the lead AE artist on THe day After Tomorrow, and worked for ILM and The Orphanage. Good stuff.
 
Thanks all. I will be purchasing one or more of the above suggested resources. I wanna get a handle on this program...and just have to jump in with both feet I suppose. Cheers.
 
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