After Effects Workflow/Effect Ideas

denzlite

denzlite

Active member
I'm lookin at some of the stuff people in here have been uploading to Vimeo and there's some great vids... I'm kind of new to After Effects... I'm going to play around this weekend, but I thought I'd check here first to see what folks like/dislike in After Effects...

Also, for uploading to Vimeo I'm assuming exporting to 720p h264 is ideal and this is easy to do straight from Premiere... but what about coming out of After Effects... any info/links/suggestions appreciated...
 
denzlite said:
I'm lookin at some of the stuff people in here have been uploading to Vimeo and there's some great vids... I'm kind of new to After Effects... I'm going to play around this weekend, but I thought I'd check here first to see what folks like/dislike in After Effects...

Also, for uploading to Vimeo I'm assuming exporting to 720p h264 is ideal and this is easy to do straight from Premiere... but what about coming out of After Effects... any info/links/suggestions appreciated...
Click to expand...

After Effects is my favorite piece of software. I don't yet have CS4, so I have to convert my files to Cineform before working with them in AE.

You are best off using the same export settings as you do in Premiere when rendering for Vimeo. 1280x720, .h264 Quicktime.

Make sure to pay a visit here if you haven't already:
http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/
 
After Effects is essentially "Photoshop" for motion imaging. This translates into meaning it'll take two weeks to learn the basics -- and two years to actually become functional with the application.

The VideoCopilot tutorials cited by DaFireMedic are excellent. I think they've got a free "boot camp" and then dozens of more advanced tutorials. But, to really get the most out of VideoCopliot I do recommend first going through the Lynda.com After Effects training programs. Once you've got the Lynda material under your belt -- it'll be easier to understand the VideoCopilot stuff. I believe "Total Training" also offers introductory programs to After Effects -- but for whatever reason(s) I seem to be thinking I liked the Lynda material better for introductory training purposes.
 
Thanks folks... I guess I should have been more clear... by "kind of new" I mean I'm pretty familiar with how to get around in AE... I understand how to do simple stuff, but I'm wondering most about saturation and what not... what I really need is some advice on color... I like how folks on here take great footage and tweak it so it looks like film. I've downloaded some Lynda training but I'll def check out Copilot... Do any of you guys use Boris or other third party plugins?
 
AGMedia said:
it'll take two weeks to learn the basics -- and two years to actually become functional with the application.
Click to expand...

I guess it depends on one's definition of the word "functional". I would define functional as being proficient enough to actually use the program to enhance your videos. To work in an effects house, certainly you'll need years of steady practice (not that practice alone would get you a job, you need talent too), but you can become "functional" fairly quickly, to the degree that you create some nice effects, basic color correction, compositing, motion tracking, title sequences, etc. Obviously, the more you practice, the sooner you'll learn your way around the program.

I started with the early VideoCopilot tutorials (starting with "After Effects 101") and while I still have much to learn, I was able to learn the basics of the program mainly through his tutorials and the book "After Effects Studio Techniques" by Mark Christiansen. I got a lot of satisfaction out of the program in just a few weeks. Shortly after that, I was picking out effects from videos off of the internet and trying to duplicate them. This is where I learned the most.

denzlite said:
Thanks folks... I guess I should have been more clear... by "kind of new" I mean I'm pretty familiar with how to get around in AE... I understand how to do simple stuff, but I'm wondering most about saturation and what not... what I really need is some advice on color... I like how folks on here take great footage and tweak it so it looks like film. I've downloaded some Lynda training but I'll def check out Copilot... Do any of you guys use Boris or other third party plugins?
Click to expand...

For plug ins, I have Magic Bullet Looks.


But for good guides on color correction:

"After Effects Studio Techniques" by Mark Christiansen
"DV Rebels Guide" by Stu Maschwitz
 
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