Creating Two Hour Intro to AE Class - What would you teach?

E

Eximious

Well-known member
I'm creating a basic introduction to After Effects class for a local arts center. Participants will likely be complete newcomers to AE, compositing, mograph, etc. I'll have two hours. What would you teach? Has anyone had a great experiences with an intro course of similar length? Right now, I'm thinking about spending about 30 minutes each on motion graphics, compositing, and special effects topics respectively. Motion graphics might be a little longer, since I'll have to introduce some workspace and animation basics. For the remaining 30 minutes, I was thinking about splitting it organically between Q&A, examples of AE work, and information about other learning resources (e.g., DVXUser, free online tutorial vids).

What do you all think?
 
I've done this very thing many times, as well as teaching advanced AE. If it's an intro class, it seems like you'd need at least 15-20 minutes on a UI overview, then discussing layering, getting into the timeline and keyframing, then what effects are (no specifics), then rendering. If it's a hands-on class with ongoing questions, that itself will take nearly two hours: No masking, no specific compositing techniques, no blending modes, no specific effect tutorials. If it's a lecture, you could go farther and faster, but I'd seriously doubt the level of student retention. How much your students will know about Photoshop can make AE teaching harder or easier, as there are identical concepts shared between the two. If it's a true intro class, you also may want to start with a reel that you talk over which shows examples of what AE can do, to get people excited and set some aspirational goals. Way better to show that at first then at the end, as per the IDEAS model of teaching: Introduce, demonstrate, explain, activity, summary. Or, the simpler aphorism of "Sell it, show it, do it."
 
What atomick said. I'd just add that AE can be a mysterious and complicated world to the first timer. I'd suggest breaking it down to the very core components and stress how they relate, layers, masks, effects, keyframes. Make sure that your class understands the basic structure and interactions of those elements and then they'll be able to experiment and figure out the rest on their own.

oh yeah...show them the "easy ease" for keyframes and they'll all be pros!
 
I'm creating a basic introduction to After Effects class for a local arts center. Participants will likely be complete newcomers to AE, compositing, mograph, etc. I'll have two hours. What would you teach? Has anyone had a great experiences with an intro course of similar length?
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Are you kidding me?
 
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