Learning After Effects...where do i start?

Fxphd is really good, one of the best really. Lynda is good, but personally why spend money on basics you can learn from reading the free manual. I'm sure there's more than basics there, but those are a bulk of what they offer.

In my opinion, Fxphd offers the closest thing to being in an actual classroom online. You learn from professionals vetted by other professionals so you're not getting some bedroom jockey doing tutorials because he's bored, sitting around, and deconstructing trendy techniques.
 
You make a valid point about fxphd but it can be just as expensive as Lynda.com. Also, the ppl teaching Lynda.com stuff are usually experts on the software as opposed to those bedroom jockeys on Youtube. There are many online options for learning any software and like I said in my other post is how far do you want to go when it comes to learning AE. I would say if you just want to have a grip on it and let your creativity sort out the rest, Lynda.com. If you want to make this your career, FXPHD.com.
 
I've been working with AE for over 3 years now and one thing I just can't catch on is Expressions. Anyone have a good recommendation on learning that for AE?
 
I learned AE by jumping in and doing it. I figured out something I wanted to create and I just went and starting working towards doing it. I'd find tutorials that would explain some of the stuff I needed. I did this with Maya and Blender as well. While I've spent my fair share of reading, personally I find hands on is the best way for me. There is just too much information to try and remember in a book on these very powerful programs. Once I learn through a project, then I actually understand what I am doing from my own experimentation. One thing you learn quickly is that there is WAY MORE than one way to do an effect in After Effects.

When I was first looking at the program, I read somewhere that it is the "Photoshop of video editing" and when I've approached it that way, it really made a lot more sense to me.
 
Kind of to what Rick said -- if you have a SPECIFIC AFFECT that you're trying to achieve (or even several specific affects), I don't see a problem with starting there. Figure out how to do those specific affects and then learn as you go. If you want a comet to land on a car, learn how to have a comet land on a car and then move on. The only people who must know how to use every aspect of these programs front to back are visual affects artists. If you're just a guy looking to achieve an affect for your video, you can find enough random free information online to get that affect done.

The most important thing, I think, is workflow. Follow Kramer's advice about workflow and essential layering so that if you have someone else come in late in the affect they will be able to work on specific aspects with you. Visual affects should be a collaberative art so that each person can do what they do best in each minor bit. But if you're alone in it, just figure out what you want to achieve, achieve that, and learn along the way -- UNLESS you're trying to be a VFX artist, then you need classes, books, teachers, mentors, etc because you're going to be asking someone else to pay you to do what they can't (or don't have the time to) do.
 
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