Motion Graphics course?

rawfa

rawfa

Veteran
Hi guys,

Motion Graphics is on demand here in Brazil and I'd really like to get into it. Here in Rio de Janeiro (where I live) I was not able to find much and "the best one" is almost 100% After Effects based and it costs us$500 for a 4 month course where once a week you view pre-recorded classes online, you're assigned projects and you have a video conference with a teacher (this is the class's reel https://vimeo.com/93310052). I think that if I'm going to pay us$500 for this kind of teaching I can get something with a simlilar workflow but way better in the US or Europe, from a more prestigious institution.
Anyone care to suggest something in these lines?
 
Chris and Trish Meyer have been producing FANTASTIC After Effects training materials for 20+ years.

A good inexpensive way to start is their book (with downloadable project files) After Effects Apprentice. Really thoughtfully constructed series of lessons. In the US it costs about US$40.
http://www.crishdesign.com/books/After-Effects-Apprentice/index.html

Also check out their online version of those classes (as well as more advanced classes) on Lynda.com. There's a free 10-day trial that lets you take any of the hundreds/thousands of online classes on Lynda...that's good to see if you like their method of teaching. Then in the US it costs US$30 per month. Though look around for discounts through various groups, access with a library card, etc.
https://www.lynda.com/After-Effects-CS5-tutorials/apprentice-series-pre-roll/78543-2.html

And Lynda's whole list of motion graphics offerings:
https://www.lynda.com/Motion-Graphics-training-tutorials/84-0.html

I think the book or online version of "After Effects Apprentice" would be a great way to start. Then you'll know enough to decide what other books, classes, or online resources you'll want to explore next...and which classes seem worth the money.

Have fun!
 
Having looked at the Vimeo reel, I think you can learn everything they teach and much more for free from an excellent set of tutorials made by video copilot (Andrew Kramer). His tutorials are mostly about special effects, but he also has a lot of graphics in them. If you master his tutorials, you will be able to do much more than is taught in the class you are proposing.

Andrew has 163 lessons that are fast and complete with no steps missing. These are the best tutorials I've seen on any subject. They are paced exactly right, they miss no steps. He also offers reasonably priced plug-ins for After Effects. Excellent stuff. http://www.videocopilot.net/tutorials/
 
I also think you should look at VideoCoPilot.

There is no course out there that can possibly offer what any motivated student can find for free online. But of course: by taking a class you (hopefully) get a structured approach to a (admittedly very limited) subset of things to learn.

Also, most classes seem to focus on teaching software and the HOW. That will get you nowhere in terms of being able to work commercially. You will need to pick up how your software of choice works while struggling with the WHAT and WHY.

Anyway... Andrew on VideoCoPilot has a crash course to AE among his early tutorials. It's a few years old now, but it's still a good place to start.
 
I know my self and I really need to have a teacher even if once a week to clarify my doubts and answer specific questions. Plus I have a 1 year kid and if I don't have a schedule chances are I'll be so tired that I will rather relax...
 
Video Copilot, EC Abrahms (on YouTube), AETuts, After Effects Tutorials with Mikey (YouTube), and a few others you can find with cursory searches would be your best bet. Most, if not all, of these are entirely free. Lynda.com is a great resource - but paid - however, our local library has a subscription so that might be worth checking out in your area. I teach classes on After Effects at a University and I'm entirely self-taught from using free online tutorials, so I think that would be the way to go.
Best,
Adam
 
Whether you learn from all the great online tutorials or a paid formal course, make sure you are learn both design and technical fundamentals. Not just how to do some neat software tricks.
 
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