Total Training vs. Creating Motion Graphics Books

angrynerdrock07

angrynerdrock07

Well-known member
I am about to devote a few months to learning After Effects and wanted to get some opinions on the best way to go about doing it. I am debating on either buying the Total Training DVD set for After Effects Pro or the Trish and Chris Meyer books. (Creating Motion Graphics vol. 1,2, and After Effects in Production). I want to know if I am getting as in-depth of an education from the books as I am from the DVDs. If the DVDs go into more depth, how much? Is it worth the price difference? I want to learn as much as I can and money isn't too much of a problem. However, if I am going to gain basically the same amount of knowledge and save hundreds of dollars with the books it would be nice.

Thanks in advance.
 
The Trish Meyers books are very highly regarded in te After ffects community as being "The" books to buy if you want to learn AE for motion graphics and effects as well as a explaining WHY you are doing what you are doing in each tutorial. Many books and tutorials onine simply tell you to click here and put this number in this box, without really explaining why.

I have never seen the Total Training videos, so I don't have a personal frame of reference. I have read, however, comparisons for learning material, and the Trish Meyers books are always spoken highly of.

But, if there is a sizeable differnce in price, I would start off with the books, and I would also buy "After Effects - Studio Techniques" which is another fantastic book which focuses ONLY on visual effects, as well as delving into why.

I would go the route of buying those three books, and saving your money. You can always get the DVD's later, but even someone with only a basic knowledge of AE can go through those books and increase your skill without having your head spin.

Good luck.

:thumbsup:
 
I'd highly recommend the Meyer books. My workflow has been to work with the books, then play for a while in AE, then back to the paper. Despite being a great fan of paperless everything, having the hard copy is nice as you can browse them off the computer. You can pick up these, flip to any page and learn something you didn't know.
 
it is not a difficult program, if you can use Premiere well, just complite your knowledge with some tutorials and you won't need to buy expensive things. you just have to understand the base of the workflow.
 
I've got the Total Training DVD's for AE 6.5 Pro, I think they are awesome.

But not the only way to learn AE. Seems to me deep inside you know that you want to go the book route. So do it, if it doesn't work for you, sell 'em and get the DVD's

- Derrick
 
I have Total Training for AE 6.5 - The DVD's a very good at teaching the functionality of what buttons do, where to find menus and the effects pallette etc.. They are expensive but if you want to get up and productive with AE quickly its hard to beat Total Training.

The books go into more detail of how to create effects, I found that to learn the application I relied on TT, once I started using the application regularly I tend to rely more on the books. I use Illistrator and photoshop and I'm amazed at how much more there is to learn in After Effects.
 
Hey guys. Thanks for all the advice. I am going to get the books for now and buy the DVDs when 7.0 is released. If anyone can think of any other sources I should look into (lie something similar to the creative cow online tutorials), let me know.
 
I ended up purchasing a subscribtion to VTC online university...you might want to check it out...i'ts helped me get up to speed on AE6.5, one nice thing is that you have access to all of the tutorials with by becoming a member

www.vtc.com
 
surf said:
it is not a difficult program, if you can use Premiere well, just complite your knowledge with some tutorials and you won't need to buy expensive things. you just have to understand the base of the workflow.
Click to expand...

Not really true surf. While there is a certain amount a person can pick up by simply playing around, to understand the core intricacies of the program, as well as the depth of all it can do and how, you really need instruction of some sort. After Effects is a very in depth program. On the surface however you're correct, it is somewhat like other adobe products.

The Meyer books are considered the AE Bible by many. They're clearly written, easy to follow, and very thourough. That said, I don't think they're great designers by any means, so the examples they use are sometimes corny and/or cheesy, but they show you the fundamentals and why. Good in my book.

I'd pick up the books, go through them a bit, and see if you feel you'll need more "hand-held" training, then spring for the dvd's. You'll want the Meyer books at your disposal nomatter which order you buy them in.
 
of course you would have to read articles, tutorials as I said, but the help of AE is very great too.
 
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