After Effects in a Day

Getting Started with Animation & Video Post-Production

After Effects is a powerful component of Adobe's suite of design software that allows you to create professional motion graphics with a simple but powerful user interface. This course will have you up and running quickly, as you learn to create animated GIFs, logos, transitions, and more. You'll get hands-on experience in a small class led by a leading motion graphics instructor.  Get started in this one-day workshop, or dive right into our intensive After Effects Level 1.

This hands-on After Effects class is designed to teach you the essentials of the user interface, the timeline, video, layer animation, easing in and out, fade-ins, and more.

Prior experience with Photoshop is recommended, but not required.  

This After Effects course is held at our design school, Noble Desktop, in SoHo.

Register For a Class

This course is offered at our design school, Noble Desktop. View upcoming dates and register for this course directly on Noble Desktop’s website.

Register at nobledesktop.com pop-out-line
tag-solid $325 clock-solid 6 Hours map-marker-solid 185 Madison Ave, 3rd Floor, NYC
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    Video Training and Workbook Included

    Students get a workbook and lifetime access to self-paced training videos, a $95 value.

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    Computer Provided

    Modern computer classroom with your choice of Mac or PC to work on.

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    Small In-Person Classes

    Get personalized attention in small groups with an expert instructor in the classroom.

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    Free Retake

    Refresh the course materials within six months for free as long as there's space in the class.

What You'll Learn

  • Create animations with graphics such as logos and photos
  • Become familiar with the interface, timeline, and layers
  • Import and use layered files from Photoshop & Illustrator
  • Animate the individual components of a logo
  • Create fluid, natural motion with easing
  • Add transitions such as fade-ins & fade-outs
  • Export your project to create an animated GIF

Full Course Syllabus

Download PDF Outline

Section 1

Intro to After Effects

  • The Project, Composition, & Timeline panels
  • Importing a Layered File with all its Layers Intact
  • Using Title Safety to ensure TV viewers can see the text

Working with Keyframes

  • Animating in the Class Names
  • Previewing in real time
  • Adding Easing
  • Sliding Over the Entire Class List
  • Animating the Icons
  • Animating the “In a Day” Title
  • Adding Motion Blur
  • Trimming Off Extra Time

Outputting to GIF

  • Exporting from After Effects
  • Making the Animated GIF in Photoshop
  • Reducing the Number of Frames

Section 2

Noble Logo Animation: Anchor Points & Animating with Overshoot

  • Converting an Illustrator file from CMYK to RGB
  • Animating the black square to overshoot its final size
  • Changing where the rectangles scale from by moving layer anchor points
  • Setting layer in points using the In column
  • Keeping vector layers sharp as they scale up

Noble Logo: Masking Layers & Parenting

  • Pre-composing layers
  • Hiding the letters before they animate using masks
  • Moving the entire logo away from the rising letters using parenting

Noble Logo: Rotation, Fade-Outs, & Rendering

  • Adding anticipation keyframes before a major animation
  • Animating the Rotation property
  • Adding a fade to white using a solid color layer
  • How to find missing project files

Optional Bonus: Preparing an Illustrator File for Animation

  • Resizing artboards & vector graphics
  • Setting up layers to individually animate elements in After Effects

Bonus: HBO Intro Sequence

Importing Flattened Files & Adding Easing

  • Importing a layered PSD as a merged file
  • Isolating HBO logo, Feature & Presentation text using masks
  • Creating fade-ins & fade-outs
  • Adding automatic easing to slow down portions of the animation

Working with Numerous Layers

  • Familiarizing ourselves with the Photoshop layout: layers extending outside canvas bounds, guides
  • Scaling up each tile using a single null object and Parenting
  • Randomizing the order in which the photos animate in
  • Orchestrating the exit animation so the tiles fall down in diagonal groups

Vector Layouts

  • Animating vector shapes using the Trim Paths feature
  • Continuous rasterization
  • More null objects: animating the three pay television content descriptors

Putting It All Together & Adding Audio

  • Sequencing multiple compositions
  • Animating like an editor: overlapping shots & using blending modes
  • Adding audio to a composition
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Frequently Asked Questions

  • Do I need to bring a computer?

    No. We provide a computer with the necessary software for each attendee. Choose a Mac or a PC during the checkout process.

  • Are discounts available for this course?

    No. This course is not eligible for any discounts.

    We offer discounts for packages of classes, including our Excel Bootcamp, SQL Bootcamp, Data Analytics, and PowerPoint Bootcamp.

    We also provide discounts for ten or more classes purchased together. Please reach out for more information on our voucher programs.

  • Does this course come with a book?

    Yes. This course includes a complimentary book or manual at no additional cost.

  • What if I need to retake this course? May I retake it for free?

    Yes. You may retake this course for free once within six months, provided that the class is running with an available seat. For more information, visit our policies page.