# After Effects in a Day

Canonical URL: <https://training-nyc.com/courses/after-effects-1day>

## Overview

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](https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes/after-effects).

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](https://training-nyc.com/course_groups/photoshop-classes-nyc) is recommended, but not required.

## 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

## Curriculum

### 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

## Schedule
- Jul 13, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC
- Jul 28, 2026 – Jul 30, 2026 — NYC
- Aug 24, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC
- Sep 14, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC
- Nov 9, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC
- Dec 21, 2026 10:00am–5:00pm — NYC

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $425