Introduction to Adobe After Effects for Beginners (AAE1)

Graphics, Adobe

This hands-on course introduces core concepts of motion design and teaches practical animation skills in Adobe After Effects. You will learn principles behind animated graphics, basic animation techniques, and working with layers.

Through guided exercises you'll practice key After Effects skills: navigating the interface, animating with keyframes, using masks and shape layers, creating animated text, camera moves, effects and exporting projects.

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The course:

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• Motion design overview
1. Introduction to motion design
2. Trends and sources of inspiration
3. Free resources for projects and assets
4. Introduction to After Effects

• Interface and basic concepts
1. Workspace: panels explained (Project, Composition, Timeline, Toolbar, Effects & Presets)
2. Layer logic: difference between editing (Premiere Pro) and layering (After Effects)
3. Project setup: composition settings (resolution, FPS, duration)
4. Importing media: how to bring in video, images and audio correctly

• Working with layers and transforms
1. Layer types: solid, text, shape layer, null object, image, video
2. Five transform properties and shortcuts (P, S, R, T, A)
3. Anchor point basics

• Animation fundamentals (keyframing)
1. Keyframe principle: creating motion
2. Timeline: moving and trimming layers
3. Interpolation: linear vs Easy Ease for smooth motion
4. Motion Blur: enabling for realistic look

• Masks and shape layers
1. Drawing shapes: Pen, Rectangle and Ellipse tools
2. Masking: hiding parts of a layer or creating transparency
3. Shape animators: basics of Trim Paths for animated strokes

• Effects and adjustment layers
1. Applying effects via Effects & Presets
2. Adjustment layers: applying effects to multiple layers (color correction, stylizing)
3. Common effects: Gaussian Blur, Drop Shadow, Fill, Gradient Ramp, etc.

• Working with text
1. Adding text: formatting in Character and Paragraph panels
2. Text presets: using presets for quick animation
3. Custom text animators, e.g., per-character animation

• Hierarchy, organization and parenting
1. Parent & Link: connecting layers
2. Pre-composing: grouping layers into sub-compositions to keep projects tidy

• Basic camera introduction
1. Camera setup
2. Camera movement

• Exporting finished work
1. Render Queue: native AE export settings
2. Adobe Media Encoder: exporting video and audio
3. Archiving: saving the project with all source files

• Creating your own animation
1. Students create a short animation from concept to export

• Practical examples and Q&A
1. Real-world cases and solutions from the instructor
2. Demonstrations and visual examples

Assumed knowledge:

Basic computer skills and access to Adobe After Effects.

Recommended subsequent course:

Adobe After Effects – Advanced Techniques (AAE2)

Schedule:

3 days (9:00 AM - 5:00 PM )

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