Duration
3 days
Course Outline
Getting Started
- About Classroom in a Book
Prerequisites
- Installing After Effects
- Optimizing performance
- Restoring default preferences
- Copying the lesson files
- How to use these lessons
- Additional resources
- Adobe certification
Chapter 1. Getting to Know the Workflow
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Creating a project and importing footage
- Creating a composition and arranging layers
- Adding effects and modifying layer properties
- Animating the composition
- Previewing your work
- Optimizing performance in After Effects
- Rendering and exporting your composition
- Customizing the workspace
- Controlling the brightness of the user interface
- Finding resources for using After Effects
- Checking for updates
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 2. Creating a Basic Animation Using Effects and Presets
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Importing footage using Adobe Bridge
- Creating the composition
- Working with imported Illustrator layers
- Applying effects to a layer
- Applying an animation preset
- Previewing the effects
- Adding transparency
- Rendering the composition
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 3. Animating Text
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- About text layers
- Creating and formatting point text
- Using a text animation preset
- Animating with scale keyframes
- Animating using parenting
- Animating imported Photoshop text
- Animating text using a path animation preset
- Animating type tracking
- Animating text opacity
- Using a text animator group
- Cleaning up the path animation
- Animating a nontext layer along a motion path
- Adding motion blur
- Exporting to Adobe Flash CS4 Professional
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 4. Working with Shape Layers
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Adding a shape layer
- Creating custom shapes
- Creating stars
- Incorporating video and audio layers
- Applying a Cartoon effect
- Adding a title bar
- Using Brainstorm to experiment
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 5. Animating a Multimedia Presentation
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Animating the scenery using parenting
- Adjusting an anchor point
- Masking video using vector shapes
- Keyframing a motion path
- Animating additional elements
- Applying an effect
- Creating an animated slide show
- Adding an audio track
- Zooming in for a final close-up
- Sending the project to reviewers
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 6. Animating Layers
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Simulating lighting changes
- Duplicating an animation using the pick whip
- Animating movement in the scenery
- Adjusting the layers and creating a track matte
- Animating the shadows
- Adding a lens flare effect
- Animating the clock
- Retiming the composition
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 7. Working with Masks
- Lesson overview
- About masks
- Getting started
- Creating a mask with the Pen tool
- Editing a mask
- Feathering the edges of a mask
- Replacing the content of the mask
- Adding a reflection
- Creating a vignette
- Adjusting the color
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 8. Distorting Objects with the Puppet Tools
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- About the Puppet tools
- Adding Deform pins
- Defining areas of overlap
- Stiffening an area
- Animating pin positions
- Recording animation
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 9. Keying
- Lesson overview
- About keying
- Getting started
- Creating compositions in Device Central
- Changing the background color
- Adding the foreground subject
- Using garbage masks
- Applying the Color Difference Key effect
- Choking the matte
- Removing spill
- Adjusting contrast
- Adding the background animation
- Adding text
- Preparing the composition for mobile devices
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 10. Performing Color Correction
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Adjusting color balance
- Replacing the background
- Removing unwanted elements
- Correcting a range of colors
- Warming colors with the Photo Filter effect
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 11. Building 3D Objects
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Building a 3D object
- Working with a null object
- Working with 3D text
- Creating a backdrop for 3D animation
- Nesting a 3D composition
- Adding a camera
- Completing the scene
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 12. Using 3D Features
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Animating 3D objects
- Adding reflections to 3D objects
- Animating a camera
- Adjusting layer timing
- Using 3D lights
- Adding effects
- Adding motion blur
- Previewing the entire animation
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 13. Advanced Editing Techniques
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Using motion stabilization
- Using single-point motion tracking
- Using multipoint tracking
- Creating a particle simulation
- Retiming playback using the Timewarp effect
- Review questions
- Review answers
Chapter 14. Rendering and Outputting
- Lesson overview
- Getting started
- Creating templates for the rendering process
- Creating templates for output modules
- Exporting to different output media
- Review questions
- Review answers
Color Management in After Effects CS4
Contributors
Index
Programme scope, delivery arrangements and suitability are confirmed during enquiry.