| Duration | Two days |
| Public scheduled course | £450 plus VAT |
| Individual tuition | £840 plus VAT |
The cost of this course includes six months telephone Helpline support, course notes, lunch and a certificate |
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| Public scheduled course dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| 29-09 to 30-09 | Highbury | Book course |
| 14-10 to 15-10 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 04-11 to 05-11 | Highbury | Book course |
| 23-11 to 24-11 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 09-12 to 10-12 | Highbury | Book course |
| 10-01 to 11-01 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 02-02 to 03-02 | Highbury | Book course |
| 28-02 to 01-03 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 23-03 to 24-03 | Highbury | Book course |
| 11-04 to 12-04 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 05-05 to 06-05 | Highbury | Book course |
| 24-05 to 25-05 | Waterloo | Book course |
| 16-06 to 17-06 | Highbury | Book course |
“
I felt very comfortable at Media Training - a very welcoming setup”
Designer, Royal Veterinary College
After Effects CS4: Introduction
Course Overview
This Adobe authorised two day course is designed to allow those new to post production techniques to get the most from this immensely powerful software. Whether you are a motion graphics designer, visual effects artist, video editor or a rich media designer for the web, Adobe After Effects lets you design and animate with greater creative freedom.
The emphasis throughout this introduction is on practical exercises. These exercises will cover incorporating video with Photoshop and Illustrator graphics, video layering techniques, working with key frames, using filters for special effects and rendering your final project. You will also look at different rendering techniques and ways to optimise the finished production for broadcast, DVD or the web.
If you would like to run this as a private course tailored to your exact requirements, please call or email.
Course content
DAY ONE
Starting a project
• The Composition windows
• Using the Project window
• Working with layers over time
• Animating layers independently
• Designing backgrounds from scratch
• Using Bezier motion paths
• Applying effects to filters
Importing footage
• Importing layers from Photoshop
• Using Alpha channels
• Looping video footage
• Drafting a project
• Interpreting footage
Working with layers
• Different layer masking techniques
• Creating animated Bezier mattes
• Exposing elements of your last project
• Trimming and moving layers
• Changing playback speed
• Changing playback direction
• Working with Shape layers
• Using Brainstorm to experiment and refine designs
Working with text
• Customising text presets
• Animating text
• Antialiased text
• Using text layers
Working with key frames
• Animating graphic elements
• Precisely controlling animations
• Synchronising actions
Parent/child relationships
• Working with the z-axis
• Trimming layers
Introduction to using mattes
• Using colour keys
• Making layers react interactively
• Working with multiple effects
• Using paths in After Effects
• Using adjustment layers
• Using the Keylight keyer
Questions and answers
DAY TWO
Compiling your project
• Optimising project settings
• Rendering the composition
Filters and transitions
• An in-depth look at After Effects filters including:
- Levels
- Creating drop shadows
- Perspective filters
• Using texturise
• Setting mattes
• Bevelling the Alpha channel
• Bevelling edges of rectangular objects
• The Unified Camera tool
• Using the Comp window
• Creating text effects
• Animating text
More about key frames
• Further principles of key framing
• Copying and pasting key frames
• Key frame assistants
• Time reverse key framing
• Simultaneously editing multiple key frames
Finalising your project
• Using the pen tool to edit the value graph
• Issues involved in interpolation methods
• Precise control over velocity
• Controlling speed of change
• Nesting complex compositions
• Mixing interpolation methods
Linear and Bezier interpolation
• Previewing in wire frame
• Using light wireframes
• Using audio effects
• Importing a project from Adobe Premiere
Final rendering
• Creating custom rendering templates
• Setting field rendering order
• Creating PDF video files
Saving your work for film, video, mobile devices and the web
• Using Device Central
Questions and answers