Day One

Project Settings in Detail
• Better workflow practices - structure
• Workflow for replacing and organising your assets
• Using Collect files for "Packaging"

The Info Palette
• Checking footage integrity
• Checking the Alpha Channel
• How Alpha Channels really work
• Avoiding basic Alpha mistakes
• Bit depth and colour spaces - 8,16 and 32 Bits per channel

Exploring Effects in Detail
• Using masks with effects - "compositing options"
• Better colour correction
• Combining effects with layers modes
• Better effect combination with effect transfer modes
• Some key under used effects
• Distortions and Warps
• Basic particle systems

Keyframes in Detail
• Keyframe Interpolation
• Spatial and Temporal Interpolation
• Controlling bezier path behaviour

The Graph Editor
• Two graphs in one - the Value and Velocity curves
• Controlling Speed with the graph editor
• Adjusting temporal Interpolation types for better control

Masks in Detail
• Tips for better mask control
• Creating a basic Rotoscope
• Rotoscoping - good and bad examples
• Refining edges
• Avoiding Rotoscoping where possible
• Mask Tracking
• Using Chroma keying to remove backgrounds

Text Layers in Detail
• Source text - a hidden gem
• Creating counters - source text with an expression
• Text animators in detail - advanced settings

Motion Tracking
• Following an object in a shot - basic position tracking
• How the tracker works
• Track settings for better results
• Tracker options

Day Two

Basic Expressions
• Wiggling and looping - getting better control
• Loop types
• Duplicating Wiggles - why and how
• Random "Seeds" - how they work and why it matters
• Linking properties with the "Pickwhip"
• Using Expression controls
• Using Expressions to create animations easily
• Creating automatic audio based animation

Shape Layers in Detail
• Adding more complex parameters to shape layers
• Converting Vector files to shape layers for better control
• Using Repeaters for shape generation and animation

Time Changes
• Time remapping
• Using correct Frame Blending settings

Render Settings in Detail
• Alpha output - avoiding problems with pre-multiplication
• File formats with greater bit depth
• Better use of Media encoder
• Compression settings - bit rates and how compressed files work

3D Layers in Detail
• Camera settings
• Depth of field
• 3D rendered choices
• Geometry options for extrusion
• Material options and reflections
• Lights Settings in detail
• Shadow problems solved
• Animated Camera problems and solutions
• Creating a Camera "Orbit Null"
• Creating complex camera animation easily
• The Collapse transformation button in 3D

Using After Effects with Adobe Premiere
• Dynamic link options
• Examples of typical workflows

The Link to Cinema 4D
• Cinema 4D Lite - how to access it
• Using Cinema 4D files within After Effects