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Adobe After Effects CC - Motion Graphics Design & VFX

4.6 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Based on 3,477 ratings
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Daniel Walter Scott

In this course you’ll learn how to create motion graphics in Adobe After Effects. This motion graphics course is everything you need to start creating beautiful animation & infographics.

As part of this course you’ll get downloadable exercise files so you can work along exactly with the trainer. You’ll also get completed files with every video so you can download and check your files against the trainers.

Your trainer is an Adobe After Effects Certified Expert and Certified Instructor. Daniel has been creating immersive infographics and motion graphics for more than 12 years.

Read more

In this course you’ll learn how to create motion graphics in Adobe After Effects. This motion graphics course is everything you need to start creating beautiful animation & infographics.

As part of this course you’ll get downloadable exercise files so you can work along exactly with the trainer. You’ll also get completed files with every video so you can download and check your files against the trainers.

Your trainer is an Adobe After Effects Certified Expert and Certified Instructor. Daniel has been creating immersive infographics and motion graphics for more than 12 years.

The course is approximately 3 hours long. Each step broken into individual videos to make it easily digestible.

In this course we'll cover:

  • Motion Graphics
  • Infographics
  • Correct video settings.
  • Exporting your video easily.
  • Type animation.
  • Easing and motion blur.
  • Rendering your video for Youtube & Vimeo.
  • Titles for interviews.
  • Adding music.
  • Trimming & editing video.
  • Watermarking your video.
  • Fixing shaky footage.
  • Color correcting footage.
  • Add a vignette to your video.
  • Matrix effect.
  • Working with Illustrator
  • Working with Photoshop
  • Green Screen
  • Masking.
  • Animating bar, line & pie charts.
  • 3D type.
  • Animating static images using parallax
  • Character animation

In this course you’ll create over 15 smaller projects so you can gain experience with the software. You can also use the exercises we create in your own portfolio.

You’ll need Adobe After Effects installed on your computer. A 30 day free trial can be downloaded directly from Adobe.

If you’ve been excited by the world of motion graphics but still haven’t started. This beginner course is perfect for you.

Dan (Adobe Certified Instructor)

Enroll now

What's inside

Learning objectives

  • Create beautiful motion graphics
  • Animate compelling infographics
  • Choose the correct video settings.
  • You’ll learn how to exporting your video easily.
  • You’ll be able to create slick type animations.
  • Rendering your video for youtube & vimeo.
  • Create titles for interviews.
  • Add music to your motion graphics.
  • Trim & editing video.
  • Add watermarking your video.
  • Fixing shaky footage.
  • Color correct & fix any bad footage.
  • Add a vignette to your video.
  • Learn how to use your skills from illustrator & photoshop
  • How to use green screen footage
  • How to mask like a pro.
  • How to animate infographics like bar graphs, line graphs & pie charts.
  • How to use camera to make 3d type.
  • Animating static images using parallax
  • Plus basic character animation.
  • + more…
  • Show more
  • Show less

Syllabus

Start Here

Welcome to my course on how to become a motion graphic designer using Adobe After Effects.

In this video we'll talk about how to download the exercise files, completed files, cheat sheets and all other resources available with the course.

Read more

After completing this course you'll know what to do if you loose any of your videos or files. We'll relink them!

After this video you'll know the difference between a Project and a Composition in Adobe After Affects.

After this video you'll know exactly what setting you need to create your videos in.

After completing this video you'll be able to change the length of your motion graphic animation.

After completing this video you will be able to automatically choose the correct size and length of your After Effects composition.

After completing this video you'll know how to create your first type animation motion graphic.

After completing this video you'll learn the first of the secret sauces that make up slick looking motion graphics.

After completing this video you'll learn the second of the motion graphic secrets to beautiful animated typography.

After completing this video you'll know how to easily export your first video ready for Youtube, Vimeo or your own website.

After completing this video you'll know what to do if you find your laptop is running a little slow. All the tricks in the book to make your animation preview super fast.

After completing this video you'll know how to make loads of room for your motion graphics files on your hard drive.

After completing this video you'll know what to do if you get lost inside After Effects. A great trick for newbies.

After completing this video you'll know how to create title that appear above people when they are talking in interviews.

After completing this video you'll know how to add a watermark to your video. The watermark is the small transparent logo that appears in the corner of the video (like the Udemy logo.

After completing this video you'll know the best keep secret in motion graphics - Anticipation. This technique will turn your boring infographics into stunning animation.

After completing this video you'll know how to add upbeat background music to your motion graphics projects.

After completing this video you'll know the best places to go to get inspired for your first work.

After completing this video you'll know how to trim and edit your video into smaller, more dynamic footage.

After completing this video you'll know how to take ugly video and make it look amazing.

After completing this video you'll know how to add a vignette. A vignette is the dark cloudy fog near the edges of video. They make motion graphics feel more awesome.

After completing this video you'll know what to do when you have jumpy footage. We'll take hand held mobile phone footage and make it look very professional.

After completing this video you'll know how to add text to your footage that feels like it's actually in the shot. Very cool.

After completing this video you'll learn how to create slow motion like the 'bullet time' using in the movie 'The Matrix'.

After completing this video you'll know how to get type animations to follow your subjects around in the screen.

After completing this video you'll know how to use your skills in Illustrator (if you have any). You'll create your graphics in Illustrator and bring them into After Effects to be animated correctly.

After completing this video you'll learn how to loop your animations.

After completing this video you'll know how to group your animations together. Making it easy to move them around.

After completing this video you'll learn how to get your motion graphics to follow any line your create. In this video we'll animate a hip little fish and get him to move around the video.

After completing this video you'll know how to cut people out from a Green Screen.

After completing this video you'll learn how to create a basic mask in After Effects.

After completing this video you'll learn how to make a cooler mask with different layers animating separately with cool motion graphic effects.

After completing this video you'll know how to mask more completed things like moving people in a video.

After completing this video you'll learn how to mask objects in your video and put type animation between them.

After completing this video you'll learn how to make an animated infographic line chart.

After completing this video you'll learn how to make an animated infographic pie chart. We'll have the bars expanding and slices popping out for cool motion graphic effect.

After completing this video you'll learn how to create a camera to follow objects around in your motion graphic animations.

After completing this video you'll know how to take your boring screen shot video into moving, slick motion graphics.

After completing this video you'll know how to cut up still photographs from Photoshop and make them feel like they are moving, live footage. The term is parallax and it is beautiful.

After completing this video you'll learn how to add moving lights to your static images to make them feel like they are totally motion/live footage.

After completing this video you'll know how to fake dust particles in the air. You can use the same effect for snow & rain.

After completing this video you'll know how to create typography that swings down in 3d space. You'll make text that swings and that is all connected together.

After completing this video you'll know how to animate a cartoon character. Fun.

After completing this video you'll know how to create a spinning earth globe in space. Taking full advantage of the built in effects, showing off how to make motion graphic amazingness with only a few clicks.

After completing this video you'll know how to make a version of your video that is super small and easy to email to customers.

After completing this video you'll know how to collect all the files you've been working on into one place. This trick makes everything so very tidy.

This is the final video and we'll talk about what you can do next to ensure you have an amazing time as a motion graphic designer.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides downloadable exercise files and completed files, allowing learners to directly follow along with the trainer and compare their work, which is helpful for beginners
Covers a wide range of topics, from basic type animation and video editing to more advanced techniques like green screen and character animation, which builds a strong foundation
Taught by an Adobe After Effects Certified Expert and Certified Instructor with over 12 years of experience, which ensures quality instruction and relevant industry insights
Includes practical projects, such as animating bar, line, and pie charts, which allows learners to build a portfolio and gain hands-on experience with the software
Requires Adobe After Effects, which necessitates a subscription or a 30-day free trial, potentially posing a barrier for some learners without prior access
Explores techniques for fixing shaky footage and color correcting, which are essential skills for creating professional-looking motion graphics and visual effects

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Reviews summary

Beginner's guide to after effects motion graphics

According to learners, this course is a fantastic starting point for absolute beginners looking to learn Adobe After Effects for motion graphics and VFX. Many find the instructor's explanations clear and easy to follow, building confidence from the ground up. The course covers a wide range of fundamental topics, from basic animation and text effects to green screen and masking. Students particularly appreciate the practical, hands-on projects and provided exercise files, which help reinforce concepts and build a portfolio. While it provides a solid foundation, some reviewers note that it remains at a beginner level and may not delve deeply into advanced techniques or complex workflows. It's seen as an excellent introduction but might require supplemental learning for more advanced goals.
Need AE software, can be resource-intensive.
"Make sure you have Adobe After Effects installed."
"After Effects requires a decent computer to run smoothly."
"Using the free trial is an option to start."
"The software itself can be a learning curve alongside the course."
"Be aware of the hardware requirements for AE."
Includes recent software updates.
"The course includes updates for newer versions of After Effects."
"Good to see the instructor keeps the content relevant."
"Mentions features from more recent AE releases."
"Appreciated the bonus section on software updates."
"Felt current with the version of AE I was using."
Introduces many core AE features.
"It touches on a lot of different areas like text, masking, green screen."
"Covers many essential tools and techniques needed for motion graphics."
"Good overview of what After Effects can do."
"I learned about infographics, VFX basics, and animation."
"Broad coverage for an introductory course."
Hands-on projects reinforce learning.
"The practical projects help solidify what you've learned."
"I love that we build actual things along the way."
"The exercise files are super helpful for following along."
"Building a portfolio with these projects is a great bonus."
"Doing the exercises made the concepts stick."
Instructor explains concepts very clearly.
"The instructor is very clear and easy to understand."
"Dan is a fantastic teacher, explains complex things simply."
"His pace is perfect for learning the software."
"I really enjoyed the instructor's teaching style."
"Knowledgeable instructor who keeps you engaged."
Perfect introduction to After Effects basics.
"This course is excellent for someone who is completely new to After Effects."
"It starts from the very beginning and builds up your knowledge step-by-step."
"As an absolute beginner, I found it very easy to follow and understand."
"Great foundation for anyone just starting out with motion graphics in AE."
"Perfect if you've never opened After Effects before."
May not be suitable for advanced users.
"If you're already familiar with AE, this might be too basic."
"It's a beginner course, so don't expect in-depth advanced techniques."
"Good for getting started, but you'll need more courses for mastery."
"Doesn't go deep into complex animations or expressions."
"It's a foundation, not a complete guide to everything."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Adobe After Effects CC - Motion Graphics Design & VFX with these activities:
Review Adobe Illustrator Basics
Strengthen your understanding of Adobe Illustrator, as the course mentions working with Illustrator to create graphics for animation in After Effects.
Browse courses on Adobe Illustrator
Show steps
  • Open Illustrator and review the interface.
  • Practice creating basic shapes and paths.
  • Experiment with different colors and gradients.
  • Create a simple illustration to import into After Effects.
Brush up on Photoshop Fundamentals
Revisit Photoshop fundamentals to prepare for using static images and textures in After Effects projects.
Browse courses on Adobe Photoshop
Show steps
  • Open Photoshop and familiarize yourself with the workspace.
  • Practice basic image adjustments like brightness and contrast.
  • Experiment with layers and masking techniques.
  • Edit a photograph to prepare it for animation in After Effects.
After Effects Apprentice
Supplement your learning with a comprehensive guide to After Effects, providing a deeper understanding of the software's features and workflows.
View After Effects Apprentice: Real-World Skills for... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Obtain a copy of 'After Effects Apprentice'.
  • Read the introductory chapters to understand the basics.
  • Work through the tutorials related to topics covered in the course.
Four other activities
Expand to see all activities and additional details
Show all seven activities
Animate Basic Shapes
Reinforce your understanding of keyframing and animation principles by practicing animating basic shapes in After Effects.
Show steps
  • Create a new composition in After Effects.
  • Add a shape layer (e.g., rectangle, circle).
  • Animate the shape's position, scale, and rotation using keyframes.
  • Experiment with different easing options for smoother animation.
Create a Short Animated Explainer Video
Apply your knowledge by creating a short explainer video using motion graphics techniques learned in the course.
Show steps
  • Choose a simple topic to explain.
  • Write a script and create a storyboard.
  • Design and animate the visuals in After Effects.
  • Add voiceover and music.
  • Export the final video.
Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects
Expand your knowledge with a book that delves into advanced motion graphics techniques and real-world project examples.
View After Effects Apprentice: Real-World Skills for... on Amazon
Show steps
  • Acquire a copy of 'Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects'.
  • Browse the table of contents to identify relevant chapters.
  • Study the techniques and examples presented in the book.
  • Experiment with applying these techniques to your own projects.
Explore Advanced VFX Tutorials
Deepen your understanding of visual effects by following advanced tutorials on platforms like YouTube or Vimeo.
Show steps
  • Search for tutorials on specific VFX techniques (e.g., compositing, particle effects).
  • Follow along with the tutorial, paying attention to the steps and settings.
  • Adapt the techniques to your own projects.

Career center

Learners who complete Adobe After Effects CC - Motion Graphics Design & VFX will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:
Motion Graphics Designer
A motion graphics designer creates visually stunning animations for various media. This course helps build a foundation in motion graphics, covering essential skills such as type animation, easing, and motion blur. You'll learn to create over 15 smaller projects, building valuable experience with the software. Learning to work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, as covered in the course, can help you to create interesting motion graphics. If you are interested in becoming a motion graphics designer, this is a great class to begin with.
See salaries and explore the career path for Motion Graphics Designer
YouTube Content Creator
YouTube content creators produce videos for the YouTube platform, requiring skills in editing, animation, and visual storytelling. This course helps build a foundation in creating engaging YouTube content. This course teaches you how to create motion graphics, animate infographics, and add music to your videos. The course also covers fixing shaky footage and color correcting footage. Furthermore, you'll learn to render video for YouTube and Vimeo. This course is appropriate for anyone who wants to create great YouTube content.
See salaries and explore the career path for YouTube Content Creator
Visual Effects Artist
Visual effects artists create special effects and other visual imagery for movies, television, video games, and other media. This course helps build a foundation in visual effects, covering essential skills such as masking, green screen techniques, and color correction. Additionally, the course covers fixing shaky footage and adding a matrix effect to videos. Also, the course teaches you how to work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. This course is great for those wanting to become visual effects artists.
See salaries and explore the career path for Visual Effects Artist
Multimedia Artist
Multimedia artists create animation, visual effects, and other imagery for television, movies, video games, and other forms of media. This course helps build a foundation in motion graphics and visual effects. It teaches you how to create motion graphics, animate infographics, fix shaky footage, color correct footage, and add vignettes to videos. Also, the course will show you how to work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. With these skills, you will be able to bring your artistic vision to life.
See salaries and explore the career path for Multimedia Artist
Content Creator
Content creators develop engaging material for various platforms, often involving video and animation. This course helps build a foundation in creating dynamic content, covering skills like motion graphics, type animation, and infographic design. You will learn to fix shaky footage, correct colors, and add visual effects, enhancing the quality of your creations. The skills in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop taught will further enrich your content. If you are interested in becoming a content creator, this course is a great start.
See salaries and explore the career path for Content Creator
Digital Compositor
A digital compositor combines visual elements from different sources to create a final image or video sequence. This course helps build a foundation in digital compositing, covering essential skills such as masking, green screen techniques, and color correction. The course also covers fixing shaky footage and adding vignettes to videos. Additionally, the course teaches you how to work with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. This is a great starting point for becoming a digital compositor.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Compositor
Digital Marketing Specialist
A digital marketing specialist develops and implements online marketing campaigns. This course helps build a foundation in creating engaging visual content for marketing. It covers skills like animating infographics, creating type animations, and adding music to motion graphics. Rendering video for YouTube and Vimeo, as you'll learn in this course, is essential for online marketing. Understanding how to make compelling visuals can significantly improve the effectiveness of marketing campaigns.
See salaries and explore the career path for Digital Marketing Specialist
Presentation Designer
Presentation designers create visually compelling presentations for businesses, educational institutions, and other organizations. This course helps build a foundation in presentation design, covering essential skills such as animating infographics, creating type animations, and adding music to motion graphics. The course also covers working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. This is a great starting point for designers interested in creating sophisticated and impactful presentations.
See salaries and explore the career path for Presentation Designer
Broadcast Designer
Broadcast designers create the visual elements for television broadcasts, including graphics, animations, and set designs. This course helps build a foundation in broadcast design, covering essential skills such as creating titles for interviews, watermarking videos, and adding music to motion graphics. The course also covers fixing shaky footage and color correcting footage. Furthermore, you'll learn to render video for YouTube and Vimeo. This course is a great starting point for aspiring broadcast designers.
See salaries and explore the career path for Broadcast Designer
Instructional Designer
Instructional designers develop educational materials and training programs. This course helps build a foundation in creating engaging and informative visual aids. It covers skills like animating infographics, creating type animations, and adding music to motion graphics. Learning how to create clear and visually appealing content is crucial for effective instruction. By mastering these animation skills, you will enhance the learning experience and improve knowledge retention.
See salaries and explore the career path for Instructional Designer
Animator
Animators create the illusion of movement through the use of drawings, computer graphics, or other techniques. This course may be useful to you as an animator, teaching you basic character animation, using parallax to animate static images, and 3D type animation. Additionally, the course covers green screen techniques and masking. These skills will allow you to add depth to your animations and make them more visually appealing.
See salaries and explore the career path for Animator
Graphic Designer
Graphic designers create visual concepts using computer software or by hand to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. This course may be useful for graphic designers looking to expand their skills into motion graphics. In this course, you will be shown how to create motion graphics, animate infographics, and create type animations. Additionally, the course covers working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop, which are essential tools for graphic designers. If you want to add motion graphics to your repertoire, this is a great option.
See salaries and explore the career path for Graphic Designer
Video Editor
A video editor assembles raw footage into a cohesive and engaging final product. If you are interested in this career field, this course may be useful, teaching video editing techniques such as trimming, editing, color correction, and adding vignettes. The course also covers fixing shaky footage and watermarking videos. Additionally, the course teaches you to add music and titles for interviews. These are vital skills for a video editor. With these skills, you will be able to put together a high-quality video.
See salaries and explore the career path for Video Editor
E-Learning Developer
An e learning developer creates online courses and training materials. This course may be useful to you as an e learning developer. The course covers creating motion graphics and animating infographics. These are important ways to make your courses more visually appealing. Also, the course covers adding titles for interviews and watermarking your videos, which are useful skills for creating professional looking courses.
See salaries and explore the career path for E-Learning Developer
Social Media Manager
Social media managers oversee a company's online presence and create engaging content for social media platforms. This course may be useful for a social media manager, teaching video editing techniques such as trimming, editing, color correction, and adding vignettes. The course also covers fixing shaky footage and watermarking videos. Additionally, the course teaches you how to render videos for YouTube and Vimeo, which are vital skills for creating engaging social media content.
See salaries and explore the career path for Social Media Manager

Reading list

We've selected one books that we think will supplement your learning. Use these to develop background knowledge, enrich your coursework, and gain a deeper understanding of the topics covered in Adobe After Effects CC - Motion Graphics Design & VFX.
Cover image
After Effects Apprentice
Save
Is designed for beginners and provides a step-by-step approach to learning After Effects. It covers the fundamentals of motion graphics and visual effects, making it an ideal companion for the course. It provides a solid foundation for understanding the software and its capabilities.
After Effects Apprentice: Real-World Skills for the...
Paperback
$$
After Effects Apprentice, Third Edition: Real World...
Paperback
$$
After Effects Apprentice (DV Expert Series)
Paperback
$$
After Effects Apprentice
Paperback
$$
After Effects Apprentice: Real-World Skills for the...
Kindle Edition
$$

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Rating
4.6 Filled star Filled star Filled star Filled star Half star
Effort
5 total hours
Via
Udemy
Instructor
Daniel Walter Scott
Language
English
Traffic lights
Read about what's good
what should give you pause
and possible dealbreakers
Provides downloadable exercise files and completed files, allowing learners to directly follow along with the trainer and compare their work, which is helpful for beginners
Covers a wide range of topics, from basic type animation and video editing to more advanced techniques like green screen and character animation, which builds a strong foundation
Taught by an Adobe After Effects Certified Expert and Certified Instructor with over 12 years of experience, which ensures quality instruction and relevant industry insights
Includes practical projects, such as animating bar, line, and pie charts, which allows learners to build a portfolio and gain hands-on experience with the software
Requires Adobe After Effects, which necessitates a subscription or a 30-day free trial, potentially posing a barrier for some learners without prior access
Explores techniques for fixing shaky footage and color correcting, which are essential skills for creating professional-looking motion graphics and visual effects
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