Adobe After Effects – Advanced Training

Two day course

COURSE CONTENT

Day One

Optimising System Preferences

• Making the best use of available RAM

• Using Video Preview

• Checking After Effects preferences

Going Crazy with Keyframes

• Alternative methods to make keyframes

  • Motion sketch

  • Smoothing keyframes

  • Adding randomness to your keyframes

  • Introducing Expressions

• Using the Motion Tracker

  • Tracking a single point

  • Correct stabilisation

  • Tracking multiple points

  • Corner-point pinning

  • Quick peak at Mocha for After Effects (CS4 only)

Creative Use of Layering

• Duplicating success

• Working the Keyer

  • Working the different keyers

  • Luma keying

  • Chromakeying & Keylight

  • Set Matte
    

Hardcore Keying

• Using the alpha view mode

• Correcting tolerance settings

• Spill suppression

• Light wrapping

• Finishing the effect

Designing and Tracking Mattes

• Garbage mattes

• Linking mattes

• Track mattes
  

Nesting compositions

• Reducing your render load

• Recycling material

• Working with proxies
  

Day Two

Improving the visual value of your material

• Fields vs. Frames

• How you read colour

• Motion blur

Colour Theory and Designing Colour Effects

• Further Colour Theory

  • Understanding colour spaces

  • The importance of calibrating your equipment

• Compensating for difficult footage

• Using histograms

• Using curves

• Colour matching

• Designing a colour grade

Working in 3D Space

• Understanding the difference between 2D and 3D

• Working 3D in a 2D environment

• Planes, grains and auto-orientation

• Working with an AE camera

Using Expressions

• Why use expressions?

• Simple expressions and parenting

• Creating and saving expressions

Text Effects

• Built-in text generator

• Bringing text in from third-party applications

• Bitmaps vs. vectors

• Using text in 3D

Plug-ins – Creativity Unleashed

• Plug-in effects and filter stacks

• Adding plug-ins