After Effects Classes Virginia

Dive into motion graphics through After Effects classes that teach animation, effects, and timing. Programs focus on how movement and visual rhythm bring stories to life.

Learn More About After Effects Classes in Virginia

After Effects is a highly versatile tool found in the Adobe Creative Cloud. It is primarily used in post-production editing and special effects, but it also offers many additional capabilities. It is invaluable to those in video and motion graphics careers and offers motion graphics software, a compositing tool, and effects applications. It can take a design and let the user animate it using keyframes and expression controls.

Training in After Effects provides professional-level animation techniques. As you create animations, titles, and 3D objects, you’ll find that you can manipulate content to have results that are high-quality enough to be used in movies, television, advertising, and across social media, including YouTube, polished presentations, and websites, to name just a few things.

Virginian Industries That Use After Effects

Education

Virginia has a large ecosystem of educational institutions, from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg to the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. After Effects professionals like Animators, Graphic Designers, and Motion Graphics Designers all work on promotional videos for the campus, informational videos for new student orientation, and graphics for online platforms like social media, learning modules, and websites.

Government

State and local government agencies in Virginia use motion graphics and video content for public information campaigns, training modules, internal communications, and digital assets. Moreover, the proximity to Washington, D.C. means those in Northern Virginia have an advantage working in the nation’s capital. The Fairfax County government in Arlington County currently has job listings for Graphic/Multimedia Designer and Animators.

Finance

The finance industry in Virginia is well-supported by the sheer number of finance companies across the state, particularly in places like Northern Virginia. Capital One has its headquarters in McLean, as well as the Navy Federal Credit Union in nearby Vienna. Both companies hire marketing experts and video editing pros with experience in After Effects. It’s especially useful for product launches, digital marketing, and internal training. After Effects can even be used for stakeholder and investor communications.

Healthcare

Virginia-based healthcare institutions, such as the McKesson Corporation in Richmond and the Sentara Health network in the Norfolk and Virginia Beach region, hire After Effects professionals to help with health-related communications. This can include patient education, internal training, marketing, and signage systems. It’s an essential tool for anyone interested in working in healthcare communications.

After Effects Careers and Salaries in Virginia

There are two main career paths that use After Effects on a daily basis: animation and video. Although many other careers will use After Effects occasionally, when looking at the career outlook for those with skills in After Effects, the most common routes — motion graphics design and video editing — will give you a good idea of how strong the need is for those in visual design fields in Virginia.

Motion Graphics Designer

Motion Graphics Designers create animated typography, special effects, glows/light rays, and expressions, among other elements. They typically earn an average salary between $50,000 and $80,000, with a state average of about $76,000. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that employment in Virginia will increase by about 789,700 jobs in the next two years. The projected growth is due to increased demand for animation and visual effects in video games, movies, television, and smartphones. In other words, the future for graphic design professionals in Virginia is bright!

Video Editor

Video Editors create special effects, intro and outro sequences, and small animated graphics with After Effects. It is also used in lighting and color grading in videos. Video Editors in Virginia average a salary of $70,000; however, salaries differ depending on location and specialization. For instance, many who work in the marketing and broadcasting industries can earn more than others. Additionally, if you include motion graphics as a skill in addition to video editing, this can increase your job prospects and salary expectations.

Animator

Working as an Animator frequently means working alongside other creatives (the name used for advertising or marketing departments in most companies). They may create 2D or 3D animations -- or both! On average, Virginia-based Animators earn anywhere from $64,000 to $81,000. This depends heavily on the city in which you live, however. For instance, those in Fairfax are expected to earn closer to $63,000. Some regions in Virginia have a higher cost of living than others, so this is important to consider.

After Effects Classes from Noble Desktop

Many students benefit greatly by taking After Effects classes virtually through a school like Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool. The convenience of being able to take a class from anywhere you’d like, perhaps at home or at an office, combined with a live, remote instructor available to answer your questions, is the best of both worlds for those with busy schedules or who don’t want to fight traffic to get to a dedicated classroom. It is important to note that it is highly recommended that the student have working knowledge and practice in Adobe Photoshop before taking Noble Desktop’s After Effects courses.

To get started, the Adobe After Effects Bootcamp is a beginner-friendly class that takes you through the basics of After Effects, such as understanding the workspace and basic animation techniques, all the way through to advanced animation techniques, motion tracking, and particle effects. This course also helps you master text animations and create transitions between multiple layouts. This class uses real-world projects, integrating graphic elements with audio, video, and photo elements. You’ll also work on motion graphics workflows to take your project from inception to final delivery.

The Motion Graphics Certificate is a comprehensive class that incorporates the use of Adobe Premiere Pro with After Effects for you to gain an understanding of how these programs work together. You’ll move from concept to design, to fully-animated motion graphics. You will create a portfolio of your work that shows how deeply you understand motion graphics and how it integrates with Photoshop and Illustrator files, photos, and videos, as well as demonstrating your abilities in visual effects and video editing.

Corporate & Onsite After Effects Training in Virginia

Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers you an opportunity to upskill your employees’ abilities by providing live, onsite corporate After Effects training at your location, tailored for your needs. Your team or even your entire workforce can learn After Effects at your site, or an expert After Effects instructor can arrange a live remote After Effects training session via a teleconferencing platform such as Zoom. If employees would rather take the class on their own schedule, vouchers can be purchased for them to take After Effects in an open enrollment class. There is a discount on multiple purchases of vouchers.

If you’d like to learn more, don’t hesitate to contact Noble Desktop.

Learn From Noble Desktop’s Experienced After Effects Instructors in Virginia

Virginia’s professional community is, without a doubt, an impressive one. The state is home to some of the largest companies in the world, and with its proximity to the nation’s capital, its connections to the government and public service sectors are undeniable. Needless to say, those looking to gain new skills in tech, data, business, or design are well-positioned to do so.

Virginia students can take classes at the modern facilities located at 600 Maryland Avenue SW, Washington, D.C., 20024. This is right off L’Enfant Plaza. It’s a professional yet welcoming environment that allows students to jump right into their studies. If you’re coming from Virginia, you’ll have no trouble getting here. While the trip will depend on where you’re coming from within the state, those in the Northern Virginia (NOVA) region can hop on the Virginia Railway Express to Union Station and take the Metro for a short ride to L’Enfant Plaza. Driving is still an option, with various parking garages available to make the trip easier. Otherwise, there are bus routes connecting from NOVA to D.C. With so many options, attending classes and workshops in D.C. is convenient and simple.

After Effects supports animation and motion graphics for digital and media projects across Virginia. With this, the instructors at Noble Desktop work to teach students how to build and composite dynamic visuals using industry-standard techniques. The school's instructors offer decades of experience and insight into the field that enables you to make a real difference in the Old Dominion.

Brian Simms

A seasoned educator and training leader, Brian brings ample experience to the classroom, particularly in designing and delivering learning programs in project management and emerging technologies, like AI. He has created adaptive learning models that blend instructor-led lessons, live experiences, and self-paced study, making professional development flexible and accessible to everyone. Brian has also focused heavily on integrating AI into training, which helps organizations and professionals by applying AI to real-world situations that can fix challenges, assist leadership, execute projects seamlessly, and make more informed decisions. Beyond teaching, he has led curriculum development, managed large-scale training initiatives, and implemented collaboration tools that have led to higher retention rates and increased engagement from students.

Clarissa Corbin

Clarissa has over 25 years of experience as a corporate trainer, Project Manager, and Business Consultant. She has designed and delivered highly effective training sessions for federal agencies, private corporations, and international organizations, making her a well-versed and experienced trainer and educator. She is currently the President and CEO of Projections Training Solutions, which has trained over 10,000 professionals worldwide, including clients like the Department of Defense, NASA, Microsoft, and FEMA. Not to mention, her work has taken her to places like China, Japan, South Korea, Africa, Singapore, and the Caribbean. Her programs span subjects like leadership, project management, business analysis, and emerging technologies. At Graduate School USA, Clarissa is a trusted and well-respected instructor who teaches and helps develop several programs.

Alan McCain

As a retired combat veteran who served as both an Air Force enlisted member and a Navy officer, Alan brings more than 30 years of experience across federal and commercial sectors. His background consists of work in budgeting, auditing, programming, operations, global logistics, supply chain management, and IT acquisitions. He has worked extensively with federal, state, and local governments, such as the Executive Office of the President and various departments (such as the State, Defense, Health and Human Services, and Education Departments, to name a few). Alan’s consulting work includes strategic planning and business development with the D.C. government, federal agencies, Lockheed Martin, and more. Overall, he’s a well-equipped educator due to his experience and expertise, but he also holds a teaching certification from Harvard’s Bok Center for Teaching and Learning. His expansive background makes him a perfect fit to teach subjects like finance, accounting, and project management.

Johnny Cahn

With more than fifty-five years of experience in federal and non-profit financial management, Johnny is a retired senior Federal Manager and Vietnam combat veteran. His degrees are from Herbert H. Lehman College and St. John's University. He has been working as an adjunct faculty member at the Graduate School USA since 2011, teaching Appropriations Law, as well as a range of federal budget-related courses, including finance and accounting. His career also includes leadership roles, such as the Chief of Budget Execution for the IRS Office of Chief Counsel and the Budget Officer for the Small Business Administration’s Office of Inspector General. His impressive career experience and education allow him to share his wisdom with others, fostering a supportive and structured learning experience. 

Charles Byrd

Charles Byrd is an experienced Employee and Labor Relations Consultant with a strong background in federal human resources management and legal counseling. He obtained his B.A. in Business Administration and Political Science from Loyola University and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Baltimore School of Law before diving further into his career. Over the years, he has advised agencies on complex HR and labor matters, managed HR programs, and represented organizations in legal proceedings. In addition to this, Charles has developed and delivered specialized training in subjects like project management and human resources. He has been recognized for his professional excellence as well as his teaching abilities and leadership skills, acquiring awards and accolades throughout his decades-long career.

Natalya Bah

Natalya has been a part-time instructor at Graduate School USA for over 15 years, where she teaches project management, leadership, and human resources courses. She has developed original curricula, including Change Management Workshops and specialized project management programs. In addition, Natalya has served as an action learning coach and facilitator in government leadership initiatives. She runs her own consulting business, offering coaching and training for public and private entities. Moreover, she created the Define and Achieve Your Goals Process and is a certified Birkman Method Consultant. Her M.S. degree in Project Management from George Washington University’s School of Business provides her with the credibility and skills that have allowed her to excel in this field for so long. Between her experience and knowledge in the field, she’s well-equipped to provide insight into the project management field.

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