# After Effects in a Day (Self-Paced)

Canonical URL: <https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes/after-effects-in-a-day-self-paced>

## Overview

Learn how to use Adobe After Effects to animate photos, text, and video, as well as add music and sounds. You can even import files from Illustrator (like a logo) or Photoshop and animate their elements. Get started with this course, or dive in deeper with our [After Effects Bootcamp](https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes/after-effects).

Basic knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator is helpful but not required. If you've never used Photoshop, consider taking our [Photoshop Bootcamp](https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes/photoshop-beginner), and if you've never used Illustrator, consider taking our [Illustrator Bootcamp](https://www.nobledesktop.com/classes/illustrator). Design skills are also helpful but not required.

## What you'll learn

- Build animations using graphics like logos and photos
- Get familiar with the interface, timeline, and layers
- Import a logo made in Adobe Illustrator and bring it to life with animation
- Create fluid, natural motion using easing
- Add transitions like fade-ins and fade-outs
- Export a video of your final animation

## Curriculum

### Section 1

#### Intro to After Effects

- The Project, Composition, & Timeline panels
- Importing a Layered File with all its Layers Intact
- Using Title Safety to ensure TV viewers can see the text

#### Working with Keyframes

- Animating in the Class Names
- Previewing in real time
- Adding Easing
- Sliding Over the Entire Class List
- Animating the Icons
- Animating the “In a Day” Title
- Adding Motion Blur
- Trimming Off Extra Time

#### Outputting to GIF

- Exporting from After Effects
- Making the Animated GIF in Photoshop
- Reducing the Number of Frames

### Section 2

#### Noble Logo Animation: Anchor Points & Animating with Overshoot

- Converting an Illustrator file from CMYK to RGB
- Animating the black square to overshoot its final size
- Changing where the rectangles scale from by moving layer anchor points
- Setting layer in points using the In column
- Keeping vector layers sharp as they scale up

#### Noble Logo: Masking Layers & Parenting

- Pre-composing layers
- Hiding the letters before they animate using masks
- Moving the entire logo away from the rising letters using parenting

#### Noble Logo: Rotation, Fade-Outs, & Rendering

- Adding anticipation keyframes before a major animation
- Animating the Rotation property
- Adding a fade to white using a solid color layer
- How to find missing project files

#### Optional Bonus: Preparing an Illustrator File for Animation

- Resizing artboards & vector graphics
- Setting up layers to individually animate elements in After Effects

### Bonus: HBO Intro Sequence

#### Importing Flattened Files & Adding Easing

- Importing a layered PSD as a merged file
- Isolating HBO logo, Feature & Presentation text using masks
- Creating fade-ins & fade-outs
- Adding automatic easing to slow down portions of the animation

#### Working with Numerous Layers

- Familiarizing ourselves with the Photoshop layout: layers extending outside canvas bounds, guides
- Scaling up each tile using a single null object and Parenting
- Randomizing the order in which the photos animate in
- Orchestrating the exit animation so the tiles fall down in diagonal groups

#### Vector Layouts

- Animating vector shapes using the Trim Paths feature
- Continuous rasterization
- More null objects: animating the three pay television content descriptors

#### Putting It All Together & Adding Audio

- Sequencing multiple compositions
- Animating like an editor: overlapping shots & using blending modes
- Adding audio to a composition

## Pricing

**Tuition:** $425