How Difficult is it to Learn After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a professional-grade application accessible to tech-savvy and beginner students. Consequently, users frequently report experiencing frustration and several setbacks when they first use After Effects, especially if they are trying to learn the program without the assistance of formal technical training. “It is so difficult to use,” reported one reviewer on the software reviewing site G2, “I would try for hours to figure out how to make something move, but once I would figure it out, something else would get messed up.” 

As recommended by this reviewer, the best way to learn how to use this application is to enroll in an After Effects Bootcamp or certificate program. The following article provides an overview of learning opportunities and training programs students find beneficial when learning how to use After Effects.

What is After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a motion graphics application that places special effects design and creation tools in your hands! Whether you are a small business looking to make eye-catching advertisements and commercials or an employee of one of the top animation studios, After Effect allows users to bring their imagination to life. This Academy Award-winning program has been a favorite of film, television, and internet creators since its creation in the early 1990s. Special, practical, mechanical, and theatrical effects artists used After Effects software to create blockbuster movies such as Star Trek: Into Darkness and Ender's Game. 

Combined with the graphics of Illustrator, the image-altering tools of Photoshop, and the video editing capabilities of Premiere Pro, After Effect’s comprehensive toolbar and layering features allow users to create dynamic special effects and title cards. Adobe Effects also has a 3D design function, adding new emphasis and movement to any project. You can even use After Effects to create fully or partially animated features! When combined with the other programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects will help your video project stand out from the crowd!

Read more about what After Effects is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with After Effects?

Think about the last time you watched a Hollywood blockbuster. What were the main things that you noticed throughout the movie? Maybe you noticed the quality of the animations and other motion graphics that added a unique texture to your viewing experience. Perhaps the dynamic opening credits that set the stage for the action caught your eye. Or maybe the incredible special effects drew you into the movie's action. Regardless of what visuals captured your attention, Adobe After Effects or a related motion graphics and special effects tool was likely responsible for these incredible visuals. 

After Effects is a motion graphics and special effects software that allows you to animate texts and objects, use greenscreens to add or subtract objects and elements, and develop unique transitions to your visual media creations. Users can create their original graphics using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator or redesign one of the many available templates to create their vision. When users combine the editing power of After Effects with the capacities of Cinema 4D Lite included with every subscription, these artists can add new textures and dimensions to their visual media. 

Beyond the incredible toolkit offered within the After Effects program, this application is also compatible with many other tools. Part of the larger Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects can work with programs such as Adobe Audition, InDesign, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro to create original and composite forms of visual media. After Effects also works with third-party plugins such as FXFactory, Red Giant by Maxon, and CycoreFX, further maximizing the capabilities and functionality of this application.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a professional-grade software tool used by trained animators and artists in almost every industry. Consequently, this program is challenging to learn without external aids and education. Reviewers on sites such as G2 and TrustRadius frequently highlight their struggles to master this program. “After Effects is not for those who are new to animation,” highlighted one content creator, “ it’s not beginner-friendly.” Another user claimed that “the most problematic thing (about After Effects) is its complexity…Once you learn it somehow, the bugs and computing power required to run it smoothly with advanced transitions are just too much.” 

Without external assistance, many novice students become overwhelmed and burned out from the time and energy required to learn After Effects. Many students try to master this complicated program through on-demand After Effects video classes and free After Effect Youtube tutorials. While these tutorials are a great place to start, these learning opportunities frequently lack the cohesion and structure of an official bootcamp or certificate program. Students also need to be highly motivated and organized to gradually build After Effects skills alone, which can be overwhelming when you already have other obligations pulling them in multiple directions.

Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers several live online After Effect classes and a tool that can help you find After Effects classes in your area that will set you on the proper path to success! Industry professionals teach all of these classes and are available to answer questions and provide assistance in real-time. Your instructor will even be able to see your screen and take control of your mouse (with permission) to explain challenging topics. These classes can also help build your After Effects communities that can hold you accountable for practicing and achieving different milestones along your After Effects learning journey. 

Noble Desktop's highly-rated courses work to promote hands-on learning through exercises and experience rather than lectures and abstract overviews. One alumni spoke about their experience in their class, proclaiming that “I had been trying to learn After Effects on my own for a while, but it wasn’t until I decided to take the course through Noble Desktop that things really started to make sense for me.” Skip the stress of self-instruction and enroll in a Noble Desktop course today! 

How Does Learning After Effects Compare to Other Applications/Languages/Fields?

After Effects has a bit of a reputation on many online forums. Despite users of all skill levels enjoying this application’s various tools and functionality, many note that this program is more difficult to learn independently than other Adobe programs and video editing software. “At first, After Effects seemed very intimidating,” commented one G2 reviewer, “I started watching free videos on Youtube, but I often got confused or couldn’t find the right buttons. I had to invest in a paid course and spend hundreds of hours learning the interface, which I don’t regret.” While After Effects is part of the larger Adobe Creative Cloud, this program frequently requires more outside instruction to comprehend than other programs. Keeping these experiences in mind, how does learning After Effects compare to other Adobe applications? 

After Effects integrates well with other Adobe programs like Premiere Pro and third-party software like Cinema 4D Lite but frequently requires additional training to connect After Effects to these programs and use this application alone. While some users may claim that Premiere Pro and Cinema 4D Lite are much more intuitive than Adobe After Effects, neither program operates at capacity without After Effects. Animation artists can use Premiere Pro to edit original and composite visual media that they create with Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, and After Effects. Nevertheless, they cannot design advanced motion graphics and special effects using Premiere Pro alone. Cinema 4D Lite can also add incredible 3D graphics to illustrations animated in After Effect. Still, its usefulness depends on the ability to use After Effects to create the foundational content. 

Beyond the codependency of these programs, there is also the consideration of their subscription and education expenses. While some choose to access After Effects or Premiere Pro individually for $20.99 a month, more savvy users know it is more cost-effective to subscribe to the entire Adobe Creative Cloud for $54.99 per month. This subscription fee also comes with the ability to use Cinema 4D Lite, saving you the additional cost of a Cinema 4D subscription that can run from $59.91 to $94.00 per month.

Is Learning After Effects Worth the Frustration?

After Effects is a complex animation and motion graphics tool that may not always be user-friendly. Animators and video editors are frequently left wondering if this program is worth the time and money required to master this program. Despite the critiques of After Effects, the praise of this program far outweighs the criticism. More experienced users praise the degree of control and the number of editing tools available while working with After Effects. Despite After Effect’s expensive subscription cost, many users praise the professional quality of videos they can produce using this program. 

The interaction of the different programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud may add complexity to using After Effects; nevertheless, many advanced users reap the benefits of the program’s multiple integrations and plug-ins. After Effects integration capacity allows this program to work with animation, color correction, 3D imaging, and virtual effects from a single platform. Users can also import original artwork and templates from Cinema 4D and other non-Adobe editing programs, along with the program's many free templates. Animators, video editors, and hobbyists will never feel restricted to a single program or toolset when using Adobe After Effects. 

What Resources are Available to After Effects Users? 

Adobe After Effects offers advanced users many exciting tools and potential applications for creating animated and other forms of motion graphics. But how can users transform themselves from inexperienced novices to highly skilled artists? Depending on your learning style and scheduling preferences, there are many training opportunities available to After Effects users. 

Most professional animators and motion graphic creators recommend that new users begin learning After Effects through online tutorials and on-demand videos. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers an on-demand After Effects video training comparison tool that can help students identify which program will teach them the skills, tools, and techniques necessary to achieve their long-term goals. Students interested in more specialized training should also watch Noble Desktop’s After Effects video tutorials on YouTube. 

Aspiring After Effects users looking to use this program in a professional capacity should also consider pursuing formal training through a bootcamp or certificate program. Noble Desktop offers several short-term programs, such as their After Effects Bootcamp and After Effects in a Day courses, which provide a general overview of After Effects tools and techniques for new users. More advanced students and those looking to pursue a career in animation and motion graphics should consider enrolling in the Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate or Motion Graphics Certificate programs. These multi-month courses help students build their skill sets and portfolios through Noble Desktop’s innovative hands-on approach to learning. Participants earn a certificate of completion at the end of the course, an achievement that demonstrates students’ aptitude and skill with these applications. 

Learn After Effects with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Are you looking for a training program to jump-start your After-Effects adventures? Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, is known for its high-rated full and part-time bootcamps and certificate programs. Expert instructors set students up for long-term success through project-based learning and many opportunities for hands-on learning. Students living in or near New York City can easily commute to regularly offered in-person After Effects classes offered at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan campus. Want to avoid a long commute? Consider enrolling in one of Noble Desktop’s live online After Effects classes, where you can receive dynamic and interactive After Effects training from the comfort of your home or office!

Wondering which class format will help you cultivate your After Effects knowledge and skills? Consider your timetable and ultimate objectives. Students looking to use After Effects more casually or as an additional skill for an existing career may want to enroll in Noble Desktop’s After Effects in a Day or three-day After Effects Bootcamp. These classes save you time and money by balancing lectures with hands-on experience, maximizing retention, and setting you up for success. “Definitely recommend Noble Desktop overtaking a semester-long continuing education class at an expensive art school,” raved one reviewer, “This class covers techniques in a practical manner, and you can get started on your own after three days of intensive learning.” Worried that you couldn’t possibly retain everything you learn? Noble Desktop offers a free retake for all of its classes! 

Students interested in a more dramatic career change or would like to develop their portfolio and CV may want to enroll in the Motion Graphics Certificate or Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate programs. These training programs use hands-on experience and project-based training to teach students how to create original content using After Effects, Premiere Pro, and other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Students also have several opportunities for one-on-one mentorship and receive a comprehensive step-by-step manual that ensures they have all the tools needed for long-term success.