Best After Effects Video Tutorials: Get Started Learning {skill}

Mastering Adobe After Effects, a motion graphics application, can supercharge your career in film, television, or internet content creation. This software is used for creating effects seen in blockbuster movies like Star Trek: Into Darkness and Ender's Game, and through on-demand training videos and comprehensive courses, you can learn to create dynamic media too.

Key Insights

Adobe After Effects is a powerful motion graphics application used by professionals to create special effects for films, TV shows, and internet content.
Learning After Effects can be intimidating but there are on-demand videos and courses available to guide you through the process.
On-demand training provides flexibility for learners with busy schedules, allowing them to learn at their own pace and rewind or rewatch videos as needed.
While on-demand videos provide a good starting point, many students find they learn best when combining this type of independent study with in-person or live online training.
Noble Desktop provides a variety of After Effects training programs, from single-day classes to full certificate programs, catering to different learning styles and career goals.
With a monthly subscription rate ranging from $20 to $32, After Effects is a cost-effective tool for anyone looking to enhance their skills in motion graphics and special effects.

After Effects can be a daunting application for new users. From the program’s many tools to use the application with Adobe Illustrator or Photoshop to create original media, After Effects can take many months or even years to master. On-demand videos, or pre-recorded videos available on YouTube or another streaming service, are a great way for beginners to start familiarizing themselves with this complex software and begin creating their media. This article will cover a range of videos, including what they teach and where to find them.

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.

Are Video Tutorials Helpful?

Many Adobe After Effects artists are skeptical about the ability of students to learn how to operate After Effects through on-demand videos alone. “At first, After Effects seemed very intimidating,” remarked one user, “I started watching free videos on Youtube, but I often got confused or couldn’t find the right buttons.” Like many animators and video creators that use After Effects, this student ultimately enrolled in a live online course to receive additional assistance from trained professionals and other collaborating parties. However, other students can learn the tools and techniques of After Effects through online videos and resources alone. Discover positive and negative aspects of learning this amazing application through on-demand videos using the list below.

Positives of On-Demand Training

On-demand Classes Allow Students to Set Their Schedules and Choose Their Classrooms.

Students already working full or part-time may be hesitant to enroll in an in-person class. The requirements of commuting to evening classes or the potential for late dinners, missed soccer practices, and general burn-out from extra long days all present a financial and personal burden to many students. On-demand classes are asynchronous, allowing students to choose where and when they would like to learn After Effects. Many on-demand video tutorials are also free, helping students save money while learning this essential skill.

On-demand Classes Allow Students to Rewind and Rewatch Video Tutorials.

After Effects can be overwhelming for new students to learn, especially through video alone. Unlike regular in-person classes that require students to rapidly take notes to ensure that they write down all necessary steps and information, on-demand videos allow students to rewind, playback, and rewatch any video. Visual learners and students who struggle to pay attention during lectures alone will cheer as on-demand tutorials allow them to work on their projects while watching on-demand videos through this flexible format.

Renowned Adobe Experts and Professionals Frequently Teach On-demand Classes.

On-demand courses allow students to receive a world-class education from the comfort of their homes. Students no longer have to feel the geographic limitations of their home city or town when they can take a pre-recorded video from a skilled instructor halfway around the world.

Negatives of On-Demand Training

On-Demand Videos are Asynchronous

On-demand videos are recorded, allowing students to watch and rewatch lessons on their own time and schedule. Despite this convenience, the asynchronous nature of this type of instructional video means that students cannot ask the instructor for clarification or start building their motion graphics and special effects communities with their peers. While some platforms may have forums that allow students to ask professional After Effects users questions, students may become frustrated with the lack of tailored assistance.

On-Demand Videos may not give Students the Cohesion and Structure of Other Training Formats.

On-demand video courses offer students a flexible way to learn After Effects in the setting and time of their choice. Nevertheless, while many on-demand video classes offer students practice quizzes and projects to ensure that they are retaining what they learn in these lecture-style videos, students will not receive feedback or help on their assignments or personal projects. The on-demand video format may work well for visual learners, but more hands-on learners may struggle to stay engaged throughout these videos.

Most Students Report the Highest Level of Success when Combining On-Demand and In-Person or Live Online After Effects Training

Students use on-demand videos to develop and refine their After Effects skills. Nevertheless, many After Effects users report that they were unable to fully navigate the complex tools and techniques by only watching on-demand videos. While these videos are an excellent supplementary tool to learn how to use After Effects, many students learn best when combining this type of independent study with in-person or live online training. Find an After Effects training program near you and start getting the most out of your motion graphics and special effects technology now!

Why Learn After Effects?

Do you have a creative eye? Did all of your school assignments always have doodles in the margins? Would you like to transform your animation hobby into a career? After Effects gives you the tools to bring your imagination to life and start building your unique business or individual brand! Discover why artists, businesses, and filmmakers gravitate towards After Effects to fulfill their needs for motion graphics and special effects!

Adobe After Effects is a highly-rated motion graphics tool allowing users to create dynamic title and closing credits, stunning special effects, and cohesive and compelling narratives. Part of the larger Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects works cohesively with other Adobe programs like Animate, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro and is compatible with third-party software such as Frame.io, Universal Audio, or Flow. Creators can use After Effects to create unique designs from scratch or develop their own vision using one of the many presets included with the program. After Effects even allows users to design 3D figures using the Cinema 4D Lite extension, integrating new textures and experiences within their media.

Read more about why you should learn After Effects.

How Difficult is It to Learn After Effects?

After Effects is a standout program in the Adobe Creative Cloud. Users frequently claim that After Effects is one of the most complex programs to learn, despite mirroring other Adobe applications in form and organization. Even basic graphics require multiple steps and tools that can be challenging to follow without the assistance of a skilled instructor that can guide you through the process. While adding educational costs to your monthly After Effects subscription may appear to be financially prohibitive, this is the easiest way to ensure you get the most out of your After Effects program.

After Effects requires considerable time and practice to master regardless of the user’s technological background and capabilities. Nevertheless, students can still prepare to use this complicated application before downloading the software. For one, they can invest in a gaming or high-tech computer with a large RAM capacity that can minimize the chances of the program crashing. They can also research current motion graphics and special effects trends to develop those skills through education and practice. Exploring the interconnected nature of the Adobe Creative Cloud can also help users better situate After Effects in the motion graphics and video production process.

Keeping these training tips and tools in mind, many students may wonder how much a subscription to After Effects costs. Ultimately, their ability to access After Effects depends on their intentions for using the program. Those with smaller, short-term projects may want to enroll in the monthly payment plan, which runs for about $32 per month. Users willing to commit to an entire year can lower this monthly fee to $21. Another way to save money is to pay a $240 annual subscription fee upfront, reducing the average monthly cost to about $20.

Subscribers looking to access the entire Adobe Creative Cloud can save money when they bundle 20 applications and pay an annual fee of $600. Additional subscription plans for a whole year are also available for $83 per month and $55 per month. Still unsure if After Effects or acquiring the Adobe Creative Cloud are the right decision for you? Users can try out these programs using Adobe’s seven-day free trial to determine which program will work best for them.

Read about how difficult it is to learn After Effects.

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.