Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release)

Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release)

by Brie Gyncild, Lisa Fridsma
Released January 2020
Publisher(s): Adobe Press
ISBN: 9780136411895

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Book description

Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release) is the best-selling guide to Adobe’s powerful motion graphics program. The 15 project-based lessons in this book teach students step-by-step the key techniques for working efficiently in After Effects and delivering in the widest possible range of media types. In addition to the key elements of the After Effects interface, this revised edition covers new features and techniques.

Learn how to create, manipulate, and optimize motion graphics for film, video, DVD, the web, and mobile devices. Gain hands-on experience animating text and images, customizing a wide range of effects, tracking and syncing content, rotoscoping, removing unwanted objects, and correcting color. Learn to create 3D content with both After Effects and Maxon Cinema 4D Lite (included with the software).

The online companion files include all the necessary assets for readers to complete the projects featured in each chapter. All buyers of the book get full access to the Web Edition: A Web-based version of the complete ebook enhanced with video and multiple-choice quizzes.

Table of contents

  1. Cover Page
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright Page
  4. Where are the Lesson Files?
  5. Getting Started
    1. About Classroom in a Book
    2. Prerequisites
    3. Installing After Effects, Bridge, and Media Encoder
    4. Activating fonts
    5. Optimizing performance
    6. Restoring default preferences
    7. Online content
    8. How to use these lessons
    9. Additional resources
    10. Adobe Authorized Training Centers
  6. 1. Getting to know the Workflow
    1. Getting started
    2. Creating a project and importing footage
    3. Creating a composition and arranging layers
    4. Adding effects and modifying layer properties
    5. Animating the composition
    6. Previewing your work
    7. Optimizing performance in After Effects
    8. Rendering and exporting your composition
    9. Customizing workspaces
    10. Controlling the brightness of the user interface
    11. Finding resources for using After Effects
    12. Review questions and answers
  7. 2. Creating a Basic Animation Using Effects and Presets
    1. Getting started
    2. Importing footage using Adobe Bridge
    3. Creating a new composition
    4. Working with imported Illustrator layers
    5. Applying effects to a layer
    6. Applying an animation preset
    7. Precomposing layers for a new animation
    8. Previewing the effects
    9. Adding transparency
    10. Rendering the composition
    11. Review questions and answers
  8. 3. Animating Text
    1. Getting started
    2. About text layers
    3. Installing a font using Adobe Fonts
    4. Creating and formatting point text
    5. Animating with scale keyframes
    6. Using a text animation preset
    7. Animating imported Photoshop text
    8. Animating type tracking
    9. Animating text opacity
    10. Animating an image to replace text
    11. Using a text animator group
    12. Animating a layer’s position
    13. Adding motion blur
    14. Review questions and answers
  9. 4. Working with Shape Layers
    1. Getting started
    2. Creating the composition
    3. Adding a shape layer
    4. Creating a self-animating shape
    5. Duplicating a shape
    6. Creating custom shapes
    7. Positioning layers with snapping
    8. Animating a shape
    9. Animating using parenting
    10. Using nulls to connect points
    11. Previewing the composition
    12. Review questions and answers
  10. 5. Animating a Multimedia Presentation
    1. Getting started
    2. Adjusting anchor points
    3. Parenting layers
    4. Precomposing layers
    5. Keyframing a motion path
    6. Animating additional elements
    7. Applying an effect
    8. Animating precomposed layers
    9. Animating the background
    10. Adding an audio track
    11. Review questions and answers
  11. 6. Animating Layers
    1. Getting started
    2. Simulating lighting changes
    3. Duplicating an animation using the pick whip
    4. Using a track matte to confine animation
    5. Animating using the Corner Pin effect
    6. Simulating a darkening sky
    7. Retiming the composition
    8. Review questions and answers
  12. 7. Working with Masks
    1. About masks
    2. Getting started
    3. Creating a mask with the Pen tool
    4. Editing a mask
    5. Feathering the edges of a mask
    6. Replacing the content of the mask
    7. Adding a reflection
    8. Creating a vignette
    9. Adjusting the timing
    10. Trimming the work area
    11. Review questions and answers
  13. 8. Distorting Objects with the Puppet Tools
    1. Getting started
    2. About the Puppet tools
    3. Adding Position pins
    4. Adding Advanced and Bend pins
    5. Stiffening an area
    6. Animating pin positions
    7. Using the Puppet tools to animate video
    8. Recording animation
    9. Review questions and answers
  14. 9. Using the Roto Brush Tool
    1. About rotoscoping
    2. Getting started
    3. Creating a segmentation boundary
    4. Fine-tuning the matte
    5. Freezing your Roto Brush tool results
    6. Changing the background
    7. Adding animated text
    8. Outputting your project
    9. Review questions and answers
  15. 10. Performing Color Correction
    1. Getting started
    2. Adjusting color balance with levels
    3. Adjusting color with the Lumetri Color effect
    4. Replacing the background
    5. Color-correcting using Auto Levels
    6. Motion tracking the clouds
    7. Replacing the sky in the second clip
    8. Color grading
    9. Review questions and answers
  16. 11. Creating Motion Graphics Templates
    1. Getting started
    2. Preparing a master composition
    3. Setting up a template
    4. Adding properties to the Essential Graphics panel
    5. Providing image options
    6. Protecting the timing of a section
    7. Exporting the template
    8. Review questions and answers
  17. 12. Using 3D Features
    1. Getting started
    2. Creating 3D text
    3. Using 3D views
    4. Importing a background
    5. Adding 3D lights
    6. Adding a camera
    7. Extruding text in After Effects
    8. Animating 3D text
    9. Finishing the project
    10. Review questions and answers
  18. 13. Working with the 3D Camera Tracker
    1. About the 3D Camera Tracker effect
    2. Getting started
    3. Tracking the footage
    4. Creating a ground plane, a camera, and the initial text
    5. Creating additional text elements
    6. Locking an image to a plane with a solid layer
    7. Tidying the composition
    8. Adding a final object
    9. Creating realistic shadows
    10. Adding ambient light
    11. Adding an effect
    12. Previewing the composition
    13. Review questions and answers
  19. 14. Advanced Editing Techniques
    1. Getting started
    2. Stabilizing a shot
    3. Using single-point motion tracking
    4. Removing unwanted objects
    5. Creating a particle simulation
    6. Retiming playback using the Timewarp effect
    7. Review questions and answers
  20. 15. Rendering and Outputting
    1. Getting started
    2. About rendering and output
    3. Exporting using the Render Queue
    4. Creating templates for the Render Queue
    5. Rendering movies with Adobe Media Encoder
    6. Review questions and answers
  21. Appendix: General Keyboard Shortcuts
  22. Appendix: Customizing Keyboard Shortcuts
  23. Index
  24. Production Notes
  25. Contributors

Product information

  • Title: Adobe After Effects Classroom in a Book (2020 release)
  • Author(s): Brie Gyncild, Lisa Fridsma
  • Release date: January 2020
  • Publisher(s): Adobe Press
  • ISBN: 9780136411895