Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional Studio Techniques

I. Introduction

If you aren’t fired with enthusiasm, you will be fired with enthusiasm.

–Vince Lombardi

Why This Book?

Adobe After Effects CS3 Professional Studio Techniques is about creating realistic visual effects—the art and science of making disparate elements look like they were taken with a single camera (and moreover, look good). It goes deep into issues such as color correction and keying that are only touched on by books more focused on using After Effects for motion graphics, while leaving motion-graphics-only tools (Text, Shapes, and like) more or less alone.

This book does not shy away from strong opinions, even when they deviate from the official line. These opinions have been formed through actual work in production at some of ...