Can After Effects do This?

[michaelm19617145]

We have been using Captivate to create our YouTube videos for our customers marketing and tutorial needs. We would like to spice them up a bit and perhaps take them to the next level. Below is a link that shows an example of the type of video we would like to create. We're mainly looking at doing the animated text and flashy movements that appear in the beginning an end of the video. I don't know what software was used to make this but would After Effects be able to do this? Thanks.

Link to sample video: SIDES E Response Employer How To Video - YouTube

[BartonGarrett256 · Accepted solution]

Yes, that is all very basic stuff, and most of it can be done with inexpensive purchased templates until you get better.

But you won't be doing that tomorrow. 

Get to a course or subscribe to one of the paid tutorial websites.  For my two cents early on avoid the free tutorials on YouTube, the quality is all over the map.

[Mike_Abbott]

michaelm19617145  wrote

...would After Effects be able to do this?

Not on its own : )

Generally it requires someone using AE who knows what he / she is doing...

The analogy:

[picture of the Mona Lisa]

"Can a paint brush do this?"

....

Adobe After Effects Learn & Support - beginners guide

[Dave_LaRonde]

Yes you can, BUT.... There are quite a few things you need to consider before you take the plunge.

• VERY STEEP LEARNING CURVE -- AE came into its own in the mid-to-late nineties.  Its user base was primarily people in video production houses, special effects shops, big TV companies.. people who had been around the block.  People who were familiar with frame rates, interlacing, planning out effects shots, etc.  It was designed for those guys.  It was designed to create single shots, not programs.  The interface reflects that.  It doesn't do a lot of things automatically for you.  There are a lot of basics to learn before you even get to the point of being able to do something. In other words, don't assume you'll learn it in a day.  Or a week.  Perhaps evenb a month.
• NO INTERACTIVE VIDEO -- AE just produces video files and image sequences.  It's assumed the user will take what's made to use in other applications. There are no provisions for interactivity whatsoever -- that stuff is added in other applications.
• BYZANTINE USER INTERFACE -- Adobe's added a boatload of features over the application's 20-plus-year life span, and a lot of crucial things are concealed in seemingly-strange places.  A lot of them made sense when first introduced, but not necessarily any more.  So why aren't they elsewhere?  Well, that's where they've always put them.
• SUCKS AT AUDIO -- AE accommodates audio.  That's the best that can be said about it.  For tricky audio manipulation, use other applications.
• IT'S AGONIZINGLY SLOW -- Hey, we're talking about a lot of core code that was written in the nineties.  The application was built around it.  The core code wasn't periodically re-written -- Adobe kept concentrating on developing new features. They skated by with the old stuff.  They've started rewriting some of the ancient code, but it's proving to be tougher than they ever thought.  So it STILL hasn't caught up with the times.  Compared to other applications, AE is slower than molasses in January.

Having said all that, AE is still the king of motion graphics and text animation.  Nothing compares to it.  That's why people still use it.  If there was a viable alternative from a different software developer, you would witness a mass migration to that other application... primarily due to the points made above.

[michaelm19617145]

Thanks everyone for the info!

[michaelm19617145]

Does anyone have a recommendation for a good tutorial website?

[Mike_Abbott]

Well, as a first stage I'd have a look at the beginners tutorials I linked above. No, they're not the most sophisticated, but they will give you a quick overview and some absolute fundamentals to get you up and running.

For something more substantial I'd suggest Lynda.com Lots of AE courses on there, all good quality and at various levels. Yes it is a paid site - you get what you pay for.

You can take your luck on You Tube but I'd strongly recommend against it. You'll be wading through a whole load of you-know-what to find the occasional nugget.  You will find little info on the important fundamentals, but lots on how to make a wizzy exploding plasma ball thing with lens flares... And you really need a structured course of learning to make progress.

As Dave writes above - learning Ae in any depth is not quick, nor easy. Budget some time and effort for it. Enjoy the journey : )

Hope this helps