When you have a handle on the UI, and the basic principles, start digging into the lessons that focus on the kind of effects you want to create. Start with the Learn workspace and the resources on the Home page when you open After Effects. Then move to the User Guide and pick a few of the getting started tutorials. You can always find the user guide on this forum home page, on the After Effects Product page, or by using the Search Help field in the top right corner of After Effects.
The most important thing to remember is that After Effects is not a video editing app. It is designed to create motion graphics, composites, and visual effects that you cannot make in an NLE like Premiere Pro. Almost all of your compositions should be just one shot, you should render them, or if the comps are very simple and will render very quickly, you can embed AEP compositions directly in Premiere Pro.
You also have to watch out for tutorials you find by searching the web. Most of the new ones are recipes presented by enthusiasts. A lot of the workflows are inefficient and the explanations often leave out critical details. Pick tutorials from industry leaders and professionals.
When you are pretty well familiar with After Effects, Linkedin Learning and Creative Live have a lot of excellent paid courses. The 3rd party plugin suppliers like VideoCopilot and Maxon also have great tutorials.
When you have problems with tutorials or projects remember to post project details, embed screenshots using the toolbar, and include links to the tutorials that we can help you figure things out.
2
Replies
AdChoices