After Effects Effects and presets

What is the best way to learn how to create stunning animations and special effects inside Adobe After Effects (or simply after effects effects)? You can see some of the after effects templates we have in store.

One good method is to follow tutorials and learn from the masters.

When you watch any after effects tutorial the fastest way to really learn the techniques is to follow along; you open up After Effects and start doing what the presenter is doing. In case he is too fast for your eye J you hit pause and rewind. If you have 2 monitors then it is much easier to follow the video tutorial. On the first monitor you have the after effects tutorial opened and on the second one you run after effects. Plays with the video effects. I found that our brain will retain much more information if we actually do the things shown in the tutorial as the presenter shows them, then if you would just simply watch him perform the techniques (like sitting in the movie theater, with no popcorn).

Experiment, really experiment with AE

Let’s now play with the After Effects effects

It’s great to learn new stuff from others, but after a while it would be awesome to create something new, that nobody has done before, that no text or video tutorial will show you how to do.

You can really be creative here, just take an effects like a simple lens flare, and start. Play with the brightness; add a curves effect to control the colors. There, you just created a Sun.
http://dl.dropbox.com/u/2814795/Sun.aep

Now add a CC Kaleida effect in your after effects application (you can find all effects by searching in the “Effects and Presets” panel). It’s all about the After Effects effects and presets.

More about the video effects

Wait there is even more than you can do to get your creativity going. Use the power of the “artificial creativity” built in to After Effects. Yes, the guys from Adobe gave this app a brain. And it can think for you, in a way…

I am talking about the “brainstorm” function. You can use this by selecting your effect, and then pressing the brain storm button.  After Effects will come up with different variations for the effects used, showing you an image for each variation.

The possibilities are unlimited; After Effects together with all the effects and presets,  is such a great app to let your creativity really shine. And the way the effects can be combined will allow you to come up with new visuals every time you use them.

Please take a look at 2 of my after effects projects that you can download for free. These animations were made by experimenting with the different effects, presets, parameters and options (Ok I also used the brainstorm function but only 1 time I swear ).

Show me your experiment inside of AE, send the video link in form of a comment here.
More may also find more after effects video tutorials. Click here.

Thanks!
Gyorfi Szilard
CEO