Working with Photoshop and other types of documents

Interactive workflow to Photoshop and back correctly, Resolution, Layers, Styles, modes, text in Photoshop files, illustrator and image sequences, correct formats to save for after effects, single layers or merged documents in after effects, Importing as compositions or composition – retaining layer sizes, Resolving Photoshop import problems, checking transparency and layer sizes, text layers

Speeding up the workflow

Customising the composition created from Photoshop files, globally editing all layers and shortcuts, previewing modes with shortcuts, creating and animating masks, time stretching Keyframes to retime animations, creating timing markers, navigating by adding and subtracting timecode, offsetting anchor points, parenting layers or pre-compositing, replacing layer content in the timeline, time stretching video and audio,Motion blur and frame blending, when to use them and settings

Keyframe interpolation and velocity graphs

Understanding temporal and spatial interpolation, Keyframe types and when to use them, roving Keyframes and when not to use them, velocity graphs and influence, Keyframe assistants

Multiple output renders

Duplicating and editing compositions, creating a large render queue of variations of a composition, rendering out different formats to match the projects delivery.

Welcome to the 3D world

Turning layers into 3D, what’s changed on a 3d layer, setting up a custom 3D view, Move, orbit and dolly in 3D space

Creating your 1st 3D scene

Creating a back wall, creating a 3d text object, Adding a light and setting up for real shadows, moving lights and understanding points of interest, differences between setting parameters in the timeline and comp view, turning on and customising shadows, animating lights and point of interest, adding a camera and setting up multiple comp views, adding a camera and point of interest

Working in 3D with text

Creating &animating text on a path, using animate and wiggle together on text, moving the animated text into the 3D space, creating a 3D fly through and resolving problems, using depth of field, creating a real 3D tunnel

Aligning layers correctly in 3D space

using lights to colour the scene, extending the Z depth with effects, getting that low rat’s eye view, using filters to resolve light problems, pre compositing 3D layers and resolving problems

Expressions

creating simple random expressions, working with Keyframes & expressions together, using wiggly to control the expression, adding parameters to the animator, setting up a linked expression, using the pickwick to target parameters, creating an expression to control depth of field, using nulls to control the camera with expressions

Filters,mattes and shapes

Keying green screens, spill suppressors, garbage mattes, adjustment layers, blending modes, roto brush, mocha, creating and moving mattes, Exploring filters, cc light burst, cc particle system1, caustics, including filters with physics engines built in,Creative uses of shatter, Bullet time effect and custom shatter maps

Output codecs, wrappers and formats