Motion Graphics
The Foundations of Motion
The 12 Principles of Animation: Squashing and stretching, anticipation, and easing.
Frames and Frame Rates: Understanding 24fps vs. 30fps vs. 60fps.
Motion Graphics vs. Traditional Animation: Identifying the industry standards and styles.
Design for Motion: Preparing Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop files for animation.
Mastering After Effects (The Core)
The Interface: Timelines, compositions, and layers.
Keyframing: Creating movement through position, scale, rotation, and opacity.
The Graph Editor: Moving beyond linear motion to create professional, fluid “eased” movements.
Masking & Track Mattes: Controlling visibility and creating complex transitions.
Visual Effects & Compositing
Blending Modes: Combining layers for stylized looks.
Effects & Presets: Working with particles, glows, and distortion.
Typography in Motion: Kinetic typography techniques for ads and lyric videos.
Green Screen & Rotoscoping: Removing backgrounds and isolating subjects.
2D Character & Shape Animation
Shape Layers: Using “Trim Paths” and “Repeaters” for abstract motion.
Puppet Tool: Rigging 2D characters for simple movement.
Parenting & Null Objects: Creating complex hierarchies to control multiple layers at once.
The Third Dimension (3D & Camera)
3D Layers: Working with Z-space and 3D cameras.
Lighting and Shadows: Adding depth to 2D flat designs.
Cinema 4D Integration: Introduction to Cineware and importing 3D objects into After Effects.
Video Editing & Sound Design
Premiere Pro Workflow: Moving your motion assets into a video editor.
Sound Effects (SFX): Adding impact to motion with “whooshes,” clicks, and background scores.
Color Grading: Using Lumetri Color to give your motion graphics a cinematic finish.
