I want to learn to make motion graphics. Is After Effects a good way in? Whats a good way yo begin learning it?

February 19, 2012 1:45 PM

I want to learn to make motion graphics. Is After Effects a good way in? Whats a good way yo begin learning it?

Lynda.com?
Books?
Some other online tutorials that haven't occurred to me?

posted by Senor Cardgage to Media & Arts (9 answers total)

After Effects is the only way in. Google "videocopilot". Great resource for video tutorials that are cutting edge. Start building a demo reel ASAP!
posted by bprater at 2:04 PM on February 19, 2012 [1 favorite]

After Effects indeed. If you find you like compositing more than animating you can learn Nuke, but if you're just getting in, AE is what you want to learn.
posted by nathancaswell at 2:23 PM on February 19, 2012

Lynda is only good if you know nothing and even then it's boring as shit. They will show you where things are located in any program and walk you through basic functionality. But honestly beyond that I find their tutorials incredibly slow and fragmented. They don't really teach you how to use different parts of a program together. Instead of Lynda, I would recommend some of the more project based tutorials, like fxphd or motionworks. They are a little more expensive, but way more helpful.
posted by cuban link flooded jesus at 3:11 PM on February 19, 2012

I've been pushing pixels with AE since it had a dongle, and it's amazing the amount of resources available. You could easily spend your time bouncing around just trying to figure out where to start. The oldest and longest lasting resources I know of are the Meyers. They cover the basics well, and they have a boat load of free posts on the provideo coalition.

Remember, it's motion graphics; you'll want to understand the foundations of design, typography, and motion. The fancy can wait. Grab some books on typography, basic graphic design, and cinematography. Motion graphics is a pretty big tent, and some people get blinded by the technology.

A pencil and paper is great place to start working on your projects. You don't need to know how to parent to a null object, or what codec to render out to before you start designing. Making a storyboard and generating ideas is a great place to start.

Download the Adobe trial. Get in there, and make a mess. You can't actually break anything. Just make sure to save lots of versions of comps, label your layers, have fun, and don't stay up all night.
posted by jade east at 4:28 PM on February 19, 2012

Also check out the tutorials at Creative Cow if you decide to go with After Effects. There are a lot of tutorials in an easy to digest short format. Good luck and have fun!
posted by Mr. Merkin at 4:51 PM on February 19, 2012

Seconding Video Copilot (start with the Basic Training). Video Copilot is written by Andrew Kramer, whose work you may have seen around.
posted by Nonsteroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drug at 7:16 PM on February 19, 2012

Video Copilot is a great resource, and Andrew Kramer is charming enough to keep you interested in the videos even when things are a little dull.
posted by markblasco at 11:20 PM on February 19, 2012

Seconding the Meyers: Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects is a wonderful and comprehensive entry.
posted by timshel at 7:42 AM on February 20, 2012

This was in my RSS reader, and I thought of this question. It's a list of AE basic tutorials.
posted by jade east at 8:04 PM on February 20, 2012