Hot After Effects How-Tos

How To: Import footage into PFTrack and export it to Cinema 4D

In this tutorial, you'll see how easy it is to bring your footage into PFTrack and then quickly take that data into Cinema 4D to begin to add your elements. Whether you're new to MAXON's popular 3D modeling application or are just looking to get better acquainted with Cinema 4D and its various features and functions, you're sure to enjoy this free video software tutorial. For more information, including complete instructions, watch this 3D modeler's guide.

How To: Create a character walk cycle in Adobe After Effects

In this Adobe After Effects user's guide, you'll learn how to create a simple walk cycle within AE. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Key footage with Keylight in Adobe After Effects

This tutorial takes a look at the basics of keying footage in After Effects using the plugin Keylight. This tutorial doesn't go over all the buttons and switches of the plugin but gives you enough to get started and understanding how it works. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video t...

How To: Do basic rotoscoping with Adobe After Effects

This clip presents and introductory lesson on the process of rotoscoping in Adobe After Effects. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the loopOut(); & Wiggle(2,2); expressions in AE

In this After Effects video tutorial, you'll learn how to work with th loopOut() and Wiggle(2,2) expressions. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Add and work with expressions in Adobe After Effects

This tutorial goes through the basics of how to add an expression in After Effects. It focuses on setting up a simple counter expression using the slider control effect. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructio...

How To: Create mod-style 3D title text within MAXON Cinema 4D

This video tutorial offers a lesson in creating mod-style title text and logos within MAXON C4D. Whether you're new to MAXON's popular 3D modeling application or are just looking to get better acquainted with Cinema 4D and its various features and functions, you're sure to enjoy this free video software tutorial. For more information, including complete instructions, watch this 3D modeler's guide.

How To: Export a camera from Cinema 4D to Adobe After Effects

This clip presents a lesson in how to export a camera from MAXON C4D to Adobe After Effects. Whether you're new to MAXON's popular 3D modeling application or are just looking to get better acquainted with Cinema 4D and its various features and functions, you're sure to enjoy this free video software tutorial. For more information, including complete instructions, watch this 3D modeler's guide.

How To: Create a flaming face of fire in After Effects

In order to be taken seriously in the world of motion graphics tutorials, one needs to teach something that everyone will remember… some kind of face distortion technique. Jerzy Drozda Jr has his "Form Face" and Andrew Kramer has his "Demon Face Warp," so the only thing that can possibly match those terrific After Effects tutorials is… FIRE.

How To: Create a demon face warp effect in After Effects

To bring demons back from the dead is tricky business, and what you need to do is get some candles, a blanket, and a book of spells. Also, possibly some snacks in case you do bring those demons into the living world, because they're going to be hungry, and you don't want them to eat you, do you? And where you need to go is a graveyard, and you have to go at night. Also, bring a friend, because dying alone is horrible, if it comes to that.

How To: Animate 3D text from Cinema 4D in Adobe After Effects

This clip covers how to use Adobe After Effects to animate 3D text generated in MAXON C4D. Whether you're new to MAXON's popular 3D modeling application or are just looking to get better acquainted with Cinema 4D and its various features and functions, you're sure to enjoy this free video software tutorial. For more information, and to get started using this trick in your own Cinema 4D projects, watch this 3D modeler's guide.

How To: Create organic transitions within After Effects & FCP

In this tutorial, learn how to use textures and track mattes to create an organic transition with After Effects and Final Cut Pro. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Animate text along the x axis in Adobe After Effects

Want to create simple animated text within Adobe After Effects but aren't quite sure how to go about doing it? You're in luck. This clip will show you how to animate text along the x position. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, ...

How To: Animate 3D text from Blender in Adobe After Effects

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to take text from a Blender .3ds file, import it into Photoshop and saving as .PSD, and then bring it into After Effects for animation. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructi...

How To: Make a moving curtain animation within After Effects

Check out this tutorial of how to create moving curtains in After Effects. You create a set of curtains that opens up to reveal footage placed behind it. You can render the clip out with an alpha channel and always have a curtains clip ready to reveal some footage. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well ...

How To: Create an animated spider web with Adobe After Effects

In this tutorial, you will learn how to use Illustrator and After Effects to create a spider web that animates on and catches some text that flies into it. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this...

How To: Create a 3D glow text stroke effect in After Effects

This tutorial uses After Effects to design a quick animation that looks like several light streaks form the letters of a word. The letters burst from the light streaks with a particle explosion. This tutorial uses Trapcode 3D Stroke and Particular. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this vi...

How To: Color correct footage without plugins in After Effects

This After Effects user's guide offers an overview of how to color correct and grade footage within AE by using the staturation, curves and levels tools. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this f...

How To: Create a title sequence in Adobe After Effects

This video tutorial covers creating a fun and dynamic title sequence in After Effects. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Use the Preserve Transparency button in After Effects

This video clip presents a quick lesson in using the Preserve Transparency switch in Adobe After Effects and why it may be more useful than using a Track Matte in certain situations. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-st...

How To: Create & work with text layers in Adobe After Effects

This AE user's guide provides a basic introduction to the concept of text layers. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create and work with 3D objects in Adobe After Effects

Interested in creating 3D title text in Adobe After Effects? This clip presents a general overview on how to work with 3D objects in AE. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Avoid the wobbly keyframe in After Effects

Nick Campbell shows us how to avoid the wobbly keyframe in After Effects. When you are animating logos and want them to come onto the screen, stop for a few seconds, and then continue off the screen. To fix it, highlight your key frames and then right click on "keyframe interpolation". Now, where it says "temporal interpolation" click to make it say "linear" next to it. Save this change and now the wobbly effect should have gone away. This can come up in a number of different moves, no matter...

How To: Create a nuclear blast on 2D surface in After Effects

Not TOO many Western people want to see the United States nuked into the stone age. Some do, but not too many. Now you can simulate the effect on your computer! This video will show you how to use After Effects to simulate the effect of a nuclear blast or other major explosive catastrophe on a map of the US in 2D. This effect is used in many video games and movies, so master it yourself and we promise that you'll find cause to use it again at some point.

How To: Do a shatter & disintegration effect in After Effects

Themadcowmoo continues to show us how to create a shatter & disintegration effect in Adobe After Effects. In the second part of his two part video series he begins by getting rid of the extrusion depth in the shadow by changing the value to 0 (0.00). He then instructs on how to accomplish and even smaller disintegration effect by selecting the 'Shatter Map' tab, going to the fractal layer, choosing 'Fractal Noise' in the top right panel and then selecting '10' as the value within the 'Transfo...

How To: Use the Solo Track button in Adobe After Effects

Learn how to use After Effects more efficiently with the Solo Track button. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Render in Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5

Learn how to render projects in Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5. This guide also covers the use of background renderer, creation of output modules and render settings templates, memory, multi-processing and disk-cache preferences, as well as showing a basic preset for rendering FLVs and Quicktime H.264 out of After Effects. The tutorial is aimed at users at a basic to intermediate level. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to...

How To: Chain render in Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5

Learn how to save hours of render time with by chain rendering in Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular vector editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create dynamic, colorful background elements in AE

Discover how easy it is to harness After Effects to create compelling, deep motion graphics with very little thought. In this episode, Dennis of the Genesis Project walks through how a single element can be combined and reused to create a nice background element. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well se...

How To: Create a smoldering text effect in Adobe After Effects

Looking for something dynamic and new for your After Effects work? In this clip, you'll see how to have elements come together in smokey bits again with no third party effects. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step ins...

How To: Adjust levels & use the Spot Healing tool in Photoshop

This clip shows off the Levels command and Spot Healing brush in Photoshop (and, as an added bonus, demonstrates basic animation properties in After Effects and shows two nifty features in Soundbooth). Whether you're new to Adobe's popular raster graphics editor or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-s...

How To: Create a colorful abstract animation in After Effects

This clip explores the use of presets in After Effects CS4 and CS5 to make an interesting element that can be used in a variety of situations. Besides, it’s just cool looking! Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step inst...

How To: Create displacement maps in After Effects CS4 or CS5

Learn how After Effects displacement maps can make your text or images appear on another surface. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a brand ID slate in After Effects CS4 or CS5

This After Effects user's guide takes you from nothing to a finished broadcast slate in 24 minutes? Yes. Along the way, you'll learn about compound blur, shape layers, repeaters and more. Sounds like fun right? Then come on down! Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For m...

How To: Create a 3D box with Adobe After Effects CS4 or CS5

With this quick clip, you'll see how to easily create a 3D box inside of After Effects with a little help from a free script. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular motion graphics and compositing software or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create grungy textures in Adobe Photoshop CS4 or CS5

See how fun and easy it is to create your own grungy textures within Photoshop CS4 or later with this video guide! Whether you're new to Adobe's popular raster editor or a seasoned graphic arts professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a gradient wipe effect in Premiere Pro CS4/CS5

Learn how to create an eye-catching gradient wipe transition effect within Adobe Premiere Pro CS4 or CS5. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular non-linear editor or a seasoned video professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructions, watch this free video guide.

How To: Create a rainbow iris effect in Adobe Photoshop

Join the retro Adobe movement! With this video tutorial, you'll see how to quickly and easily create a colored eye with Adobe Photoshop. You'll be creating alternate Photoshop icons in no time. Whether you're new to Adobe's popular raster graphics editor or a seasoned professional just looking to better acquaint yourself with the program and its various features and filters, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, including detailed, step-by-step instructio...