After Effects Features
How To: Change UI colors in After Effects
Learn how to change the interface colors in After Effects.
How To: Design an audio waves animation with After Effects
In this two part video tutorial, Eran Stern reveals the first text trick in his series and shows how to design an audio waves animation with the After Effects Text Tool.
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 your own Presets in Adobe After Effects
Make your job a little easier by setting presets in After Effects. This will allow you to save time while you add visual effects to your film. Having custom presets makes it much simpler to achieve consistency is your VFX.
How To: Use a fractal field in Trapcode Form in After Effects
This software tutorial takes a look at how to use the fractal field in Trapcode Form, an After Effects plug-in. Take a plane or object and work with the Fractal field parameters to create moving flowing shapes and objects. Trapcode form also allows you to synchronize your fractal field effects to audio as you'll see in this After Effects tutorial. Use a fractal field in Trapcode Form in After Effects.
How To: Create a flock of birds in After Effects
In part 1 of this video tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to build and animate a bird in After Effects 3D. In part 2, it will join a flock of birds. You'll use looping animation to do the effect. Create a flock of birds in After Effects - Part 1 of 2.
How To: Create 3D text with Boris FX for After Effects
Check out this CreativeCow video on creating extruded or 3D text using After Effects. This new video tutorial from Paul Ezzy shows you the basics of using BCC Extruded Text in Adobe After Effects. BCC Extruded Text belongs to the 3D Objects category of filters which is new to Boris Continuum Complete 6. These stunning OpenGL-based filters use vertex and pixel shaders that enable the generation of animated 3D shatter, bulge, bend, taper, twist, ripple, and wave effects. You can also create ref...
How To: Make a first-person binocular effect in After Effects
In this quirky tutorial you'll learn how to make it appear that a person is looking through a pair of binoculars or through a rifle scope using After Effects 7.0. Make a first-person binocular effect in After Effects.
How To: Build and animate a CG snake in After Effects
In this video tutorial, Jerzy Drozda Jr demonstrates how to create a dynamic animation based on a 'chain rig'. You'll learn how to animate one layer using keyframes, expressions, or both, and make other layers follow the leading layer. The rest of this After Effects tutorial is about texturing and making the final look. Project files are included on the video link page. Build and animate a CG snake in After Effects.
How To: Use new features in Mocha for After Effects CS5
Whether you're new to Adobe After Effects or a seasoned video editor after a general overview of CS5's most vital new features, you're sure to be well served by this official video tutorial from the folks at Adobe TV. In it, you'll learn how to use the newest version of the Mocha 2.5D planar motion tracking software.
How To: Create a skybox or skydome in After Effects
In this week's podcast Creative Cow Leader Jerzy Drozda shows you how to create a Skybox, the illusion of distant or even infinite 3D surroundings - in this case, a star field. Create a skybox or skydome in After Effects.
How To: Create the Juno opening credits look w/ After Effects
The independent film Juno featured one of the most distinctive opening credit sequences in recent memory. It has a wonderful handmade look - which it turned out was created by hand! Whether you have seen Juno or not, Cow leader Simon Bonner shows a much easier way to create unique, handcrafted looks, without the pain.
How To: Create the title effect from the Inception trailer
Inception might be the most anticipated movie of the summer, and now that it's out and you've had the chance to bask in it's majesty, you may be wondering if you can use any of it's magic and trickery in your own films. You can! This video will show you how to create the titles like the ones from the Inception trailer using After Effects. It's clean and simple yet dynamic, and sure to make your next film's intro much more appealing.
How To: Create a Twilight Zone-style opening in After Effects
In this clip, Chad Perkins shows you how to create various elements for use in a Twilight Zone-esque TV show opening, using After Effects, Photoshop, Illustrator and Cinema 4D. 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: Create a custom wave form in After Effects
In the first part of this After Effects tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to create a customized, sound-reactive waveform using a stroke, a distortion effect and an expression. One reason you may want to do this is if you need a rounded wave (ie: a sine wave). Once you have your rounded wave, part two shows you how to improve the look of the customized waveform by changing it's amplitude Create a custom wave form in After Effects - Part 1 of 2.
How To: Use blending modes in Adobe After Effects
Get started using Adobe After Effects with the help of The New Boston! This beginner's tutorial is bound to answer the many questions you have about the popular digital motion graphics and compositing software. The main purpose of After Effects is for film and video post-production.
How To: Create faux 3D text in After Effects and 3D strokes behind the object
In this amazing, live tutorial (recorded obviously) Nick goes into great detail creating fake 3D text through creating multiple layers (without a script), as well as other great methods! This was a great video and even goes through some minor problems that you'll face when doing this and what you can do to fix those problems.
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 a giant spider in After Effects and Blender
Ever wanted to own a giant spider? Well you can't, but you can fake it instead using software like After Effects and Blender. This tutorial shows you how to use Blender to work on the 3D spider and then finish adding it into a scene using After Effects. The spider can be found here:
How To: Recreate the Kick Ass title in Adobe After Effects
This tutorial uses a title screen from the Kick Ass trailer as its inspiration. Learn how many of the tools, functions and processes work within Adobe After Effects by completing this tutorial. You'll be an AE master by the time you're done.
How To: Fix scaling issues in After Effects
In part one of this two-part tutorial, Aharon Rabinowitz introduces you to Exponential scale, a keyframe assistant used to counter the issues that occur naturally in After Effects when scaling from very high values. In the second part, you'll learn how to ease the values of Exponential Scale to create a smooth end to your layer's scale animation. This is a better way to create easing in and easing out effects on animations. Fix scaling issues in After Effects - Part 1 of 2.
How To: Render out normals in Cinema 4D, Modo, After Effects
After Effects allows you to do all sorts of amazing things to your videos and images, but it cannot do it all alone. This video will show you how to use an After Effects plugin called Normality 3 to make lighting adjustments to 3D assets on the fly, having already rendered out a normal pass using either Cinema 4D or Modo (you can use other 3D software too, but those two are both shown as examples in the video). It will also demonstrate how to render out the normal passes.
How To: Ensure broadcast-safe colors in After Effects
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow Leader Aharon Rabinowitz shows you a simple method of ensuring Broadcast-Safe Colors in your final output. Ensure broadcast-safe colors in After Effects.
How To: Build a car racing scene from photographs
In this great, albeit long, tutorial Nick from Greyscale Gorilla shows you how to create a car racing scene from a series of photographs in After Effects. It's very kinetic and looks great.
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: Import footage and create a new composition in Adobe After Effects CS5
The first step in any After Effects CS5 project is importing your footage and setting up a custom composition with reference to the technical settings of your individual clips. Learn how it's done with this video tutorial.
How To: Clone in After Effects
This is a very quick tutorial on cloning something in After Effects, we think, the teacher isn't clear. Clone in After Effects.
How To: Create snow, rain and weather effects in After Effects
It doesn't matter what type of weather it is outside when you shoot your film footage. Why not? Because you have After Effects! In this After Effects tutorial you will learn how to add precipitation and raindrop effects to your footage. Make it snow, rain and more with this After Effects CS3 tutorial.
How To: Animate rotation in Adobe After Effects
Get started using Adobe After Effects with the help of The New Boston! This beginner's tutorial is bound to answer the many questions you have about the popular digital motion graphics and compositing software. The main purpose of After Effects is for film and video post-production.
How To: Simulate a flickering light using After Effects
This After Effects tutorial will show you how to create a flickering light effect. Hopefully you can take these ideas and apply them a little bit better than our teacher did. Simulate a flickering light using After Effects.
How To: Disintegrate Objects at Super Speed (You Will Need: Sandpaper & After Effects)
Largely self-taught, Ryan John Kothe is an animator working out of Auckland, New Zealand. After picking up some rudimentary After Effects skills, he went on to create an impressive portfolio of beautifully rendered stop-motion animations with a distinctly tactile feel. Curious about the process behind Worn Out—Ryan's depiction of objects disintegrating in fast-forward (shown below)—we contacted him for a brief Q&A on the techniques behind his work.
How To: Duplicate elements in After Effects
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow Contributing Editor Eran Stern shows you how to duplicate elements in After Effects using the Shape Tool's Repeater function. Part two shows you a neat way to duplicate elements in After Effects using the Puppet Tool. Part three shows you how to duplicate elements in After Effects using the CC RepeTile Effect. Part four shows you how to duplicate elements in After Effects using the Clone Stamp Tool. Part five shows you how to duplicate elements in After Ef...
How To: Create 3D extruded text in After Effects
Aharon Rabinowitz shows you several popular techniques and tools for creating 3D extruded text in After Effects. Some of the solutions he discusses are the shatter effect, plug-ins like Zaxwerks and another shadow and RGB value method. Create 3D extruded text in After Effects.
How To: Add audio and video to the After Effects CS5 timeline
Learn how to add digital media and effects to the After Effects CS5 timeline. 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 CS5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started familizaring yourself with the After Effects CS5 workflow, watch this free video guide.
How To: Create a Kamehameha (energy blast attack) from Dragon Ball in After Effects
No, the Kamehameha is not the famous Hawaiian king who united all the islands under his rule from 1795 to 1819. Nope. However, it is named after him. But in this case, Kamehameha is an energy blast attack shown in the Dragon Ball Z series. And with this After Effects tutorial, you're going to learn how to recreate this energy attack.
How To: Creating The James Bond 007 Intro with After Effects
In this video tutorial, Creative Cow leader Michael Park shows you how to achieve that classic introduction to all of the James Bond films using only basic After Effects plugins.
How To: Make a paper rip effect in After Effects
Learn how to make a paper rip effect in After Effects. You'll need to do a bit of Photoshop work as well.
How To: Smooth out shaky video footage in After Effects CS5
Want to fix shaky video after the fact? With After Effects CS5, it's easy. 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 CS5's new features, you're sure to be well served by this video tutorial. For more information, and to get started stabilizing sub-ideal clips in your own After Effects CS5 projects, watch this free video guide.
How To: Make a cool YouTube intro in After Effects
You can learn how to use After Effects to make an interesting introduction for your YouTube video by following the steps in this video tutorial. You will need to use a preset called Trapcode Particular 2. 0. Once this trial version is downloaded, go into After Effects and select New Composition. Create any name you want for the file and then select HDV/HDTV for the Preset. This video outlines how to create the introduction from the initial layer to the final layer, which is up to you to decid...
How To: Track a simple object in After Effects
Learn the fundamentals of position tracking in After Effects in this informative 5 minute tutorial from Patrick Carter. This video lesson involves attaching a text object to a moving cowboy on screen to demonstrate the basic transform tracking function.