What is the Best Course to Learn After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is the industry-standard tool for creating eye-catching visual effects and motion graphics. Whether you are an aspiring Animator, Motion Graphics Designer, Video Editor, or simply an enthusiastic hobbyist creator, knowing how to use this powerful software will help you create dynamic motion graphics content for whatever purpose you have in mind.

The vast menu of After Effects courses available for learners with differing needs means that whatever your circumstances and goals, there is an accessible class to help you achieve them. However, determining which After Effects course is the best for you can be overwhelming with so many options available. While it’s impossible to pinpoint a single course as the best for learning After Effects, this guide will help you ask the right questions to confidently decide which After Effects course is perfect for you.

Are You New to After Effects?

Your current level of experience with After Effects is the first thing to consider when determining what After Effects class is right for you. If you are a beginner to the application and uncertain about whether a commitment to a paid class is right for you, you can consider getting a taste of the basics of the application with a free seminar like Noble Desktop’s Intro to After Effects. Or if you are ready to enroll in your first introductory course in After Effects, live online or in-person short courses are probably the best choice for you. A course in the basics of After Effects is a more budget-friendly option for those whose goals don’t demand a professional level of training or whose financial situation requires breaking up their training and paying for courses as they are able.

Other beginners may be ready to commit to a more comprehensive training option that will help them meet their goal of a high level of expertise in the application quickly. For those who are serious about mastering After Effects and becoming job-ready, a bootcamp or certification-prep course could be a perfect fit. An After Effects bootcamp like that provided by Noble Desktop offers an intensive learning experience that helps students master the essentials fast. Another alternative for learners interested in earning an Adobe Certified Professional certification in After Effects is a certification-prep program. While not every one of these options is open to beginners, many are open to those with no experience and provide students with the benefit of a focused comprehensive curriculum, a live instructor to assist with any troubleshooting required in real-time. Sometimes the cost of the certification exam and a free retake is even included in the tuition.

If you’ve already mastered the basics of After Effects, you may be ready to enroll in an Advanced After Effects short course or bootcamp. A certification-prep program could also be an excellent fit for you. You can also consider on-demand courses to supplement your education at this point in your learning journey if you need to save money and are certain of your ability to remain disciplined and focused without a live instructor. However, beginners should be aware that live instructors are especially important for getting started in After Effects, as they provide immediate feedback and personalized guidance—key elements that can significantly enhance their learning experience.

What is Your Budget?

The next consideration before selecting an After Effects course is your budget. If your goal is to gain professional skills to launch a new career in animation, video editing, or motion graphics design, investing in your education is a must. However, you don’t need a college degree to be successful in any of these sectors—especially if you are at a place in your learning journey where your primary need is to learn After Effects. What matters most of all when job hunting for a position in any of these fields is an impressive portfolio of projects showcasing your skills, including your expertise in After Effects.

If you have the finances available, a certificate program or comprehensive career-focused bootcamp is arguably the best option for gaining professional expertise in After Effects quickly, along with other tools of the trade. Programs like Noble Desktop’s Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate provide career support and assistance in building the impressive portfolio you need to stand out in the competitive job market—perks you won’t find if you’re piecing together your professional education skill by skill.

However, your goals in learning After Effects may not be job readiness. In that case, an introductory or advanced short course or bootcamp could be the best fit for you, depending upon where you are in your learning journey. These courses will be more budget-friendly than a career-focused certificate program, and, whatever your end goal, they can be the best solution for those whose budgets are exceptionally tight. On-demand classes are even cheaper, but they lack the benefits of a live instructor and set schedule, and can become out of date quickly unless the training school hosting them provides frequent updates. Or if you are still saving money for that first introductory After Effects class, you can go ahead and begin your educational journey with free resources like YouTube videos or Noble Destop’s Adobe Creative Cloud seminars.

Do You Want to Use After Effects to Launch a New Career?

If your goal is to become a professional Animator, Video Editor, or Motion Graphics Designer, the best course would be a comprehensive program like Noble Desktop’s Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate program. These career-focused programs are designed to guide you from beginner to job-ready professional in the least amount of time possible. When your plan is to learn After Effects to launch a new career, landing a job in your desired sector will almost invariably involve showcasing your After Effects skills in a show-stopping portfolio. The career guidance you’ll receive in a certificate program will include support in building this portfolio and other mentorship designed to help you succeed.

Do You Prefer In-Person or Online Training?

Before determining the best After Effects course for you, one final question to consider is whether you prefer to attend an in-person or online class. Neither is objectively better, and you may find either option suitable for your needs. However, others may find one fits their situation better than the rest.

In-person classes meet in a physical classroom or computer lab, offering the most traditional educational experience for your After Effects learning journey. Some find that being in the same room as their instructor allows them to focus and understand the subject matter better than attending a course in an online classroom. Others appreciate shopping locally or even enjoy the commute, especially when a nearby in-person class perfectly aligns with their schedule.

However, many find that a live online After Effects class provides a similar experience to an in-person course while allowing them to skip an inconvenient commute. In a live online class, you meet with a live instructor in a digital classroom on a set schedule, just as you would meet in a brick-and-mortar classroom for an in-person class. The instructor can answer your questions and help you troubleshoot any issues that arise in real-time in a live online class. Additionally, live online courses allow you to expand your menu of After Effects class options beyond geographic limitations.

Learn After Effects Skills with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop’s range of After Effects courses features a variety of courses to help you achieve your specific learning objectives. The design and tech school offers an After Effects Bootcamp featuring in-depth guidance on the interface, tools, and techniques you need to be an expert user of After Effects. With the option to attend in-person in NYC or live online, this 18-hour bootcamp is accessible across the globe for beginners or pros wishing to fill gaps in their knowledge. Along with the 18-hour bootcamp, you will receive Noble’s proprietary workbook, a free course retake, one-on-one mentorship, and a verified certificate of completion. With the help of your expert instructor, you will master the foundational skills of After Effects and many advanced animation techniques, such as motion tracking and greenscreen removal. By the end of the bootcamp, you’ll be confident in your ability to create animations, transitions, and motion graphics using the powerful features of After Effects.

For those interested in earning an Adobe Certified Professional in After Effects certification, Noble Desktop’s After Effects Certification Program provides focused training and support to help you pass the exam and achieve your goals. This program includes Noble Desktop’s After Effects Bootcamp, their After Effects Advanced course, six hours of one-on-one tutoring, the fee for the Adobe Certified Professional for After Effects exam, and a free retake option for both the exam and the program. Upon completion of the 36 hours of classroom time and your exam, you will receive a verified digital certificate you can list on your social media profiles and resume.

If your goal is to pursue a career in animation, motion graphics, or video editing, Noble Desktop’s Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate program is worth considering. This career-prep certificate program not only focuses on mastering After Effects but also provides training on other essential tools like Cinema 4D in After Effects, Premiere Pro, Adobe Audition, and Photoshop. Your expert instructor will assist you in building an impressive portfolio of professional-quality projects in the Motion Graphics & Video Editing Portfolio Development module. Tuition covers eight one-on-one mentoring sessions you can use as career support, a free retake option, and a verified digital certificate of completion. Whether you choose to attend in-person in Manhattan or live online, you’ll be job-ready by the time you complete the program.