After Effects Cost

When asked how much it costs to learn After Effects, many assume that this question refers to the monthly or annual subscription fees. Most users pay a monthly subscription fee of $19.99 to $31.49 for After Effects. Nevertheless, this amount tends to increase when considering the cost of learning After Effects. 

Some students may try to learn how to use After Effects through free online tutorials that frequently focus on basic skills and lack the cohesion of a comprehensive bootcamp or online course. However, many students find in-person bootcamps, certificate programs, and workshops the most effective and efficient way to learn After Effects. These classes may differ in costs based on their duration and level of training, with shorter workshops ranging from $300 to $1000 and longer courses ranging from $4,000 to $6,000. Continue reading to find out the actual cost of learning After Effects and which program will help you best achieve your personal and professional goals. 

What is After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a motion graphics application that places special effects design and creation tools in your hands! Whether you are a small business looking to make eye-catching advertisements and commercials or an employee of one of the top animation studios, After Effect allows users to bring their imagination to life. This Academy Award-winning program has been a favorite of film, television, and internet creators since its creation in the early 1990s. Special, practical, mechanical, and theatrical effects artists used After Effects software to create blockbuster movies such as Star Trek: Into Darkness and Ender's Game. 

Combined with the graphics of Illustrator, the image-altering tools of Photoshop, and the video editing capabilities of Premiere Pro, After Effect’s comprehensive toolbar and layering features allow users to create dynamic special effects and title cards. Adobe Effects also has a 3D design function, adding new emphasis and movement to any project. You can even use After Effects to create fully or partially animated features! When combined with the other programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects will help your video project stand out from the crowd!

Read more about what After Effects is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with After Effects?

Think about the last time you watched a Hollywood blockbuster. What were the main things that you noticed throughout the movie? Maybe you noticed the quality of the animations and other motion graphics that added a unique texture to your viewing experience. Perhaps the dynamic opening credits that set the stage for the action caught your eye. Or maybe the incredible special effects drew you into the movie's action. Regardless of what visuals captured your attention, Adobe After Effects or a related motion graphics and special effects tool was likely responsible for these incredible visuals. 

After Effects is a motion graphics and special effects software that allows you to animate texts and objects, use greenscreens to add or subtract objects and elements, and develop unique transitions to your visual media creations. Users can create their original graphics using Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator or redesign one of the many available templates to create their vision. When users combine the editing power of After Effects with the capacities of Cinema 4D Lite included with every subscription, these artists can add new textures and dimensions to their visual media. 

Beyond the incredible toolkit offered within the After Effects program, this application is also compatible with many other tools. Part of the larger Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects can work with programs such as Adobe Audition, InDesign, Lightroom, and Premiere Pro to create original and composite forms of visual media. After Effects also works with third-party plugins such as FXFactory, Red Giant by Maxon, and CycoreFX, further maximizing the capabilities and functionality of this application.

In-Depth Review of the Training Cost

Most people usually associate continuing education opportunities with universities and college campuses. While these opportunities still exist, the massive popularization of online programs and technical schools over the past few decades means more opportunities exist to learn After Effects than ever before. Each learning format has benefits and limitations students should consider holistically before determining which program is right for them.

In terms of cost, you can expect that pursuing a degree in animation or film production at a private or state university will likely carry the highest bill. Tuition for the year can range from $10,000 to $50,000 depending on your state residential status, the types of grants or scholarships you receive, and the cost of other expenses such as books, computers, and other necessities. While you will have access to computer labs and acquire a degree at the end of this program, you may also find yourself straddled with an overwhelming amount of student debt that can shape your life and career for years to come.

To avoid the overwhelming debt associated with attending a university or college, many students enroll in a technical college or school where they can take in-person classes that directly relate to their interests and career goals. These classes cost between $300 to $6,000, depending on their duration and the level of training. Like university training, these classes have helpful resources such as computer labs, personalized instruction from trained professionals, and opportunities for career exploration and services, even completing the program. Nevertheless, these programs also carry the limitations of university education, such as commuting costs, having to take time off of work to attend training and the cost of purchasing personal equipment that can run After Effects after finishing the class. To ensure the best deal, use Noble Desktop’s After Effects Classes Near Me search engine to compare class costs, curriculums, and durations. 

To avoid these extra commuting and technology expenses, many artists ultimately choose to learn After Effects through independent study or asynchronous courses. Those who try to master After Effects through free online resources quickly realize that these blog posts, tutorials, and videos rarely have the cohesion and comprehension potential of regular course offerings. Students looking for a little more structure may also pursue a subscription to learning platforms such as Skill Share or LinkedInLearning. While these classes may offer more cohesive ways of learning After Effects, students who struggle with visual learning may find the lack of personalizable instruction or the ability to ask questions extremely off-putting. Those considering pursuing on-demand training should start their After Effects journey by comparing and contrasting different online courses using Noble Desktop’s Best After Effects Classes Online list. 

Free Introductory After Effects Course Online 

Learning After Effects is a commitment that requires time and energy to pursue. If you are unsure whether this application is worth the time and effort necessary to master it, researching before and after you begin your subscription is one of the best ways to ensure that you prepare yourself for long-term success. For example, an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription gives you access to Adobe After Effects and Adobe Animate. Which program will help you meet your personal and professional needs? Check out Noble Desktop’s blog post with a detailed comparison of Adobe After Effects and Animate programs to ensure that you invest your time and money well. 

Are you searching for a way to expand your skills and learn new techniques? Even after you have committed to purchasing an After Effects program or an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, you may feel overwhelmed determining the best place to start learning this complex program. Noble Desktop offers a free Get Started in Motion Graphics course and an Intro to After Effects seminar recording. Noble Desktop even has a free technical training YouTube channel to help you understand the ins and outs of After Effects. These free introductory videos and tutorials work best in conversation with the in-person or live online courses found using Noble Desktop’s After Effects Classes Near Me and Best After Effects Classes Online. 

These tools are also great ways to identify other free introductory classes online. Udemy, for example, offers a range of free courses in multiple languages. Entry-level students are the intended audience of these on-demand videos, focusing on specific skills rather than connecting different techniques and applications. Nevertheless, this platform allows students to explore the benefits and limitations of on-demand classes. Coursera offers similar free learning opportunities, but classes tend to be much broader, and many of the free courses overview other animation and motion graphics applications besides After Effect. Students may also use these free courses to prepare for more advanced techniques and tools that more structured classes cover. 

Read about more free After Effects videos and online tutorials.

Conquer After Effects with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Are you looking for a training program to jump-start your After-Effects adventures? Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, is known for its high-rated full and part-time bootcamps and certificate programs. Expert instructors set students up for long-term success through project-based learning and many opportunities for hands-on learning. Students living in or near New York City can easily commute to regularly offered in-person After Effects classes offered at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan campus. Want to avoid a long commute? Consider enrolling in one of Noble Desktop’s live online After Effects classes, where you can receive dynamic and interactive After Effects training from the comfort of your home or office!

Wondering which class format will help you cultivate your After Effects knowledge and skills? Consider your timetable and ultimate objectives. Students looking to use After Effects more casually or as an additional skill for an existing career may want to enroll in Noble Desktop’s After Effects in a Day or three-day After Effects Bootcamp. These classes save you time and money by balancing lectures with hands-on experience, maximizing retention, and setting you up for success. “Definitely recommend Noble Desktop overtaking a semester-long continuing education class at an expensive art school,” raved one reviewer, “This class covers techniques in a practical manner, and you can get started on your own after three days of intensive learning.” Worried that you couldn’t possibly retain everything you learn? Noble Desktop offers a free retake for all of its classes! 

Students interested in a more dramatic career change or would like to develop their portfolio and CV may want to enroll in the Motion Graphics Certificate or Video Editing & Motion Graphics Certificate programs. These training programs use hands-on experience and project-based training to teach students how to create original content using After Effects, Premiere Pro, and other Adobe Creative Cloud applications. Students also have several opportunities for one-on-one mentorship and receive a comprehensive step-by-step manual that ensures they have all the tools needed for long-term success.