How Long Does it Take to Learn After Effects?

After Effect is a tricky program to define mastery level. With the assistance of blogs, online tutorials, and other free resources, a user may be able to successfully label all of the available tools and their functions over a few hours. Someone may even be able to properly use these tools with the assistance of external training programs taken over several weeks or months. 

The technical aspects of After Effects are only a small part of using this complex and dynamic program. The creativity necessary to develop a vision and the skills to bring a project to fruition may take years of practice and training. Students that build a community of Adobe Effects users and professionals through training programs and online forums frequently have the highest level of success learning these programs. Collaborators and professional support can be a powerful form of assistance that can help maximize the user’s ultimate success.

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.

Average Time it Takes to Learn After Effects.

Visual artists rave about the tools and various implementations of After Effects. Mirroring the organization of other Adobe Creative Cloud Programs, After Effects allows users to create their media through an interactive timeline and add editing layers to customize different frames. Every user’s journey to mastering After Effects differs and largely depends on the amount of time and energy they dedicate to practicing the program and the resources they utilize throughout their After Effects learning experience. 

Summarizing the amount of time required to learn After Effects is tricky. Using on-demand video tutorials, in-person instruction, and live online opportunities, Motion Graphics and Special Effects Artists can master most of the tools and memorize the steps to completing different tasks over a few weeks. Nevertheless, using After Effects is not just about learning about all that the program has to offer. Students looking to realize their vision typically spend around 150 hours independently to get the most out of this program. Students can sometimes expedite this process by integrating a video editing and motion graphic certificate program into their education. 

The amount of time and energy students must dedicate to learning After Effects will also depend on the technological aptitude and resources they already possess. For example, students with a gaming or other high-tech computer with large RAM capacity are less likely to have the After Effects application crash and unsaved parts of their project lost. Those familiar with the top animation trends of the year or who have experience using Adobe Creative Cloud can also prepare students to use After Effects. Video Editors with a background in Illustrator or Premiere Pro will know how to use the many similar tools of After Effects and will be able to use these compatible programs to create visual media from start to finish. These prerequisites will help students best prepare to use Adobe After Effects. 

Adobe After Effects users that are not yet prepared or able to commit to their After Effect education monetarily will benefit from the many available free resources. Visual learners, for example, may wish to explore Noble Desktop’s blog or Free Tech Tutorials Youtube page. This channel covers Excel, Photoshop, web design and development topics, and nineteen videos about Adobe After Effects. Students can also keep an eye on Noble Desktop’s free live online seminars. Taught by many of the skilled instructors of Noble Desktop’s larger bootcamps and certificate programs, these free opportunities are a great way for students to determine if these classes would fit well with their learning style and ultimate goals!

Other Factors

After Effects is known for not being beginner friendly and can take years to master. Nevertheless, several additional factors impact a motion graphic or special effects artist’s ability to use this program. Consider the following factors when trying to calculate how much time it will take for you to learn Adobe After Effects. 

Gradually Building Your After Effects Skills

Have you ever heard the old idiom “Rome wasn’t built in a day”? The same applies to learning how to use After Effects. While you may want to learn how to make blockbuster movie-level effects as fast as possible, you are much more likely to retain and comprehensively build After Effects skills by gradually accumulating knowledge of the After Effects tools and techniques. Learning to use the entire program rather than simply memorizing the steps necessary to create the desired effect will help you get the most out of your After Effects program and bring multiple projects to fruition. 

The Amount of Time You Have to Practice Using After Effects 

Taking advantage of formal and informal education opportunities to learn After Effects can make or break your learning experience. Nevertheless, independent study is one of the best ways to develop your creative eye and begin producing visually stunning original content. Look at your schedule, block a specific time every few days to practice and play with your After Effects program, and hold yourself accountable to your long-term goals. A few hours of practice per week will quickly accumulate, allowing you to quickly achieve new milestones and define your unique artistic identity! 

Growing with Your After Effects Community 

Learning After Effects alone can be quite a bore, but you can avoid the snores by building an After Effects community you adore! Regardless of which social media platforms you use, a simple search can help connect you with larger groups of visual media artists navigating the same ups and downs of the program. Adobe programs are available worldwide, allowing you to connect with and mature your animation and special effects skills with users in almost every industry.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

After Effects is a standout program in the Adobe Creative Cloud. Users frequently claim that After Effects is one of the most complex programs to learn, despite mirroring other Adobe applications in form and organization. Even basic graphics require multiple steps and tools that can be challenging to follow without the assistance of a skilled instructor that can guide you through the process. While adding educational costs to your monthly After Effects subscription may appear to be financially prohibitive, this is the easiest way to ensure you get the most out of your After Effects program. 

After Effects requires considerable time and practice to master regardless of the user’s technological background and capabilities. Nevertheless, students can still prepare to use this complicated application before downloading the software. For one, they can invest in a gaming or high-tech computer with a large RAM capacity that can minimize the chances of the program crashing. They can also research current motion graphics and special effects trends to develop those skills through education and practice. Exploring the interconnected nature of the Adobe Creative Cloud can also help users better situate After Effects in the motion graphics and video production process.

Keeping these training tips and tools in mind, many students may wonder how much a subscription to After Effects costs. Ultimately, their ability to access After Effects depends on their intentions for using the program. Those with smaller, short-term projects may want to enroll in the monthly payment plan, which runs for about $32 per month. Users willing to commit to an entire year can lower this monthly fee to $21. Another way to save money is to pay a $240 annual subscription fee upfront, reducing the average monthly cost to about $20. 

Subscribers looking to access the entire Adobe Creative Cloud can save money when they bundle 20 applications and pay an annual fee of $600. Additional subscription plans for a whole year are also available for $83 per month and $55 per month. Still unsure if After Effects or acquiring the Adobe Creative Cloud are the right decision for you? Users can try out these programs using Adobe’s seven-day free trial to determine which program will work best for them. 

Read about how difficult it is to learn After Effects.

Watch a Free After Effects Online Course

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.

Learn 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.

Key Insights

• New users may need to spend a lot of time practicing with After Effects to help develop their skills and creative talent. 
• Students can expedite their learning process by enrolling in an official in-person or live online training session. 
• Everyone has a different learning style. After Effects users report the highest level of success when combining multiple forms of study and practice. 
• Noble Desktop offers many free and cost-efficient ways to learn After Effects online and in person.