After Effects is an Adobe application used to create animation and visual effects. If you are still determining whether or not learning After Effects is right for you, consider reading on to learn more about the myriad uses of After Effects tools and techniques. Not only will learning After Effects open up a number of new career opportunities, but this app also has a lot of potential personal uses.

What is After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a motion graphics application used to design and create special effects. This Academy Award-winning program has been a favorite of film, television, and internet creators since its creation in the early 1990s. 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 offers a way to bring your imagination to life. When combined with the other programs of the Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe After Effects is a great way to make sure a video project stands out from the crowd.

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

Professional Uses for After Effects

After Effects has become the industry-standard for creating motion graphics. In 2019, it won an Academy Award for scientific and technical achievement, with the Academy calling it “The preeminent motion graphics tool in film production.” Using After Effects to create motion graphics and special effects, designers can make content that viewers notice and remember. This application is used in many industries, including film and television, video games, advertising, and website content. 

Design Animated Typography 

Typography is an integral part of any design. In recent years, more and more designers have started using animated text, known as kinetic typography, as part of their videos, websites, social media pages, and advertising campaigns. Compared to static text, animated text is more likely to capture and hold viewers’ attention.

Create Visual Effects 

One of the most common uses of After Effects is to create visual effects. This application gives designers a wide range of creative freedom to manipulate videos after production. For instance, After Effects can put text into a scene, blur out specific areas of a video, retime a video, add weather effects, or manipulate light levels. These are just a few examples of the many different visual effects possible with this application.

Make Animations that Look Hand-Drawn 

Animation is a popular type of media for both children and adults. Many people like the look of traditional, hand-drawn animation. However, creating it is incredibly time-consuming. As a result, a lot of animation is now made on a computer instead since computer animation is much faster. After Effects can create animations with the same look as hand-drawn animation, but it doesn’t take hours to draw.

Create Title Sequences

Films and television shows use title sequences to show viewers the title of the work and the names of all the people involved in creating it. These title sequences are often created with After Effects. The application lets designers use various effects to create engaging and attention-getting sequences.

Craft Social Media Posts

Social media has become wildly popular all over the world. Many businesses use it, and they often post something new every day. However, social media has also become crowded, with millions of photos and hours of video posted daily. Using After Effects to create exciting content can be a great way to stand out from all other content.

Other Uses for After Effects

While most After Effects users are professionals, some utilize the app outside work. After Effects lets users manipulate video in ways that can be a lot of fun. It is also helpful for many different types of personal projects, such as creating a YouTube video or making a slideshow of family photos.

Work On Your Own Creative Projects

After Effects is often used for work, but it can also be used for fun. The app allows users to manipulate graphics and videos in a fun and creative way. For example, a Designer can use After Effects to make it look like a person is disintegrating. They can also completely change the background of a video, making it look like the characters are in a different country or even on a distant planet. 

Create a Collection of Family Photos or Videos

Some people like to preserve family memories by creating a video of important photos or video moments. After Effects is an excellent tool for doing so. It gives users many engaging ways to share their memories with friends and family. Even a collection of still photos can become more eye-catching since After Effects also allows users to add movement to a simple photo slideshow in a way that makes it resemble a video.

Make YouTube Videos 

Many people post videos on YouTube or other websites. For some, posting is a form of self-expression; for others, it is a way to make money. No matter what the reason, most people want others to watch their videos. In fact, hundreds of online posts explain some of the best ways to attract viewers. After Effects can be a great tool to use for creating YouTube videos. Channel owners are more likely to attract viewers by making more interesting content. The most popular YouTube stars make millions of dollars a year by posting creative online content that attracts a lot of viewers.

Learn After Effects Skills with 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 practically covers techniques, 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 developing 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 Takeaways

• After Effects has many different uses, both professional and personal.

• After Effects can be used to make animated typography.
• After Effects helps create a wide range of different visual effects.
• With After Effects, designers can generate animations that look hand-drawn.
• Title sequences for movies and television shows are often done with After Effects.
• Using After Effects, Designers can create social media posts that stand out.
• In addition to being used professionally, After Effects can be used to work on personal projects such as showcasing family photos or making YouTube videos.
• Learning After Effects is easy with Noble Desktop After Effects classes. Noble offers comprehensive training, either in-person or online, to fit a variety of different schedules.