Which After Effects Training Format Is Right for Me?

Take a second to scroll through your social media feed or watch a few commercial breaks on a streaming platform or your television. What advertisements, videos, and other forms of media stand out and linger in your mind long after you unplug for the day? More likely than not, it will be the media that utilizes multiple forms of motion graphics and special effects to capture the viewer’s eye and hold their attention. When combined with other Adobe Programs, After Effects creates these incredible visual effects that can launch your business, personal brand, or simple internet presence to new levels of influence.

While the value of learning After Effects is pretty self-explanatory, figuring out the best way to master this program can be much more difficult. Luckily, new and advanced After Effects artists can use the following guide to identify which learning format will work best for their financial, learning style, and scheduling needs. 

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. 

Training Formats for After Effects

A little bit of self-reflection can go a long way when it comes to picking out a training format to learn After Effects. Self-driven students with busy schedules and excellent visual processing skills may choose to pursue self-directed free online courses or on-demand classes. Conversely, students who thrive in a community-based environment where they can learn with and from their instructors and peers may gravitate towards in-person or live online After Effects training. Many successful students even choose a combination of these formats to ensure maximum retention of the material covered in these different formats. 

In-Person After Effects Training

Students that thrive in traditional academic environments may want to begin learning After Effects through in-person classes and workshops. In-person classes vary in length and complexity based on the goals and objectives of the participants. Industry professionals frequently teach in-person classes and are available to answer questions and provide assistance throughout the course. Those looking for a quick but comprehensive overview of After Effects may consider enrolling in a 3-day to week-long boot camp. Contrastingly, those looking to pursue a career that regularly uses Premiere Pro would probably gravitate toward a longer certificate program. 

Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, is an excellent resource for identifying which in-person course will best fit your schedule and overall goals. Students that live in New York may want to pursue an in-person class on Noble Desktop’s Midtown-Manhattan campus, where they can enroll in an After Effects in a Day workshop or an 18-hour After Effects Bootcamp. Both classes walk students through the basics of using After Effects to create animated graphics and logos and prepare participants for independent or continued study. 

Students that live outside of the Manhattan area can also benefit from Noble Desktop’s After Effects Classes Near Me tool. This search engine allows aspiring After Effects users to compare and contrast brick-and-mortar classes to identify those most conveniently located and that offer courses that work with their schedules. Ledet Training, for example, offers short-term introductory and intermediate After Effect courses in almost every major city in the United States. Students with a background in Photoshop looking to refine their skills in After Effects may also want to consider intermediate courses from Future Media concepts in cities such as Chicago, New York City, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., and Orlando. Visit Noble Desktop today and discover the course that will launch your career.

Live Online After Effects Training

Many students are searching for alternatives to the traditional classroom environment and the need to commute to acquire a collegiate-level education. Many students, for example, are discovering the benefits of live online learning. Like in-person classes, live-online workshops and courses feature instruction from skilled professionals who are available to answer questions and provide assistance throughout the course. Nevertheless, students can set up their ideal working environment and avoid the distractions of a traditional classroom. Several live online classes even offer career support and one-on-one mentoring opportunities to live online students. 

Many students gravitate to live online training when building their After Effects skill sets. The general structure of live online courses mimics those of in-person classes, where professional experts tend to balance lectures and demonstrations with hands-on assignments and experience. Live online training centers even offer opportunities for one-on-one mentoring and networking with your professors and classmates. Designed for students with busy schedules and multiple responsibilities, live online classes tend to occur during accessible times for those who work during business hours or have other commitments that may prevent them from attending in-person classes. 

Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers several live online learning opportunities for students looking to develop and enhance their After Effects skills. Beginner or casual After Effects users may wish to enroll in Noble Desktop’s After Effects Bootcamp or After Effects in a Day course. These short-term classes teach students how to animate text and graphics, create title sequences and end credits, and start creating 3D objects. 

Participants looking to pursue a career in computer animation and motion graphics development may wish to enroll in one of Noble Desktop’s highly-rated certificate programs. Enhance your skills and round out your resume by enrolling in the Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate Course or Motion Graphics Certificate Course. These multi-month classes walk students through multiple Adobe Programs necessary to create original visual content like Audition, After Effects, and Premiere Pro. These certificate programs prepare students to enter the workforce with the confidence and skills necessary to succeed in their chosen careers. 

Unsure which course to take? Check out Noble Desktop’s list of the Best After Effects Courses Online. This helpful resource allows students to compare live online and on-demand courses' costs, duration, and curriculum.

Free Online Courses & Tutorials

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.

On-Demand Classes

In-person classes mimic a more traditional learning style and context that anyone who attended public or private school will recognize. Students enrolled in these classes frequently learn from industry titans through project-based curriculums and hands-on experience. Four-year universities and specific technical colleges such as Training Connection and Ledet Training often host these courses throughout the United States. Noble Desktop offers its highly rated After Effects Bootcamp and After Effects in a Day at its Manhattan campus. Unable to make it to Manhattan? Use Noble Desktop’s After Effects Classes Near Me tool to find one in your area! 

Comparison of After Effects Training Formats

Imagine your ideal After Effects training format. Are you in a classroom or working from a desk at home? Does an instructor dictate your schedule? Or do you have the freedom to choose when and where you study? Does the thought of not being able to ask an instructor for clarification sound intimidating or like a fun challenge of individual discovery? By considering these questions, you begin the first steps in determining if in-person, live online, or self-paced training is the best learning format for Adobe After Effects. 

In-person, live online, and self-paced training options positively and negatively influence students’ decisions to use them during their After Effects training. Live online and in-person classes are great for those who thrive in community-based environments and are working to build their professional networks. These students frequently benefit from opportunities for individualized and tailored instruction. Instructors also structure these classes to be more hands-on and project-based than on-demand formats that are asynchronous and do not provide opportunities for structured feedback. Students also benefit from on-campus computer labs with instruments designed to run Adobe programs. Nevertheless, these students will still have to modify their personal computers to run these applications if they plan to use this program outside of class. 

Students that enroll in live online and on-demand After Effects classes benefit from the lack of commute to local colleges and tech schools. Beyond saving on commuting costs, on-demand courses are also a cost-effective way to learn the basics of this program on a budget. Nevertheless, those pursuing a career in special effects, motion graphics, and other forms of visual media production will still need to enroll in more advanced live online or in-person classes to learn more advanced techniques. 

Before determining which training format will work for you, here is a little secret: the best After Effects users do not limit themselves to a single learning opportunity. Depending on where they are in their After Effects journey, a motion graphics artist may use a combination of two or more training formats. These different formats help them learn and retain the ins and outs of After Effects using different teaching techniques. 

Regardless of the combinations of training formats you choose, Noble Desktop can help you find the program that best fits your educational, financial, and scheduling needs. Interested in learning the basics of After Effects with on-demand training? Check out Noble Desktop’s Best After Effects Training on Demand list. Would you like to avoid the distractions of in-person learning? Noble Desktop’s Top Live Online After Effects Courses search engine allows students to compare and contrast the best live online classes available. Looking for an instructor is a little closer to home? Use Noble Desktop’s Best After Effects Classes Near Me tool to take the guesswork out of which program will best fit your needs. Get the most out of your After Effects program with the help of Noble Desktop.

Is it Possible to Teach Yourself After Effects?

With the wealth of free and easily accessible resources available on the internet, many After Effects users may be tempted to try to teach themselves how to use After Effects through independent study. Despite the wealth of articles, blog posts, and tutorials, many motion graphic artists struggle to create a cohesive personal curriculum using the disparate information available. While After Effects users may be able to name all After Effects tools after a week or two of independent study, these artists can rarely piece together the multi-step processes necessary to complete even the most basic edits. This situation becomes even direr when users try to integrate other Adobe Creative Cloud applications into their video-making process.

 Rather than wasting time trying to sift through the hundreds of After Effects video tutorials, many students instead turn to structured learning programs in on-demand, in-person, and live online formats. Having an instructor, either asynchronously or synchronously, walk you through the various tools and techniques necessary to use After Effects can make or break your ability to use this intricate program. Continue reading to learn more about these learning formats and things you can consider when choosing which class is best for your scheduling needs and learning style. 

How to Decide the Best Way to Learn After Effects

All Adobe After Effects users can benefit from formal and informal training opportunities, regardless of their technical training and capabilities. There are educational opportunities for all learning styles and schedules, from on-demand, live-online, and in-person courses to free video tutorials and blog posts. But which program will ultimately help you reach your goals? The following section helps you decide which learning format and resources best suit your needs. 

If you are a beginner or an After Effect user looking to casually refine your skills, you may want to consider exploring free opportunities to learn how to use After Effects. Noble Desktop, the creator of this tool, offers several free resources to After Effects users. These opportunities cover the program broadly or focus on developing specific skills rather than providing a more comprehensive overview that you would likely encounter with more formal training. Those that enjoy learning through reading articles and opinion pieces should check out Learn After Effects resource guide, which provides free blog posts, tips, and tutorials for using After Effects. You can also explore live online learning through Noble Desktop’s Free Technical Training Seminars if you wish to pursue a more formal educational opportunity. You can even watch recordings of past seminars to jump-start your learning journey, such as the Get Started in Motion Graphics or Intro to After Effects course. 

After Effects users looking to understand this program more intimately should consider taking advantage of a short but intense learning opportunity that will rapidly grow and expand your personal and professional toolkit. For students looking for in-person learning opportunities, Noble Desktop offers it's After Effects Classes Near Me search engine that curates and compares the best programs in your area. Industry professionals frequently teach these courses and are available to answer questions and offer individualized help. 

Those that would like a way to learn After Effects in the environment of their choice should check out Noble Desktop’s list of the best Live Online and On-Demand After Effects Classes. If you would like to skip the research and go straight for a highly-rated learning opportunity that will take you from novice to expert in only a few days, look no further than Noble Desktops’ After Effects Bootcamp and After Effects in a Day class. These courses allow you to learn from industry titans around the world from the comfort of your home or office and are available on a part-time or full-time basis. 

If you are planning to use your After Effects knowledge to jumpstart a new career or impress a current employer with your special effects skills, the best way to demonstrate your talent is to acquire a Video Editing or Video Editing and Motion Graphics Certificate. Rather than focusing on a specific application or technique, these certificate programs teach users how to use multiple editing software such as After Effect, Audition, and Premiere Pro to create original and composite content from start to finish. These classes can be taken in person at Noble Desktop’s Manhattan campus or live online anywhere. Make your next big career move with Noble Desktop.

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.