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After Effects 5.0 Basic Skills 1
(16 hours)

Course Description
This course will teach the basics of the After Effects 5.0 application package. You will learn about the world of 2D motion graphics, compositing and visual effects. Prerequisites: Completion of the Adobe Photoshop 6.0 Basic Skills 1 and 2 courses, general graphics background and experience with Adobe Illustrator, and/or Premiere helpful. (Text is included with the course fee)

Performance-Based Objectives
Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

· Import footage and set up a composition in After Effects.
· Utilize the timeline and keyframes to animate layers of a composition.
· Apply effects to elements of a composition and preview audio and video.
· Create and animate text in a composition.
· Apply techniques to create complex animations and render compositions as QuickTime movies.
· Composite video clips inside one another and with still images.

Course Content
Lesson 1: Setting Up an After Effects Composition
Starting an After Effects Project
Setting Up a Composition

Lesson 2: Animating Compositions
Scaling an After Effects Composition Layer
Rotating an After Effects Composition Layer
Creating a Motion Path
Synchronizing Motion

Lesson 3: Adding Effects to Your Composition
Applying a Drop Shadow Effect
Adjustment Layers
Nesting Compositions
Using the RAM Preview Function to Preview a Composition

Lesson 4: Creating Titles and Animating Text
Creating Titles Using the Basic Text Effect
Animating Text in the Title-Safe Zone
The In/Out Panels in the Timeline Window
Exporting a Movie Directly to QuickTime

Lesson 5: Animation and Keyframe Techniques
Identifying Types of Keyframes
Creating Position Keyframes and Previewing Your Composition
Modifying Shapes to Simulate Impact
Adjusting Motion Paths
Duplicating Layers
Rendering Movies With the Render Queue

Lesson 6: Compositing Video
Importing Video Clips and Dragging Them to the Composition Window
Using the Time Stretch Command and Frame Blending
Setting Keyframes and Animating Video Layers
Compositing Video and Still Images

Text
After Effects 5.0: Introduction for Windows by Element K Press

Course Requirements
Students must complete at 80% of the scheduled course, and score a minimum of 70% on a final end of course test.