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Skillshare

Top 5 Plugins for Efficiency in Adobe After Effects

via Skillshare

Overview

Learn how to use plugins to enhance your efficiency in Adobe After Effects. Customize your workflow with tools to optimize the tasks you do most.

Plugins are a piece of 3rd party software that adds a specific function, feature, or shortcut to, After Effects. While some plugins add flashy effects to your animations, some are time-saving tools that make animating more efficient. Some plugins are free, and others have a relatively small price tag that pays off big in time saved.

You do NOT need to purchase any plugins before starting this class. You can watch the class to decide if any of the plugins are right for you.

Get a behind-the-scenes look how I use 5 time-saving plugins, on a daily basis, in my professional motion design workflow.

Who this class is for:

If you're a motion designer who's comfortable with the basics of After Effects, and want to optimize your workflow, this class is for you.

To get the most out of this class, you should understands the basics of:

  • using artwork from Illustrator in your After Effects animations
  • creating compositions
  • working with shape layers
  • setting keyframes
  • adjusting the graph editor
  • rendering

Not sure about some of these topics? Check out my other classes to get up to speed.

What you'll learn:

  • Where to buy and how to install plugins
  • Why plugins can be worth paying for

Purchase here. Sorry, the coupon code mentioned in the video is not currently working, but as soon as it's working again I will add it here.

  • transfer artwork from Adobe Illustrator to After Effects (and vice versa) in a flexible way
  • the benefits of working with shape layers
  • how to utilize Illustrator to set keyframes

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  • shortcuts for adjusting the motion of keyframes with the curve editor and curve presets
  • efficient ways of working with colors
  • tons of time saving tools (focus, null, clone, jump, excite, and more)

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  • when and how to copy/paste easing of keyframes without affecting values
  • when and how to copy/paste keyframe values without affecting eases

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  • when joysticks can be useful
  • how to set up a joystick rig
  • when sliders can be useful
  • how to set up a sliders rig

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  • how to quickly export animated .gifs directly from After Effects
  • how this process compares to exporting .gifs through Media Encoder or Photoshop

After this class, check out my other classes, like:

Find me online:

My website

Instagram

Pinterest

YouTube

Some of these links are affiliate links. I get a small cut of the sale, at no cost to you. Even if I didn't get a penny, I'd still recommend these plugins!

Music credit: Underwater by Roa https://soundcloud.com/roa_music1031 Creative Commons — Attribution 3.0 Unported — CC BY 3.0

Syllabus

  • Welcome
  • Plugins 101
  • Class Project
  • Overlord - Set Up
  • Overlord - Core Functions
  • Overlord - Core Functions 2
  • Overlord - Details
  • Overlord - Animation
  • Overlord - Recap
  • Motion - Set Up
  • Motion - Core Functions
  • Motion - Tools
  • Ease Copy - Set Up
  • Ease Copy - Core Functions
  • Joysticks n' Sliders - Set Up
  • Joysticks n' Sliders - Joysticks
  • Joysticks n' Sliders - Sliders
  • GifGun - Set Up
  • GifGun - Core Functions
  • What's Next

Taught by

Megan Friesth

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