An intermediate level instructional guide with tutorials showcasing techniques that will allow readers to create special effects, multi-layer Photoshop and Illustrator files, animation for Web banners, character effects, and other images, and more, using Adobe After Effects. The two CDs contain exercises for the text, and video and music for applications. Softcover.
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review
the worst after-effects book i read so far, September 10, 2003
By
IgorThis book has a large quantity of tutorials but no real quality. I was very disappointed when i got it. Not only are the tutorials very basic but also badly designed. When you look at the pictures and the example-movies of the final results it doesn't really make you want to even read how it was done (with a bit of experience with After Effects you'll already know it anyway).
A lot of the free goodies that were supposed to be on the second CD are missing.
Don't waste your money on this one. Instead I recommend the books "Creating Motion Graphics with After Effects" and "After Effects in production" by Chris and Trish Meyer as well as the "Classroom in a book"-books for version 4 and 5.
Not a good choice, July 12, 2003
By Steffen S Kelsey (Boston, MA USA)
If you have no idea what After Effects is, maybe this is a good choice. If you are impressed with terrible, fake-looking graphics (eg - you are in the third grade), then this book is a good choice. I made the wrong choice.
Things that are nice about the book: it holds your hand and walks you screen to screen, mouse-click to mouse-click, through the tutorials. If you have NO IDEA what you are doing, this is great.
However, the project examples are so terrible, you have no desire to go through the step-by-step process to get to the lame end-results. Who wants fake red drops of "blood" falling from Halloween text? It takes 15 pages to get to something I could blue screen together in 6 seconds in Premiere to impress my dog, my friend's infant, and maybe some ants.
If you are looking to produce something marketable with After Effects, keep right on looking past this book. But, if you know nothing, nothing at all about After Effects and maybe even computers, this book is for you!
Where are the FREE video clips??? (Dishonest Offer), June 11, 2002
By
I was very upset to find that the FREE royalty free clips that came with the book were nowhere to be found. Oddly, there is a readme which suggests the clips SHOULD be on the CD.
The tutorials are for beginners only. Overall a waste of money and a long time searching for something not included as promised on the book cover.
I feel a bit ripped of - sorry, January 27, 2002
By Matt Barker (Wellington New Zealand)
Man, I can't believe I bought this book. It is only for total beginners but it doesn't say that on the editorial. Not only does it lack anything but simple everyday techniques but it also uses tacky project examples (not that I insulted my self by trying any).
Just goes to show, you should always read the Amazon reviews.
After ffects Applying After effects, January 21, 2002
By Fred W. Binger (Buford, GA USA)
Save your money on this book unless you own the
"Production Bundle" of After effects because a lot of
the projects requjire it and you are not told in the
intro that you need it. This book is a waste of money
for the beginner
