Animation with Adobe After Effects
Animation with Adobe After Effects is a course in motion graphics and visual effects with the current release of After Effects, from keyframes, shape layers and text animation to keying, Roto Brush, 3D, motion tracking and exporting for every channel. It suits newcomers to video production, communications and marketing staff, and content creators who want more polished video.
- Duration18 hours · 3 days
- FormatOnsite / live online
- Next roundOn request
- CertificateIncluded
Course overview
Short-form video, online ads, channel intros and corporate communications call for more professional-looking motion every day, in several sizes for both landscape and vertical screens. Many people start with After Effects and get stuck at stiff movement: they do not know how to make motion smooth, their cut-outs of people look rough, and their exports are too large or the wrong quality for the channel they publish on.
This course works with the current release of Adobe After Effects in Creative Cloud, from video basics, layers, keyframes and the Graph Editor, shape layers and text animation, to masks, track mattes, keying and green screen, Roto Brush and the AI-assisted Object Matte, animating files from Photoshop and Illustrator, and exporting for every channel. It then moves on to 3D layers, cameras, lights and 3D models in the Advanced 3D renderer, motion tracking, Warp Stabilizer and expressions, and closes with a workshop that produces a motion graphics piece in both landscape and vertical formats. (3 days, 6 hours per day, 18 hours in total, Beginner to Intermediate level.)
What you’ll gain
- Understand video basics, including frame size, frame rate and aspect ratios for each channel
- Use layers, keyframes and the Graph Editor to create smooth motion
- Build motion graphics with shape layers, text animation and files from Illustrator and Photoshop
- Composite footage with masks, track mattes, keying, Roto Brush and Object Matte
- Work in 3D with cameras, lights and 3D models in the Advanced 3D renderer
- Use motion tracking, Warp Stabilizer and basic expressions
- Export work with the Render Queue and Media Encoder to suit each channel
Who this course is for
- Beginners who want to create motion graphics and visual effects for video
- Media production, communications and marketing staff in the public and private sectors
- Video editors and content creators who want more professional-looking work
- Graphic designers who want to bring still designs to life
Prerequisites
- Comfortable with Windows or macOS and managing files
- Some Photoshop or Illustrator experience will help you progress faster
- No previous experience with After Effects or video editing is needed
- An Adobe account with After Effects installed from Creative Cloud (a paid plan or a trial)
Curriculum
Course Details
This is the 2026 edition of the Animation with Adobe After Effects course, which previously referred to After Effects CS6. It runs for 3 days, 6 hours per day (18 hours in total, 09:00-16:00), as lectures with a lab in every section, at Beginner to Intermediate level. The content has been updated for the current Creative Cloud release of After Effects, focuses on video for
online and vertical screens, uses built-in effects instead of paid third-party plug-ins, and adds the Graph Editor, shape layers, the new track mattes, Roto Brush, Object Matte, Advanced 3D with 3D models and parametric meshes, and expressions. Learners use After Effects from their own Creative Cloud plan, which is a paid service, or a trial. Learners take home the course handbook, footage and sample project files.
Day 1 Animation Fundamentals
Section 1: Video Basics and the After Effects Interface
- HD, Full HD and 4K frame sizes, and 16:9, 1:1 and 9:16 aspect ratios for each channel
- Frame rate, timecode, and how motion graphics differ from visual effects
- The Project, Composition and Timeline panels and the Properties panel
- Set up compositions, import files and keep a project organised
- Preview, cache and settings that keep the application responsive
Section 2: Lab: Layers, Keyframes and the Graph Editor
- Transform properties: position, scale, rotation and opacity
- In and out points, trimming, duplicating and pre-composing
- Keyframes, motion paths and Easy Ease
- Shape speed in the Graph Editor for smooth motion
- Parenting and null objects to control several layers at once
Section 3: Lab: Shape Layers and Illustrator Artwork
- Draw shape layers and adjust fill, stroke and path
- Trim Paths, Repeater and Offset Paths for animated line work
- Import Illustrator files and convert them to shape layers
- Paste vector artwork from Illustrator or SVG as editable shape layers
- Lab: animate an icon and a logo
Section 4: Lab: Text Animation
- Set Thai and English text, and choose fonts licensed for commercial use
- Text animation presets and how to customise them
- Text animators and range selectors to animate characters one by one
- Variable fonts and animating font weight
- Lab: a lower third and an opening title
Section 5: Workshop: A Short Motion Graphics Opener
- Plan the story and a short storyboard before you start
- Combine shapes, text and images, timed to music
- Adjustment layers and basic effects to finish the overall look
- Lab: produce a 10-15 second My Teaser piece
Day 2 Masks, Compositing and Export
Section 6: Lab: Masks, Track Mattes and Blending Modes
- Draw and adjust masks with feather and mask expansion
- Animate mask paths and follow objects with the mask tracker
- Track mattes that reference any layer directly
- Blending modes for combining light, shadow and texture
- Lab: text that appears from behind an object in the shot
Section 7: Lab: Keying and Green Screen
- Shooting green screen: lighting, distance and clothing to avoid
- Remove the green background with Keylight and refine the edges
- Reduce green fringing with spill suppression
- Match colours so the subject blends with the new background
- Lab: composite a person onto a new background
Section 8: Lab: Roto Brush and Object Matte
- Separate a subject from the background with Roto Brush and Refine Edge
- Object Matte: select and track a subject with AI in a single click
- Remove unwanted objects with Content-Aware Fill
- Privacy and consent considerations for people who appear in footage
- Lab: place text behind a person walking through the shot
Section 9: Lab: Photoshop Files and the Puppet Tool
- Import Photoshop files as footage or as a composition with layers
- Prepare a character file in separate parts for animation
- Puppet Position Pins and other pin types for moving characters
- Lab: make a cartoon character raise its arm and wave
Section 10: Lab: Rendering and Exporting for Every Channel
- Export from the Render Queue to H.264 and high-quality master files
- Send work to Adobe Media Encoder and use presets for online video
- Export with an alpha channel for overlaying in an editing application
- Work with Premiere Pro through Dynamic Link
- Collect Files to package a project for handover
Day 3 3D, Tracking, Expressions and Workshop
Section 11: Lab: 3D Layers, Cameras and Lights
- Turn on 3D layers and use the Advanced 3D renderer
- Camera layers and the camera tools
- Light layers for realistic light and shadow
- Depth of field to draw attention to part of the frame
- Lab: a 3D logo scene with a moving camera
Section 12: Lab: 3D Models and Parametric Meshes
- Import 3D models into a composition
- Create basic 3D shapes with parametric meshes
- Apply materials and textures, and light the scene with an environment light
- Lab: a rotating 3D product shot for a short ad
Section 13: Lab: Motion Tracking and Warp Stabilizer
- Reduce camera shake with Warp Stabilizer
- One-point and two-point motion tracking to attach text to an object
- The 3D Camera Tracker for placing elements into live-action scenes
- Fixing tracks that drift and adjusting track points
- Lab: pin a text sign into a shot with a moving camera
Section 14: Lab: Expressions and Advanced Effects
- Basic expressions: wiggle(), loopOut() and time
- Link values between layers with the pick whip
- Texture and particle effects such as Fractal Noise and CC Particle World
- Glow, gradients and glitch looks with built-in effects
- An overview of third-party plug-ins and their licensing
Section 15: Workshop: Producing Landscape and Vertical Motion Graphics
- Plan a motion graphics piece or intro for an organisation
- Produce it in 16:9 using techniques from all three days
- Adapt it to 9:16 for short-form social video
- Check the rights to fonts, music and footage before publishing
- Export the work, present it and gather feedback
Schedule & training options
For individuals — public rounds
No public rounds are open right now. Join the waiting list and we will contact you first when the next round opens, or ask us on LINE. Or call 02-570-8449 or 088-807-9770
For organisations — in-house / private
- Tailor the content to your team’s tools and projects
- Your dates, at your office or live online
- Quotation with tax ID for procurement
Instructors
Frequently asked questions
What is a keyframe in After Effects and how does it work?
A keyframe records the value of a property, such as position, scale, rotation or opacity, at a particular point on the timeline. When you set two or more keyframes with different values, After Effects calculates the values in between, which creates the movement. Easy Ease and the Graph Editor then shape the speed so motion feels natural, and keyframes can drive effect settings too.
What are the steps to composite green-screen footage in After Effects?
Start by shooting against an evenly lit green screen, with the subject standing away from it to reduce shadows and green spill. Import the clip into After Effects, use Keylight to remove the green, refine the edges and suppress green fringing, then place the new background on a layer underneath and match the colours. Where there is no green screen, Roto Brush or Object Matte can separate the subject instead.
What is Warp Stabilizer and what is it used for?
Warp Stabilizer is an After Effects effect that analyses the motion in a clip and compensates for it to reduce camera shake from handheld shooting. You apply it to a layer, wait for the analysis, then choose between smoother motion or a locked-off look and adjust the smoothness. It may crop or scale the image slightly to hide the moving edges.
Who is Animation with Adobe After Effects for, and what background do I need?
It suits beginners who want to create motion graphics and effects for video, media, communications and marketing staff, video editors, content creators and graphic designers. You should be comfortable with Windows or macOS; some Photoshop or Illustrator experience helps, but no After Effects experience is needed. You need After Effects from your own Creative Cloud plan or a trial.
What can I do after completing Animation with Adobe After Effects?
You will be able to create smooth motion with keyframes and the Graph Editor, build motion graphics with shape layers and text animation, composite with masks, keying, Roto Brush and Object Matte, create 3D scenes with cameras, lights and 3D models, use motion tracking and Warp Stabilizer, and export landscape and vertical versions for each channel, with a finished workshop piece to show.
Which version of After Effects does the course use?
The course uses the current Creative Cloud release of After Effects (2026) and follows the latest version on the training day. Newer features such as Object Matte, Advanced 3D and parametric meshes need an up-to-date version, while fundamentals such as keyframes, masks and keying also work in earlier releases. Learners use their own Creative Cloud plan, which is a paid service, or a trial.