Adobe After Effects 5.0 [With CDROM]

by Adobe Creative Team

Adobe After Effects is a tool for creating motion graphics and visual effects for film, video, multimedia, and the Web. Introducing video, Web, and film producers to After Effects, this book shows how... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: CD-ROM
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0201741318
• ISBN13: 9780201741315
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: Adobe Press
• Weight: 1.69 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 7.4" x 9.1"

Customer Reviews

Careful, complete introduction

Having written training material myself, I know how difficult it is to write for every contingency, considering everything a novice might do wrong. The authors of this book have done a great job at presenting instructions clearly and completely, so that even an absolute newbie at After Effects like myself can follow every lesson. Various checkpoints allow you to verify that you are on the right track. The lessons are very clear and easy to follow, and I appreciate the continuity in presenting an entire project throughout the book, so that I feel I am really accomplishing something. After just a few lessons, I feel that I am grasping what After Effects is all about.In general, these series of books are a great way to get hands-on experience with highly technical products, and I recommend them enthusiastically.

A decent place to start

This isn't the best book on After Effects available, but it is the best beginner book for learning AFX. Like all of Adobe's classroom in a book series, it starts at the basics and works towards more intermediate concepts. "Creating High Impact Motion Graphics" by Trish/Chris Meyer takes over from the intermediate stuff and takes the reader to and beyond the advanced parts of the program (without a doubt, the best book on AFX available -but too complex, and not intended for a beginner).Anyway, back to this book, step by step instructions let you follow along at your own pace, and the CD-ROM provides you with the material. The book is not a reference book, and will only benefit you if you read it (ie. show up for the classes). But definately a good way to start learning After Effects.

Great Starter....

There are some valid observations made by the other reviewers. I am new to After Effects, and started by buying the Visual Quick Pro Guide for 5.0. I soon realized that After Effects is a deep, complicated program, with little in common with Adobe Premiere. I didn't find the Quick Pro book at all helpful in getting started, though I am sure it will be a great reference book later. The Class Room in a book will get you going using After Effects right away. I guess you have to ask yourself how do you learn best? Buy reading a 600 page text cover to cover and then sitting down and hoping you can use the program, or by getting started on a practice project right this instant. I prefer the latter, hands-on method, and that is exactly what Classroom in a Book offers. I disagree with the comment that its only one project. It's many little projects that get combined into one large one, but the individual projects are useful to themselves. Ever wonder how to make a lens flare fade up and then down while moving across the screen? You'll find out in lesson 2, and believe me, its a useful thing to know. I think the book is great for what its purpose is, to get you using the program right away. I WOULD reccomend it as a first book, but you will need something more comprehensive later, like the Quick Pro Guide. Like the author states "Don't learn how to drive from A to Z, learn how to navigate". This book will get you driving right away, and when you're finished, you'll have a much better idea of where you want to go and how you'll get there with After Effects.

a good teaser

I just finished this book's tutorials. I really learned a lot but got confused a few times and I had to keep a very good track of the many steps involved. I didn't know sometimes what I was working on and toward the end of the project I felt like I was putting pieces together blindfolded. This is maybe due to the huge size of the overall project. I had to make sure I didn't miss any step and I spent maybe too much time cheking my work's progress. Except for that I learn a great deal, my knowledge of AE was very basic and I got a peek at a great deal of useful features. This is not a referance book and as they say "refer to the Adobe online help for more informations". It gave me a good grasp of what AE can do, and helped me a right away simplifying production and solving problems with my work.

Excellent

This would not be the first book I would buy if you're just learning AE, but if you've been using it for awhile this is a fantastic book.Beginners will probably agree that it's not the easiest way to get a handle on AE, a lot of the book is written in very simplistic terms .. not really explaining things. But if you're an intermediate to advanced user it's a nifty read that has many good idea's for designing in AE.The design firm "Belief" wrote the book and take you step-by-step through one big project, breaking it down into pieces along the way. I for one, loved the way the book was set-up. However (and thus the reason for 4-stars and not 5), I don't think this book would be very beginner friendly.For newbies, check out Trish and Chris Meyer's book on AE. Much better if you want to learn the in's and out's of AE.But if you're looking to take the next step in you AE skills, this is a definite "must-buy!"