Discover the Best After Effects Classes in Chicago
Adobe After Effects (Ae) is a motion graphics and visual effects tool that is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud. After Effects is used in the post-production phase to create animated titles, graphics, and special effects in videos. Ae lets you create composites from multiple elements like 2D and 3D images and text, then add an audio track. Adobe’s Creative Cloud products all integrate together, so you can start a project in Photoshop or Illustrator and finish it in After Effects. You can design infographics or animated GIFs to upload to social media using After Effects and other Creative Cloud products. Some Animators use the program to create animated videos from start to finish.
Why Learn After Effects
If you want to switch to a career as a Motion Graphics Designer or Special Effects Artist, learning After Effects is a good step in that direction. After Effects is used to create film titles and end credits for films and television programs. You can animate logos and icons, for videos, websites, and mobile apps. After Effects is also used to remove a green screen in post-production and replace cell phone, computer, and television screens in TV shows and movies. You can create animated effects with the rotoscoping and motion tracking tools, and put together a library of favorite plugins to use over and over in your projects.
After Effects has been around for many years and is well-known when it comes to motion graphics and visual effects. Learning this powerful product can be a challenge, so many people sign up for a class to make the process easier.
Best After Effects Classes & Schools in Chicago
Adobe After Effects Level 1 Ascend Training - Near North Side 11 E. Illinois, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611
Students will get an introduction to Adobe After Effects and then move on to creating compositions, basic animation techniques, and working with keyframes, layers, effects, modes, masks, and mattes. At the completion of this course, students will be able to create video projects including animation for websites and broadcast media.
Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites, but a basic knowledge of computers is necessary for success in this class.
Duration: Part-time course with two 3-hour sessions
Price: $449
Adobe After Effects Level 2 Ascend Training - Near North Side 11 E. Illinois, 6th Floor, Chicago, IL 60611
This intermediate After Effects class moves beyond Level 1 into more complex operations like creating compositions from multiple images, both still and video. The course will also cover using layers and keyframes, drawing and painting tools, animation, working with audio, time and tracking, working in 3D space, and rending the final product.
Prerequisites: Students need a basic knowledge of working with Adobe After Effects, either from taking a prior class or experience.
Duration: Two 6-hour sessions
Price: $999
After Effects Part 1 Computer Training Source, Inc. 1821 Walden Office Sq Ste 400, At Arbor Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173
In this beginner’s After Effects class, students will learn about the workflow, how to customize the workspace, import files, add audio, create a composition and arrange layers, adding effects and animation, understanding the timeline, and rendering and exporting the finished video. The course will also address rotoscoping, chroma keying, and advanced editing techniques like camera stabilization, motion tracking, particle effects, and timewarp.
Prerequisites: There are no formal prerequisites, but a basic knowledge of computers is necessary for success in this class.
Duration: Full-time course with three 7-hour sessions
Price: $999
After Effects Part 2 Computer Training Source, Inc. 1821 Walden Office Sq Ste 400, At Arbor Drive, Schaumburg, IL 60173
This intermediate/advanced-level After Effects class covers animating multimedia presentations, working with the 3D tracker effect, and rendering and outputting with Adobe Media Encoder.
Prerequisites: It is recommended that students take an introductory After Effects course before enrolling in this one.
Duration: Two 3-hour sessions
Price: $699
Chicago Industries That Use After Effects
Two industries that hire people with After Effects skills are motion graphics companies and advertising agencies. Some studios take on all kinds of graphic design work and others specialize in motion graphics. Some motion graphics companies located in Chicago are What a Story, Bottle Rocket Media, Social Driver, Skalawag Productions, Umault, Demo Duck, INDIRAP, and Flightless.
Advertising agencies create campaigns for print, digital, and broadcast media and often hire Motion Graphics Designers for animated text and image work. Some advertising agencies located in Chicago are encite branding + marketing + creative, the Remnant Agency, SGK, Comrade Digital Marketing Agency, Social Driver, Bijou Studios, and 97 Switch
After Effects Jobs & Salaries in Chicago
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook there are 180 Special Effects Artists and Animators working in Chicago earning an annual mean wage of around $71,000. There are around 8,000 people working as Graphic Designers in the area at a yearly mean wage of $62,000.
