Best 10 After Effects Tutorials

Arek Dvornechuck
11 min readFeb 22, 2022

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Best After Effects Tutorials For Motion Designers

If you are looking for the best Adobe After Effects tutorials to improve your abilities? — Here’s my compilation of the best tutorials for you.

Adobe After Effects is the industry standard when it comes to motion graphics, animated illustration, and VFX editing.

What are the best After Effects tutorials?

With numerous After Effects tutorials available online, finding the ones that are genuinely useful can be challenging.

Here are the best After Effects tutorials for beginners and pros to get you started.

10 Best After Effects Tutorials

  1. After Effects CC for Beginners — Free
  2. Adobe After Effects for Beginners — $24 (On Sale!)
  3. Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start — $24 (On Sale!)
  4. Introduction to After Effects — $7
  5. VFX Compositing & Visual Effects — $78
  6. Adobe After Effects: Complete Course — $97.57
  7. Advanced After Effects — $7
  8. Simple Intro in After Effects — Free
  9. After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design — $14 (On Sale!)
  10. After Effects Text Write-on Technique — Free

What is Adobe After Effects?

After Effects is a component of Adobe’s Creative Suite and is included in cloud plans.

This software is already included in the full suite, but you can download it separately if that’s all you need.

What is Adobe After Effects?

Adobe After Effects is a video and animation editing program that lets you add effects to your videos and animations.

Within minutes, you can create cinematic visual effects and motion graphics with Adobe After Effects software.

Adobe After Effects

For more seamless video production, most designers utilize it to generate titles, intros, and transitions between footage.

It also includes built-in text and shape extrusion, mask feathering choices, and a quick, easy-to-use 3D Camera Tracker, allowing you to expand your creativity.

There is a free 7-day trial for After Effects available both for PC and Mac.

With this seven-day trial from Adobe, you can try the latest version of this editing software for free.

How to Get Adobe CC For Free

We have compiled a list of the 10 After Effects tutorials that we believe every motion designer should watch.

1. After Effects CC for Beginners (Udemy)

Jordan Dueck is an Udemy instructor that works as a freelance filmmaker and video editor in Vancouver, Canada.

Learn the fundamentals of After Effects in this entire beginner’s course.

After Effects CC For Beginners is ideal for beginners seeking a free tutorial about After Effects.

After Effects CC for Beginners (Udemy)

This course targets beginners in After Effects who want to learn the basics of this video editing software.

It includes step-by-step lessons and hands-on exercises that can help develop your skill more.

Udemy, real-world masters will show you the ins and outs of this powerful video editing program.

With Udemy’s After Effects CC For Beginners course, you can take your video editing talents to the next level.

This course is meant to quickly and easily teach you the basics of After Effects.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 1 hour
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: Free

What You’ll Learn

  1. Getting to know the Software Interface
  2. Work using multiple layers.
  3. Making basic adjustments and effects.
  4. Manipulation of your video.
  5. Dynamic effects
  6. Putting together an entire 3D animated scene.

Check out and enroll in After Effects CC For Beginners.

2. Adobe After Effects for Beginners (Creative Live)

Jeff Foster is an Adobe Certified Expert and the author of multiple VFX books on computer technology, animation, and video production.

Learn how to create engaging motion graphics from an expert.

Adobe After Effects for Beginners is a good basic course aimed and created for absolute beginners.

Adobe After Effects for Beginners (Creative Live)

This course will teach you how to make compelling motion graphics and export them so that you may share your work with others.

Adobe After Effects for Beginners will show you how to import your Photoshop images into After Effects.

This is part of the Adobe Creative Apps for Beginners week-long program.

This video can reduce everything down to the most basic principles, which will alleviate some of your anxiety when you begin the course.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 4 hours and 59 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: $24 (On Sale!)

What You’ll Learn

  1. Introduction to After Effects.
  2. The basics of animation.
  3. 3D dimension exploration and logo animation.
  4. Stabilization, tracking, and time.
  5. Slowing down and speeding up time.
  6. Green screen composting.

Check out and enroll in Adobe After Effects for Beginners.

3. Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start (Creative Live)

Chad Perkins is an award-winning filmmaker and author based in Seattle, Washington, who has worked with post-production technologies like Adobe After Effects for over a decade.

Learn how to animate text or generate transitional effects with this quick start tutorial.

With this Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start, you’ll learn how to enhance your video productions skills.

Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start (Creative Live)

This course is ideal if you want to brush up on the fundamentals and have a better understanding of Adobe After Effects.

An award-winning filmmaker and author will guide you through the process of learning how to use this amazing motion software.

This course will teach you how to get started on a project and how to make the most of the various techniques to make a video come alive.

With Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start, you will learn how to use Adobe After Effects tools and features that can transform your video from basic to pro.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 4 Hours and 31 Minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: $24 (On Sale!)

What You’ll Learn

  1. Introduction to After Effects.
  2. Importing assets and creating compositions.
  3. Making basic adjustments and effects.
  4. Learn how to work with layers.
  5. The 5 basic properties.
  6. Creating text and understanding animation.

Check out and enroll in Adobe After Effects CC Quick Start.

4. Introduction to After Effects (Domestika)

Carlos “Zenzuke” Albarran has worked as a creative director, 2D, and 3D animator, and motion graphics animator for more than a decade.

Learn how to work with video in a more creative approach.

Introduction to After Effects will help you in learning this Adobe software from scratch.

Introduction to After Effects (Domestika)

To be able to work efficiently, you must first learn the interface and workflow of After Effects.

You will learn everything you need to know to become an animation design professional through practical learning sessions.

Introduction to After Effects will provide you with a strategy for becoming an advanced motion designer that is both rigorous and resourceful.

At the end of the course, Zenzuke will show you how to use advanced motion graphics techniques, tricks, and scripts to extend the capabilities of After Effects.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 14 hours and 2 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English and Spanish
  4. Price: $7 (On Sale!)

What You’ll Learn

  1. Basic concepts of workflow, timeline, and masks.
  2. 3D space in After Effects.
  3. Motion graphics, layers, and text animation.
  4. Effects and animation for post-production.
  5. Introduction to advanced After Effects.

Check out and enroll in Introduction to After Effects.

5. VFX Compositing & Visual Effects (Udemy)

Muhammad Jawad works as a freelance VFX Artist and a VFX Artist by trade. As a result.

Learn the best way to create your own dazzling videos the Hollywood way.

VFX Compositing & Visual Effects is a course that will help you to make magical videos through VFX compositing and visual effects.

VFX Compositing & Visual Effects (Udemy)

Adobe After Effects is a renowned VFX compositing software that is used by professional VFX artists all over the world to create a variety of videos.

This VFX Compositing & Visual Effects course is the best method to get started crafting your own Hollywood-style spectacular videos.

This is a project-based course in which you will learn how to use After Effects to create spectacular visual effects.

Those who want to create different kinds of Sci-fi, Fantasy, and Magical scenes like Hollywood movies at home with a low budget like using just their mobile phone and basic software.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 6 hours and 13 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Intermediate
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: $78

What You’ll Learn

  1. VFX Compositing in Adobe After Effects.
  2. Create Force Push and Loop Video effects.
  3. Create Futuristic Holographic Mobile Interface.
  4. Create flying effect and shrinking effect.
  5. Do Motion Tracking and animate graphics in After Effects
  6. Insert background music and sound effects.

Check out and enroll in VFX Compositing & Visual Effects.

6. Adobe After Effects: Complete Course (Udemy)

Louay Zambarakji is the instructor of the highest-rated and best-sellers After Effects courses in Udemy.

Learn the fundamentals of After Effects in this complete course from beginner to advanced.

Adobe After Effects: Complete Course is the most comprehensive, best-selling, and highest-rated course in Udemy.

Adobe After Effects: Complete Course (Udemy)

New sections are uploaded on a regular basis to provide you with the whole Adobe After Effects CC Course.

The Ultimate Learning Experience, including Hands-On Practice Activities and tutorials to solidify and deepen your knowledge.

This will provide you with very descriptive and easy-to-follow, step-by-step procedures, which was incredibly beneficial.

The spirit of compositing, putting together Visual Effects, and Motion Graphics is comprehensively taught throughout the course.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 34 hours and 30 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: $97.57

What You’ll Learn

  1. How to use all After Effects features.
  2. Methods and techniques used in After Effects.
  3. Motion graphics and animation.
  4. Visual effects and compositing.
  5. Complete guide in special effects.

Check out and enroll in Adobe After Effects: Complete Course.

7. Advanced After Effects (Domestika)

Zenzuke has been teaching motion graphics and 3D animation for 6 years in Madrid as well as online through Domestika.

Learn how to explore the features of After Effects to improve your project quality.

Advanced After Effects is recommended for amateur and professional After Effects users.

Advanced After Effects (Domestika)

The course starts with mastering advanced ways for using After Effect’s basic motion graphics tools, such as shape layers and text animators.

You will then learn how to combine After Effects with other products including Premiere, Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma, as well as vice versa.

Advanced After Effects will give you several tips and methods for making your After Effects workflow much faster and more efficient

You’ll be able to render everything you can think of, including creating a 3D area, improving site designs, and assisting with video editing.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 17 hours and 14 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Advanced
  3. Language: English and Spanish
  4. Price: $7

What You’ll Learn

  1. How to shape layers and text animations.
  2. Learn about flexible templates and composition.
  3. Movement and expression of characters.
  4. How to integrate with other software.
  5. Tips and tricks about post-production

Check out and enroll in Advanced After Effects.

8. Simple Intro in After Effects (Tech Infusion)

Tech Infusion creates high-quality tutorials to assist you in your goal to become a filmmaker, video editor, or motion graphic artist.

Learn how to create simple and yet professional looking intro with this video tutorial.

Simple Intro in After Effects is a fantastic, fast and yet smooth, and direct-to-the-point tutorial.

Simple Intro in After Effects (Tech Infusion)

This video tutorial will help you how in making a super clean intro with its step-by-step guide.

This lesson walks you through the full process of creating an eye-catching intro in a span of minutes.

The tutorial is a bit fast as it was done for more than just 8 minutes, but you can slow down as you go over the tutorial.

Simple Intro in After Effects is very helpful for those who are just starting their motion graphics designing journeys.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 8 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Intermediate
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: Free

What You’ll Learn

  1. Create a simple intro in After Effects.
  2. Step by step guide in making a super clean intro.
  3. Setting up and adding effects.
  4. Adding transitions.
  5. Learn about the liquid effect.

Check out Simple Intro in After Effects.

9. After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design (Creative Live)

Chris Converse Chris has over 25 years of experience in graphic design, interactive and animated media, with a unique focus on both design and development.

Learn how to use After Effects in any projects, even in Photoshop.

After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design course will give you ideas on how to use AE for print, illustration, web, and picture compositing.

After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design (Creative Live)

In minutes, you’ll be able to produce stunning artwork for your articles, picture compositions, and blog entries.

With After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design, you will also learn keying tools you can use in working with silhouettes.

You can get ideas for creating customized artwork and amazing After Effects in a quarter of the time.

This will greatly aid you in understanding how to collaborate with Adobe software to produce outstanding artwork.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 29 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: $14 (On sale!)

What You’ll Learn

  1. Develop your digital creativity skills.
  2. Create native Photoshop documents from your artwork.
  3. Use your pictures to tell more interesting stories.
  4. Generate textures and natural phenomena.
  5. Create illustration elements for your photo composites.
  6. Learn Lighting Effects, particles, and add 2D to a 360-degree photo.

Check out and enroll in After Effects and Photoshop for Graphic Design.

10. After Effects Text Write-on Technique (Black Mixture)

Black Mixture is a group of animators and art nerds who develop design and media production videos.

Discover write-on effect, the most prevalent techniques in motion designing.

After Effects Text Write-on Technique will provide you with tutorials on how to make text written-on effects without any plugins.

After Effects Text Write-on Technique (Black Mixture)

I understand that working with text in After Effects might be intimidating because the options are unlimited.

But this tutorial will show you how to use the uploader’s favorite elements pack to take it to the next level.

This animation technique uses masks to simulate the natural motion of handwriting text through the After Effects Text Write-on Technique.

This is useful when animating reveals animations for logos, titles, and other motion graphic elements.

Course Details

  1. Duration: 20 minutes
  2. Experience Level: Beginners/Intermediate
  3. Language: English
  4. Price: Free

What You’ll Learn

  1. Create write-on effects without any plugins.
  2. Learn smooth and basic text animation in After Effects.
  3. Simple and easy-to-understand step-by-step guide on write-on technique.
  4. Know useful websites you can visit while creating write-on animation.

Check out the After Effects Text Write-on Technique.

Conclusions

Hopefully, this article provides you with some useful information and approaches to get started with motion graphics and design in After Effects.

What is the best After Effects tutorial?

The best After Effects tutorial will depend on an individual’s preferences.

Beginners will look for courses for newbies, while amateurs and professionals will look for more advanced courses.

Taking time to learn these tutorials will give you a better grasp of some strategies and tools used to create motion graphics.

These courses can help your abilities improve and be better in your chosen field.

Did I miss something? — Leave a comment below.

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