Discover the Best After Effects Classes in Boston
Adobe After Effects is a program used to add motion graphics and animation to videos. Together with other Adobe products like Premiere Pro, Photoshop, and Illustrator, After Effects can be used to create titles, credits, and special effects in video content. Many videos found on social media channels, websites, and mobile apps have been put together using After Effects. Special Effects Artists and Animators work in many different industries, including film, television, and advertising, but any industry that needs videos hires people who know After Effects. Boston has many jobs for Special Effects Artists and Animators and pays some of the highest salaries in the country.
If you want to study Adobe After Effects to start a career as a Special Effects Artist and Animator, signing up for classes is often the best way to go. In-person classes are sometimes offered, but if not, you can sign up for live online sessions that run in a similar way. Here are some options.
Best After Effects Classes & Schools in Boston
American Media Training offers a beginner’s course in Boston. In After Effects Level 1 students will study the After Effects workflow and create animation using preset effects. The class covers the different functions in After Effects, including using layers, masks, and distortion tools; animating text; and creating an animated multimedia project. More advanced techniques like rotoscoping, color correction, and 3-D animation are introduced, and the class ends with rendering the final video.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this class.
Duration: This is a full-time class over two days.
Cost: The cost for this course is $895.
Adobe After Effects Level I from Manhattan Edit Workshop is an introduction to creating motion graphics and special visual effects using Adobe After Effects. Students will learn motion graphics fundamentals including the RGB Color Model, resolution, pixel aspect ratio, and time codes. Class will also cover how the After Effects workflow runs, using animation presets, working with masks, animating text, creating special effects with shape layers and puppet tools, and finishing, rendering, and uploading the final product. This is a live online class.
Prerequisites: Students should be familiar with Mas OS X.
Duration: This is a full-time class over three days.
Cost: The cost for this course is $1,295.
Another option to learn After Effects is a live online class. After Effects Bootcamp from Noble Desktop teaches students animation and motion graphics techniques for video production. Students begin with navigating the After Effects workspace, importing video files, and then move on to adding animation, motion, and 3D effects. Toward the end of the course, more advanced topics like compositing, motion tracking, and rotoscoping are covered, and students learn how to render the final project and upload it to a website or social media platform.
Prerequisites: Students will be more successful if they have a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop. Knowledge of Premiere Pro is helpful but not required.
Duration: This is a three-day full-time class.
Cost: The cost for this course is $975.
After Effects in a Day is another live online course from Noble Desktop that covers the basics of video editing and animation. The course focuses on the essentials like how the After Effects interface works, how to use the timeline and basic video editing techniques like easing in and out and fade-ins. Students will import photos and illustrations and then use After Effects to animate the elements and add music and sound.
Prerequisites: Experience with Adobe products like Photoshop and Illustrator is helpful but not required. Students who have never used these products might want to take a Photoshop or Illustrator class before signing up for an After Effects class. Design skills are also helpful.
Duration: This is a one-day, six-hour class.
Cost: The cost for this course is $425.
Students can learn the basics of video animation in a live online format in After Effects 101. The course is by Studio Arts which focuses on classes for people who want to work in the entertainment industry. The class includes an introduction to the interface, workflow and basic functions of Adobe After Effects. The course also covers importing footage, using layers and keyframes, easing in and out, and animation techniques like scale, motion blur effects, and rotation.
Prerequisites: There are no prerequisites for this class.
Duration: This is a full-time class with eight sessions.
Cost: The cost for this course is $1,000.
Boston Industries That Use After Effects
People with Adobe After Effects skills often work in the film and television industry or in advertising, but jobs are available in many industries. Any company that needs videos for marketing, training, or information hires Special Effects Artists and Animators. Boston industries that hire people who know After Effects include tourism and hospitality, finance, healthcare, public administration, and manufacturing.
After Effects Jobs & Salaries in Boston
Glassdoor.com lists the average annual salary for Special Effects Artists and Animators in Boston at $87,000 with a range from $68,000 to $113,000. According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Boston ranks eighth among the metropolitan areas with the highest employment level for Special Effects Artists and Animators, and jobs in the field are expected to grow by 5 percent in the next decade.
