Discover the Best After Effects Classes in Los Angeles
When you think about motion graphics and animation in Los Angeles, movies come to mind. The state of California has more Special Effects Artists and Animators than any other state in the U.S. Whether you want to create movie titles and effects or motion graphics for advertisements, learning Adobe After Effects (Ae) can set you on that path.
After Effects is a software tool used to create motion graphics and visual effects. Motion graphics means text and images that move. Ae is also used in post-production for color correction, audio mixing, compositing, and animation techniques like rotoscopting and motion tracking. One of the ways Ae is most commonly used is to replace screens on cellphones, televisions, and computers that appear in a video or on film.
After Effects is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud, a collection of tools used for all kinds of creative endeavors. The tools in Creative Cloud all work together, so you can begin a project in one product, like Photoshop or Premiere Pro, and then import it into another, like After Effects, to add motion graphics and effects.
Best After Effects Classes & Schools in Los Angeles
After Effects Fundamentals Training Connection—Downtown 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
This beginner’s After Effects class covers all the tools and skills students need to master Adobe After Effects to add motion graphics, animation, and special effects. Adobe After Effects is part of Adobe’s Creative Cloud along with Photoshop, Illustrator, and Premiere Pro. This class is for anyone who wants to build an understanding of the basics of video editing and motion graphics.
Prerequisites: This a beginner’s class with no formal prerequisites.
Duration: Full-time class with three 7.5-hour sessions.
Cost: $1,395
After Effects Bootcamp Training Connection—Downtown 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
This class will take beginners from an introduction to After Effects through the ability to create animations and moving text and titles. The bootcamp covers the real-world usage of After Effects including an introduction to the interface, timeline, layers, color correction, and audio repair. Class assignments are designed to provide students with a video that can be added to a demo reel or uploaded to social media at the end of the class.
Prerequisites: This a beginner’s class with no formal prerequisites.
Duration: Full-time class with five 7.5-hour sessions.
Cost: $1,845
After Effects Advanced Training Connection—Downtown 915 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1800, Los Angeles, CA 90017
This advanced After Effects course is for students with prior Ae experience. Explore topics like masking, motion tracking, advanced 3D techniques, particle simulation, the roto brush and puppet tools, time-lapse simulations, and advanced color correction.
Prerequisites: This course is for students who have already taken an introductory and intermediate After Effects class or bootcamp or have extensive prior experience with Ae.
Duration: Full-time course with two 7.5-hour sessions
Price: $895
Los Angeles Industries That Use After Effects
Industries that use After Effects include film and television production, advertising, game development, and digital marketing. People are employed by companies, both large and small, and also work as freelance Motion Graphics Designers.
Film and Television
Many industries employ Motion Graphics Designers but the one that comes most readily to mind is the film and television industry, which still has a large presence in Southern California. Two areas where people work are with on-screen graphics like opening titles and end credits and special effects and animation. Some of the Los Angeles movie studios that employ people who know how to use tools like Adobe After Effects are Pixar Animation Studios, Imagine Entertainment, Searchlight Pictures, Sony Pictures, Dreamworks, and Disney Studios.
Advertising
Many Motion Graphics Designers are employed in the advertising industry, either at an agency or in the advertising department of corporations. Tools like After Effects are used to create commercials and advertisements for broadcast, websites, apps, and social media Some of the advertising agencies in Los Angeles include US Interactive Media, Oskoui + Oskoui, Inc., Armed Mind, Saatchi & Saatchi/LA, Young & Rubicam Brands, and Team One Advertising among many others.
Digital Marketing
Many businesses in different industries use digital marketing to promote goods and services on the internet. Motion Graphics Designers are sometimes hired to create animated videos, often as freelancers. This can be a good way to begin your career and use your After Effects training.
Game Development
Companies that design and create video games also employ people with After Effects skills. Motion graphics is used for text, special effects, and advertising. Some game development companies in LA include Playstation, Mythical Games, Wave, Versus Systems, MobilityWare, GreenPark Sports, Electronic Arts (EA), Naughty Dog, and Seriously, among others.
After Effects Jobs & Salaries in Los Angeles
The Los Angeles metropolitan area has the greatest number of Special Effects Artists and Animators in the U.S., according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook. There are nearly 5,000 people working in the field in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Anaheim. The annual mean wage in the area is $95,000.
