Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
This practice lesson focuses on the fundamental workflow in After Effects. Practice setting up a project folder, saving project files, importing footage, creating compositions, managing layers, and exporting. The lesson emphasizes the importance of developing a consistent workflow to make After Effects feel more intuitive and less overwhelming. By mastering these basics, students build a strong foundation for more advanced tasks like animation and effects.
Exercise Files:
https://dub.sh/aeugfiles
1. Creating and Organizing the Project Folder
- Download Exercise Files
- Create New Project Folder
- Open After Effects Application
- Close Home Screen
- New ‘Untitled’ Project
2. Importing Footage
- Import Footage Folder
- Save Project in Master Folder
- Create Project Panel Folders
- Organize Footage
3. Saving and Reopening Projects
- Saving the project file in the project folder
- Reopening and managing saved projects to keep workflow consistent
4. Creating a New Composition
- Composition Settings
- Duplicate Compositions
5. Working with Layers and the Timeline
- Adding footage and adjusting layer hierarchy in the Layers Panel
- Transforming and resizing layers within compositions
- Moving and snapping layers into position using the Shift key
6. Keyframe Basics and Animation Practice
- Adding keyframes for animations using transform properties
- Adjusting keyframe spacing to control animation speed
- Introduction to modifying keyframes in the Timeline Panel
7. Organizing Compositions
- Creating folders to organize compositions within the Project Panel
- Duplicating and renaming compositions for streamlined project management
8. Importing Photoshop and Illustrator Files
- Locate Sample Files in ‘Footage’ Folder
9. Exploring the Layers Panel and Timeline
- Familiarizing with layer positioning, order, and scale properties
- Practice rearranging layers and removing them from the composition without deleting assets
- Layer Order (Hierarchy)
10. Saving and Closing Projects
- Regularly saving project files to prevent loss of work
- Explanation of After Effects’ autosave feature and customizing autosave intervals
- Auto-Save Settings
- Reopen to confirm no error messages
This practice lesson focuses on the fundamental workflow in After Effects. Practice setting up a project folder, saving project files, importing footage, creating compositions, managing layers, and exporting. The lesson emphasizes the importance of developing a consistent workflow to make After Effects feel more intuitive and less overwhelming. By mastering these basics, students build a strong foundation for more advanced tasks like animation and effects.
Exercise Files:
https://dub.sh/aeugfiles
1. Creating and Organizing the Project Folder
- Download Exercise Files
- Create New Project Folder
- Open After Effects Application
- Close Home Screen
- New ‘Untitled’ Project
2. Importing Footage
- Import Footage Folder
- Save Project in Master Folder
- Create Project Panel Folders
- Organize Footage
3. Saving and Reopening Projects
- Saving the project file in the project folder
- Reopening and managing saved projects to keep workflow consistent
4. Creating a New Composition
- Composition Settings
- Duplicate Compositions
5. Working with Layers and the Timeline
- Adding footage and adjusting layer hierarchy in the Layers Panel
- Transforming and resizing layers within compositions
- Moving and snapping layers into position using the Shift key
6. Keyframe Basics and Animation Practice
- Adding keyframes for animations using transform properties
- Adjusting keyframe spacing to control animation speed
- Introduction to modifying keyframes in the Timeline Panel
7. Organizing Compositions
- Creating folders to organize compositions within the Project Panel
- Duplicating and renaming compositions for streamlined project management
8. Importing Photoshop and Illustrator Files
- Locate Sample Files in ‘Footage’ Folder
9. Exploring the Layers Panel and Timeline
- Familiarizing with layer positioning, order, and scale properties
- Practice rearranging layers and removing them from the composition without deleting assets
- Layer Order (Hierarchy)
10. Saving and Closing Projects
- Regularly saving project files to prevent loss of work
- Explanation of After Effects’ autosave feature and customizing autosave intervals
- Auto-Save Settings
- Reopen to confirm no error messages
