After Effects Guru: Advanced Photoshop Integration

Course details

After Effects has a powerful toolset, but there are some things Photoshop just excels at. Namely, manipulating raw images, color, and perspective. If you're a Creative Cloud subscriber, you have access to the entire suite of applications. So why not take advantage of both toolsets? In this course, Rich Harrington shows video professionals how to fully integrate Photoshop into a variety of After Effects workflows, including repairing images and building new assets for motion graphics and video effects.

Learn how to properly develop and then optimize raw files to increase performance in After Effects, and use Photoshop's advanced typographic controls. Find out how to use layer styles to add bevels, overlays, and glows, and correct lens distortion, chromatic aberration, and vignetting. Rich also introduces a unique use for Vanishing Point, which allows you to export 3D objects for parallax movements and virtual sets. Plus, discover how to save out depth mattes for backdrops and keying, and use the powerful Content-Aware tools for background plates, set extensions, or recomposing assets. There's a lot to learn! Start watching to incorporate Photoshop's advanced tools into your next After Effects project.

Learning objectives
Preparing Photoshop files for transfer
Working with raw images
Using Photoshop's advanced typographic controls
Designing with layer styles
Correcting lens issues and artifacts
Creating perspective with Vanishing Point
Creating LUTs with Photoshop
Creating realistic focus effects for backdrops and keying
Mastering the Content-Aware tools

Concepts

0. Introduction

01 - What you ll learn in this course
02 - Who this course is ideal for
03 - Exercise files

1. Preparing Photoshop Files for Transfer

04 - Layer naming strategies
05 - Aligning and distributing layers
06 - Organizing with groups and Smart Objects
07 - Color coding for future edits
08 - File format options for animation

2. Working with Raw Images

09 - Raw format overviews
10 - Converting to DNG files
11 - Developing with Adobe Camera Raw
12 - Managing sidecar files
13 - Embedding raw images inside Smart Objects

3. Advanced Typographic Controls

14 - Layout options with point vs. paragraph text
15 - Using advanced alignment controls
16 - Controlling line breaks with Every-line Composer options
17 - Choosing the right aliasing method
18 - Checking spelling in Photoshop

4. Designing with Layer Styles

19 - The role of layer styles
20 - Creating depth and perspective with layer styles
21 - Creating custom textures and overlays
22 - Exporting layer styles for animation in After Effects
23 - Saving style libraries

5. Correcting Lens Issues and Artifacts

24 - Fixing perspective and keystoning with Upright
25 - Removing lens distortion
26 - Removing wide-angle distortion
27 - Removing chromatic aberration
28 - Exporting corrected video

6. Creating Perspective with Vanishing Point Exchange

29 - Cloning with Vanishing Point
30 - Drawing perspective planes
31 - Exporting 3D objects
32 - Animating with Vanishing Point

7. Creating LUTs with Photoshop

33 - The role of LUTs
34 - Creating and saving a LUT in Photoshop
35 - Loading a LUT in After Effects

8. Creating Realistic Focus Effects for Backdrops and Keying

36 - Creating depth with the Camera Lens Blur effect
37 - Creating depth with the Blur Gallery
38 - Converting a blur effect to a depth matte
39 - Animating depth blurs in After Effects

9. Mastering Content-Aware Tools Photoshop

40 - Cleaning up a background plate
41 - Extending a background
42 - Reshaping an Image

Conclusion

43 - Goodbye