Adobe makes a range of different visual editing tools and products. Other than the company’s flagship Photoshop, perhaps its most famous platform is After Effects, a visual effects and motion graphics software tool that is widely used amongst consumers and professionals.
After Effects is a deep and complex platform with an incredible array of different tools, options, and creative customisation opportunities. It can be used for animation, motion graphics, and applying effects to video footage. Let’s take a look at some of the best effects for Adobe After Effects and discuss how each can be used in your next project. Read on to find out more.
Transitions
Transitions are an integral part of video editing, composition, and filmmaking. They are used to transition from one clip to another and from one scene to the next. From clip to clip within a scene, transitions aren’t always necessary, but it’s important to have a transition of some kind when moving into a new scene.
Often, this transition can be something as simple as a fade to black before the next scene starts. This will clearly indicate to the viewer that the narrative is progressing and gives them a break before things continue.
However, sometimes transitions call for something a little more visually interesting. Just fading to black every time can get boring and can break the sense of immersion that keeps your viewers engaged.
Dissolves are a popular type of transition. These are when the first scene fades into the next, creating a composite image made of the two overlaid images for a split second. Some famous examples of effective dissolve shots are Norman Bates’ face at the end of Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho and the transition from a shot of Don Corleone to the Sicilian countryside in The Godfather.
Whatever transition you decide to use in your work, you can be confident that After Effects will have what you’re looking for. The platform has a huge library of transition effects, including fades, dissolves, and wipes, each of which can be customised to fit your video project perfectly.
Animated letters
If you’re making a serious film or documentary, any text on the screen will likely be plain and uniform. However, if you’re making something more lighthearted and playful, there are various ways in which you can play with on-screen text to make things more engaging and more enjoyable for your viewers.
As well as transitions and an option for an intro split screen, After Effects also allows you to animate objects on screen, including the letters in any text you might want to include. Who wants to see plain white or black text appear on the screen from nowhere and then disappear again? Amaze your viewers with individual letters that fly in from every direction to form a word, phrase, or sentence.
If you are making a presentation for work or a corporate event, being too text heavy can be a real mistake. Viewers can lose interest and zone out, which means they’ll miss the important message you’re there to convey.
However, sometimes it’s just not possible to omit any information. Rather than just filling the screen with standard text, explore the use of animated letters. This can be an effective approach and will create a far more visually interesting effect. In doing so, you’ll keep viewers engaged for longer and ensure your message is delivered.
Logo
Logos serve an incredibly important purpose. They define brands and businesses, creating a sense of recognisability and familiarity. They are integral to brand image and will come to represent the values and ethos of a business.
Think of some of the world’s biggest companies, brands like Coca-Cola, Apple, Google, Mcdonald’s, what do they all have in common? An instantly recognisable logo.
After Effects is the perfect platform to create a logo for your business. It can be used to create a simple, 2D image, as well as a fully-fledged 3D model complete with moving parts and animations.
You can even upload an existing logo into After Effects and improve upon it with motion graphics, colour effects, and special lighting.
Intros
Whatever kind of video you’re making, be it a TV show, a corporate video, or social media content, the intro is crucial. The first few seconds need to grab the viewer’s attention. If your video isn’t immediately engaging, your viewers will quickly zone out or click or scroll through to the next video.
After Effects can be used to create eye-catching, engaging intros that will wow your viewers and ensure they keep watching. You can choose through a number of templates that offer full customisation options, allowing you to craft an intro that is truly yours.
Conclusion
After Effects is an incredibly powerful platform that can be used for a wide variety of different purposes, including for transitions, animated letters, logos, and intros.
