Free online courseAfter Effects Basics

Course Description

Want to turn static designs into polished animations that look professional and feel smooth? This free online course helps you get comfortable in Adobe After Effects from the ground up, so you can start creating motion graphics for videos, social media, brand intros, and UI-style animations with confidence. Instead of guessing what buttons to press, you will understand how the workspace is organized, how compositions function, and how layers, footage, and panels connect into a clear editing workflow.

You will build the core skill behind almost everything in After Effects: animation with keyframes. Learn how to move, time, and refine motion so it feels natural, then take your animations further with interpolation and easing. By understanding the difference between spatial and temporal interpolation, you can control not only where an object goes, but how it gets there. You will also use the Graph Editor to shape speed and smoothness, helping your work look intentional rather than mechanical.

As you progress, you will practice essential tools and keyboard shortcuts that speed up your workflow and make complex projects more manageable. You will animate text in practical ways, including reveals, handwriting-style effects, and clean motion that can be reused across multiple projects. Along the way you will use techniques like masks and track mattes to create controlled reveals, giving you the ability to build modern title sequences and transitions without relying on third-party plugins.

Finally, you will bring it together with simple, effective logo reveals and shape-based animations that are ideal for portfolios, client work, or content creation. Whether you are new to video editing or expanding your design skill set, this course gives you a solid foundation in motion graphics principles and the After Effects habits that lead to smoother, faster, and better-looking results.