The After Effects Illusionist: All the Effects in One Complete Guide

by Chad Perkins

Overview

Harness the full power of After Effects by mastering its native plug-in effects. Author Chad Perkins breaks down the creation and application of each native plug-in effect available in the After Effects toolset. He also shows you how each can be used optimally in your own media project, when and why it makes sense to use each, and how to "break the rules" by using effects in unconventional ways.

Completely updated for CS6 and revised to include coverage of Keylight and the Cycore effects, you will learn every effect from color correction to distortion to simulation and all in between, putting the full power of After Effects in your hands. Included is instruction for using, among others:

• The 3D Camera Tracker
• The Cycore effects
• Matte tools, including Keylight and Refine Matte
• Color correction tools
• A wide array of pattern generating tools

The downloadable resources include project files, allowing you work hand-in-hand with the lessons contained in the book.

Customers who buy an electronic version of the book can contact Peter Linsley ([e-mail]) with their receipt and Focal Press will grant access to the companion files.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780240818986
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	10/04/2012
Edition description:	Revised
Pages:	704
Product dimensions:	7.50(w) x 9.20(h) x 1.40(d)

About the Author

Chad Perkins is an Adobe Certified Instructor and Expert in Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, After Effects, Premiere, and was one of the first in the world to be a Certified Expert in Adobe Encore DVD. Chad also owns Aveconta, an architectural rendering studio that creates photo-realistic renders from AutoCAD drawings and blueprints. Chad served for over two years as the Digital 3D and Animation Specialist at a leading lenticular art creation facility in Southern California, where he produced finished art for Warner Brothers, Paramount, and Disney, among others. True to his passion for movies and animation, Chad is currently directing and producing an all-CGI short film.

Table of Contents

Introduction; 3D Channel Effects; Audio Effects; Blur and Sharpen Effects; Channel Effects; Color Correction Effects; Distort Effects; Expression Controls Effects; Generate Effects; Keying Effects; Matte Effects; Noise and Grain Effects; Paint Effects; Perspective Effects; Simulation Effects; Stylize Effects; Text Effects; Time Effects; Transition Effects; Utility Effects; Conclusion; CD-ROM Chapters: Using Multiple Effects Together; Enhancing Illusion with Maps; Where Do I Go From Here?

Editorial Reviews

"...grouped into chapters that follow the same listings as the sequence the effects appear in the plug-in menu.... the book is well written and copiously populated with full colour images illustrating the concepts... a disc is provided which is packed with project files that relate to the examples in the book and allow you to jump straight to the learning without having to set up each new example to match the lesson.

Also included on the disc are three more short chapters designed to give you a mental jump start when you are running low on ideas. Suggestions about combining effects to achieve new results can often fire a spark in your mind that can lead to a new solution for a problem you are stuck on.

This book is going to remain on my desk for the foreseeable future, ready whenever i need a quick fix of inspiration or just to refresh myself about a specific effect.
If you use Adobe After Effects, then the chances are you will find something useful, informative and inspiring in this book. Highly recommended."
— Adam Taylor, Studio Manager, Character Options Ltd

From the Publisher