What does Adobe After Effects do???

[4_Legs_Good]

I'm finally learning how to use Adobe Encore, and I know what one would use Premiere for (I bought Vegas a couple years ago, so I'm using that instead), but what the heck is After Effects for? Some how I simply KNOW I must have it, but damn, it's expensive!

Can anyone explain it to me? I think it'll do animation. Will it do more than just vector animation? How's about flipbook style animation - that's probably actually doable in Premiere too, just do 30 still frames/second.

david

[4_Legs_Good]

1. little kick

for the afternoon crowd.

Anyone? Anyone??

david

[ChavezSpeakstheTruth]

2. After effects is a video compositing and effects program

It's easiest to describe as Photoshop that moves

Check this out: http://www.adobe.com/products/aftereffects/ae_qt1.html

[4_Legs_Good]

5. Fantastic

Thanks for the link. That helped a lot!

I need to become more adept at Photoshop.

Thanks again!

david

[aePrime]

3. It doesn't do animation

As another posted stated, it's a video compositor and effects suite, meaning it's just to take animation or film that you already have and put the slices together and do neat things with them.

I haven't been in the animation business in quite a while, but back in the day, After Effects was one of the worst compositors on the market. Maybe it's improved, but it was slow and clunky when I used it.

Digital Fusion and Shake were much better, although I was never a fan of Digital Fusion's interface. Shake was great, but Apple bought it, and I think it only runs on Mac OS now (but hey! I have a Mac!).

[timtom]

4. Just my two cents

I have only a passing acquaintance with After Effects, but a good example might speak volumes.

Ya ever see that Orion Pictures sequence -- where the laser beam does a circle and suddenly the circle is defined by stars, which then begin to rotate around the center of the circle, etc. etc. until the Orion Pictures logo is complete?

If that wasn't done in After Effects, then it was certainly done using a similar product.

Well, there's an example. I don't know how "good" it was.

[4_Legs_Good]

6. Sounds cool!

Thanks. That's what I needed to know.

david