Adobe After Effects 6.5 Magic Adobe Book

After Effects 5.5 Magic draws on the considerable talents of some of the most skilled and experienced After Effects users in the world to demonstrate real-world techniques that make the most of After Effects 5.5's new features. This is not, therefore, a book for beginners, but those with at least modicum of After Effects 5.5 experience. You probably work in the motion graphics industry, or at least aspire to create the kind of video effects that now make everything from Channel 4 trailers to the weather a more enriching visual experience. Lots of the material is specific to version 5.5, and though annotated for version 5 users, you really need the latest version of After Effects to get the most from it. Five of the 17 chapters deal with expressions, other topics include 3-D, green screen compositing, parenting and working with 3-D renders from other applications. The chapters that deal with expressions are written with non-mathematical code-wary people in mind and the layout is easy to follow with step-by-step instruction in the left column and copious screen grabs in the right. One of the nice things about the Magic series is that each author brings a fresh approach within an overall consistent style. At the end of each chapter a modifications section suggests ways in which the technique can be adapted to use in other situations. Good sources of knowledge and inspiration for advanced After Effects 5.5 users are scarce, but along with Trish and Chris Meyer's After Effects in Production you can now add After Effects 5.5. Magic to the list. --Ken McMahonRead More