10 After Effects Tutorials You Should Check Out

As with most creative applications, After Effects does have an abundance of user-created tutorials, guides and pre-made projects that help you create the desired effect for your projects. However, since there are so many resources to choose from, it can be difficult to locate the ones that appeal to you.

In order to save you time, I’ve compiled a list of video tutorials that include a handful of my favorites – all of which are detailed and definitely worth your time. Many of these tutorials are based around creating abstract animations and cool effects that just look downright amazing.

Smoke Text Reveal Tutorial (18 mins)

The effect taught in this in-depth tutorial is quite popular and is used by many on YouTube as an introduction animation. A predominant benefit of this effect is that it’s not confined to use only for the revealing of text; it can be used for just about any object or transition.

Elegant Light Streaks (14 mins)

Learn how to create an elegant light streak that can flow and move around without having to utilise a third-party plugin such as Particular. Working closely with the After Effects Cam will allow you to not only create this beautiful effect but also make it seem as though the camera is following the central lens flare as it moves up the screen.

Particle Dance (TrapCode Particular) (14 mins)

Using the third-party plugin TrapCode Particular, you can learn to create an amazing vibrant particle dance/motion. The end result of this tutorial is similar to those seen within professional-grade animations and productions.

Motion Graphics Typography (24 mins)

Have you seen all of those super cool lyric videos on YouTube or multi-million dollar motion graphic productions before? Want to learn how to do it? Then, spend some time on this tutorial which teaches you how to make your typography look better with various movements, background and shadows. [24 min]

Shaky Cam Tutorial (7 mins)

This tutorial will show you how to make your After Effects camera wiggle or shake slightly during movement. This is an important effect that you will be glad to have learnt due to its multi-purpose use, particularly for productions and animations that have an action-based feel to them.

Cam Bass Shake (9 mins)

EC Abrams produces some the most appealing After Effects tutorials onYouTube, and this one is no exception. This tutorial will teach you how to create the camera shaking with the beat of a deep bass or kick drum effect. It’s a great one for videos that are shot within a live and loud music environment or require the feel of being in that sort of environment.

Advanced Luma Flares (16 mins)

Stop using standard lens flares and learn how to create and use Luma flares for your next project. Utilizing this amazing effect, which won’t take long to learn, will give your videos the look and feel of being one of those big Hollywood film productions.

Motion Tracked Smoke (8 mins)

Learn how to create a neat motion-tracked smoke effect that follows your camera’s movements. This is a particularly useful effect – not limited to just smoke – that can be used for the tracking of any object such as moving water, mist, snow, or rainfall.

Glitchy Text Tutorial (15 mins)

Learn how to create a glitchy effect for your text, or any other element with this tutorial. It’s a personal favorite of mine, and not only does the effect look brilliant, it is great for use in video introductions, transitions or general visual enhancements. It basically can have a huge impact on the look and function of your overall video production.

Custom Lens Flares (19 mins)

Lens flares can aesthetically improve the look and feel of a completed video. Unfortunately, the default lens flares available in After Effects are not of the highest quality and require a solid chunk of editing to improve their look and function. This tutorial will teach you how to make custom lens flares that look perfect even without the use of third-party plugins.

Final Word

If you’re interested in better developing your After Effects skillset and knowledge it is always a good idea to keep an eye out on YouTube as there are constantly new tutorials being released.

On top of that, the authors mentioned above already have many existing tutorials and will continually release new ones, so I highly recommend subscribing to them in order to receive notifications about future tutorial releases. If you know of more great After Effects Tutorials, let us know in the comments area.