After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film [With CD ROM]

In the immortal words of the irreverent yet insightful Monty Python: "...and now for something completely different"...words that not only bring meaning to life, but a more than accurate description of this book. As someone who directs and produces a wide variety of video and film projects, I found this guide to be an invaluable resource. A simple glance through the chapter titles affords the reader a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the world of professional animation and production effects. I must admit, I'm one of those people who would rather learn by doing instead of reading, but I've found an exception, as this book effectively balances the best of both worlds. Instead of stumbling through pages of technical, yawn-inspiring rhetoric, Mr. Foster imaginatively presents Hollywood-type tips and tricks, extensively supported with tutorials and videos found within the enclosed DVD. Imagine, for example, if the creative applications outlined in Chapter 5 had been available when the distinguished Monty Python animations, (thank you, Terry Gilliam) were being created... Brilliant! If showcasing some of your client's vintage photographs, (as I needed for an upcoming documentary) is required, then Chapter 11, "Making Movies From Stills" will prove to be indispensable. It's amazing how easily you can bring a 2D photo to life simply by separating or "peeling-away" the layers in Photoshop and importing the files into After Effects. Other techniques, such as creating zoom effects and 3D animated camera pans, are also clearly demonstrated...the resulting animations are impressive. Please keep in mind, this book won't teach you either After Effects or Photoshop, so if you're looking for an instructional manual for such, look elsewhere. However, if you want to learn everything from basic animation to sophisticated matte painting, motion graphics and compositing techniques then buy this book! ...wink, wink...nudge, nudge.

I am currently in production on a small budget documentary trying to do big budget effects and this book made it all possible. If you want to greate that 3d depth feel to your photos( a la "Kid Stays in the Picture"), you need this book. If you want to pull a key out of the most terribley shot green screen footage, you need this book. And if you want to create custom transitions between footage and more, it is all possible with the help of Jeff Foster's expertise. Because of what I learned from his various chapters I am now employed for the next 3 years!

Wow! I really hate to slog through technical books, but Mr. Foster's "After Effects + Photoshop..." is truly a delight! From cover to cover I found helpful, clearly written techniques and tricks, along with lots of juicy colorful images to keep me interested. Since I've co-authored two books on Adobe Illustrator, I can relate to the challenge of making difficult information a breeze for the reader to understand. Good work!

I've been learning Adobe After Effects over the past few years, but I've never mastered the secrets of the timing of animations or simple special effects - until I got this book! I've already been able to apply some of the techniques to projects I'm working on and have learned more in the two weeks I've had this book than I did in years of digital video and design classes! This book is NOT for beginners though! You must have a working knowledge of Adobe Photoshop and After Effects to navigate the example projects - but everything else you need is on the jam-packed DVD-ROM that comes with the book! I've been able to reverse-engineer a couple of sample After Effects project files that Jeff has provided to see exactly how the timing and control of animated layers were working. There's no guessing or frustrations when you can review the actual source files used in each chapter! If you want to learn more about how the special effects you see on TV or in the movies are done - especially on affordable desktop software that Adobe makes, then you'll want to get this book!

As a video professional who uses After Effects and Photoshop almost every day in the production of training and promotional videos, I thought I had a pretty good working knowledge of both programs. I was wrong. Jeff Foster's wonderful new book has opened my eyes to the real potential of both of these programs. From the very first chapter I started learning powerful techniques and features I was previously unaware of and how to use tools I had previously used in ways I never considered before. Personally, I learn best by working through hands-on projects, and this book is brimming with in-depth, highly creative tutorials. Jeff explains every step in detail and more importantly, why you are taking them. It is obvious Jeff is an accomplished professional, and he shares not only the After Effects techniques, but also the subtle nuances that raise a project from satisfactory to exceptional. After Effects has always been a favorite program of mine for 2-dimensional animation. But this book has shown me what a powerful 3D program it is as well. There are great chapters on blue-screen, rotoscoping, using mattes, adding photo-realism to your animations. And the projects are just plain fun. I can't tell you how many times I found myself working through a tutorial, previewing the animation, and just stopping to say "wow!" and to consider how I might use that technique in my own work. I have bought several After Effects books over the years, but this is by far the best I have read. If you are brand new to After Effects, you may be a little frustrated as Jeff assumes you have a basic knowledge of the program. But if you are an After Effects and Photoshop user looking to refine your skill and become a true professional, this book is for you. Highly recommended!