After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film [Paperback]

Jeff Foster (Author), Sybex (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0782143172 | ISBN-13: 978-0782143171 | Publication Date: April 15, 2004 | Edition: 1

"... a book that needs to be on every motion graphic designer's shelf."
—Scott Kelby, President, National Association of Photoshop Professionals

Author Jeff Foster appeared on the DV Guys, a weekly radio show devoted to DV professionals and enthusiasts, for a LIVE online interview on Thursday, June 17, 2004. If you missed it, you can still listen to their archive.

If you're in the business of motion graphics or desktop digital video production, you know that Adobe's After Effects and Photoshop are two of the most indispensable content creation tools. More integrated than ever before, the world's number-one compositing and image-editing programs can be used in tandem to create quality work at a relatively low cost. But it takes years of experience to figure out how to get the most out of this remarkable duo.

With After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film, graphics guru Jeff Foster has created the first book devoted to showing how you can use these two programs together to produce animations and effects on the desktop. This practical guide focuses exclusively on techniques commonly used in the field as well as cutting-edge production tricks. These hands-on projects will demystify cool Hollywood effects and help you solve your daily challenges. And they'll inspire you to think more artistically when approaching your creations.

Inside, you'll discover pro techniques for motion graphics and video production, including how to:

• Add depth and realism to your animations by mimicking real motion
• Use exaggerated movements to enhance characterization
• Apply 3-D animation to 2-D images
• Remove background fodder with blue-screen garbage mattes
• Employ rotoscoping techniques for frame-by-frame retouching
• Construct realistic composites and scene locations using matte painting techniques
• Make movies from stills by simulating 3-D camera motion
• Utilize perspective, speed, and scale to create believable moving objects
• Produce realistic special effects such as noise, clouds, and smoke
• Practice imaginative motion titling effects that grab people's attention
• Develop professional scene transitions using 3-D layer animations
• And much more!

Note: CD-ROM/DVD and other supplementary materials are not included as part of eBook file.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

"... a book that needs to be on every motion graphic designer's shelf."
--Scott Kelby, President, National Association of Photoshop Professionals

Author Jeff Foster appeared on the DV Guys, a weekly radio show devoted to DV professionals and enthusiasts, for a LIVE online interview on Thursday, June 17, 2004. If you missed it, you can still listen to their archive.

If you're in the business of motion graphics or desktop digital video production, you know that Adobe's After Effects and Photoshop are two of the most indispensable content creation tools. More integrated than ever before, the world's number-one compositing and image-editing programs can be used in tandem to create quality work at a relatively low cost. But it takes years of experience to figure out how to get the most out of this remarkable duo.

With After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film, graphics guru Jeff Foster has created the first book devoted to showing how you can use these two programs together to produce animations and effects on the desktop. This practical guide focuses exclusively on techniques commonly used in the field as well as cutting-edge production tricks. These hands-on projects will demystify cool Hollywood effects and help you solve your daily challenges. And they’ll inspire you to think more artistically when approaching your creations.

Inside, you'll discover pro techniques for motion graphics and video production, including how to:

• Add depth and realism to your animations by mimicking real motion
• Use exaggerated movements to enhance characterization
• Apply 3-D animation to 2-D images
• Remove background fodder with blue-screen garbage mattes
• Employ rotoscoping techniques for frame-by-frame retouching
• Construct realistic composites and scene locations using matte painting techniques
• Make movies from stills by simulating 3-D camera motion
• Utilize perspective, speed, and scale to create believable moving objects
• Produce realistic special effects such as noise, clouds, and smoke
• Practice imaginative motion titling effects that grab people’s attention
• Develop professional scene transitions using 3-D layer animations
• And much more!

About the Author

Jeff Foster has been creating traditional and digital images, motion graphics, and special effects for over 20 years for clients such as Sanyo, McDonnell Douglas, FOX Television, Universal Studios, and Disney. He has authored and contributed to several Photoshop titles, including Photoshop Web Magic and Special Edition Using Photoshop. Foster has been a regular member of the Instructor Dream Team at Photoshop World and a featured speaker at the Macworld Conference and Expo.

Product Details

• Paperback: 352 pages
• Publisher: Sybex; 1 edition (April 15, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0782143172
• ISBN-13: 978-0782143171
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 8 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,554,559 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Jeff Foster has authored and contributed to several Adobe After Effects & Photoshop tutorial and training how-to books, including the "Photoshop Web Magic" series and "Special Edition: Using Photoshop" series. He has been an Adobe Certified Expert and has served as an instructor and featured speaker at conferences such as Photoshop World, Macworld, Adobe MAX and the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Post-Production Conferences.

Foster has been producing and training for traditional and digital images, photography, illustration, motion graphics and special effects for DV and Film for over 20 years. Some of his clients include: Tribune Broadcasting, Motorola, McDonnell Douglas, Nestlé, FOX Television, Spike TV, Discovery/TLC, Deluxe Digital, Universal Studios and Disney. He is also a 2010 Telly Awards recipient for his "Documercial" video productions.

His best-selling book title, "After Effects and Photoshop - Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film," provides tips and tricks for creating believable animations and reveals special effects secrets the professionals have been using for years. He has also recorded several video training titles for Lynda.com for After Effects and Photoshop and has produced training DVDs, also available through the online store, "Photoshop CS4 Video & Animation" and "Learning After Effects CS4″ published through PhotoshopCAFE. These DVDs are geared toward those who are both new to After Effects or want to learn the more complicated new features if upgrading from a previous version.

Most recently, Foster has completed "The Green Screen Handbook" (Sybex/Wiley, pub) that is targeted toward the higher-education market to serve as a texbook for green screen production and compositing techniques. Pro photographers, Indie filmmakers and hobbyists will find this book a valuable tool for getting the best results from their compositing projects.

With several new projects forthcoming, Jeff is currently operating PixelPainter from his studio in beautiful Ojai, CA.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A video producer's "must-have"., May 21, 2004

By 

fullcircledave "fullcircledave" (Buffalo, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film (Paperback)

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!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome Effects and Animation Techniques!, July 26, 2004

By 

Robert James (Tampa Bay, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film (Paperback)

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!

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars In search of the Holy Grail?, July 22, 2005

By 

Zinfan - See all my reviews

This review is from: After Effects and Photoshop: Animation and Production Effects for DV and Film (Paperback)

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.