Customer Reviews

Creative After Effects 7: Workflow Techniques for Animation, Visual Effects and Motion Graphics

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

It's true as other (unnecessarily nasty) reviewers have pointed out that this book is loaded with typos, and the grammar could use some improvement as well. However, these reviewers neglect to mention two things: that the tutorials in the book are absolutely clear and well thought-out; and that the typos are (or at least were for me) very easy to spot without slowing down your study too much. I've also been through Steve Holmes excellent Total Training course on After Effects, as well as the Adobe Classroom In A Book, and I found Creative After Effects to be the best of the three, typos and grammar notwithstanding, so I've rated it five stars because in my opinion it's star rating really deserves to be averaged upwards. Thank you very much to the author using my time well, and please don't be discouraged from updating this excellent material for After Effects CS3.

As another reviewer noted, this book is filled with typographical errors as well as mistakes that make for a frustrating learning experience. Figure and file references are often wrong, causing considerable confusion. It's too bad because apparently there is a some of good information and instruction in the book.

The book is written from a Mac and British perspective and has modernist type examples that might not appeal to everyone. This however doesn't explain why a proofreader wasn't used before this book was published.

I haven't finished it yet and I don't know if I will. Being led down several dead ends already due to the typos, I'm getting discouraged.

Update: I'm still slogging through this book (I've already highlighted places in it, so I'm pretty much stuck with keeping it) and I'm becoming more sympathetic with the reviewer who said to avoid this thing. Mistakes are rife and the grotesque images used in some of the examples (Fig. 3.21 and 7.1 especially) are real turn-offs. Everyone buying After Effects wants to use the special effects actually in the program. This book devotes a whole 34 pages out of 566 specifically to Effects. Quite a let down.

Update: Finally completed this mess! Don't waste your money on this thing unless you want to see one of the most error filled books you've ever encountered. This is something a junior high student would be ashamed to submit. In addition, the freelance writer of this book apparently doesn't want anyone to really learn her "secrets" about animations, such as "talking" animals. So only just enough information is given to fill the book but not enough to really teach anyone how to accomplish the given tasks.

For two years I use this book as a source of creative thinking. Cross-border thinking, intelligent workflow techniques, unusual modi operandi, visualisation of technique... At the beginning there was a problem with lacking structure. But that's the small price for the mentioned advantages I find rarely in other teaching books. The also great Meyer-AE-books give you the desire of structured lessons.

If you combine Taylor and Meyer then you will have an unbeatable combination.

Thank you Mrs. Taylor for writing this book.

Angie Taylor's approach to teaching After Effects follows an overall generalized and simple step by step rhetoric, which serves both the newbie or advanced user seeking a good reference. Even though it's about as readable as an Algebra II textbook, Angie's method truly familiarizes even the lamest of lamens with all the knowhow to get you started in the world of motion graphics. Before you know it you'll have most hot key's memorized while whizzing through pre-comps and parentings.

Yes it's true this book has numerous errors which are initially frustrating, but as you learn the program the typos and mistakes become trite.

Oh and as I said, it's not the most exciting thing. Have a pot of coffee ready to go - learning AE is tiresome.

And, if you seek a text for compositing and blue/green screening there are better texts out there. Angie's book is best described as a full program overview not specializing on any one section in particular.

Cheers!

This book is so filled with typos and the accompanying dvd has so many support files missing that it is really discouraging, i really struggled to understand what the author meant to say or instruct that actually learned a few workarounds for a few things, i guess that's a good thing but not when you spend 8 hours in a 2 hour lesson. Obviously absolutely nobody proof read this book before going to printing, nor they checked the dvd either. Just don't waste your money, try AE apprentice from the Chris and Trish Meyer, waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay better book and carefully published.

There are many errors in this book which could have been avoided by simple proof-reading. The structure of the lesson is confusing, sometime misleading. The author needs to work a lot to get the book improved. Try other books about AE 7.

Iam a college student and my ambhition seems to be leaning towards film editing for the past couple of years I have worked with Final Cut Pro which was a farely simple , yet complex peice of editing software. This year Iam in an advanced class where our teacher has stressed to us to work with some Adobe After Effects 7 in additon with final cut pro I bought this book to help me further understand the software. The first time I opened up After Effects I will admit I was Iniminated I tried fooling around with some of the panels and stuff and couldnt figure anything out ,, So now I have started from chapter 1 with this book I inserted the dvd that it comes with into the computer which has sort of a classroom in a book feel to this book but much better.. Go through the chapters using the source clips provided on the dvd. This has helped me understand what After Effects is about now Iam not finished with this book yet but wanted to write a review on this because it has helped me with its easy reading and keyboard shortcuts for both pc and mac. It explains every small detail in easy to understand language there is no computer/video editor slang.. If you are looking for a good editing book and you have Adobe After Effects 7.0 This is its Bible not the manual , which tends to use more slang assming that the purchaser knows what they are talking about , the manual tends to make things more difficult. This book makes even someone has never worked with film editing able to accomplish what they would like and learn the software.

I Love This Book

Thanks Angie Taylor