Key details
After Effects training course for beginners, teaching key techniques for creating stunning motion graphics and visual effects.
- Creating your first After Effects project
- Animation techniques
- Layer control
- Working with shapes
- Effects
- Type and type animation
- Exporting your compositions.
This course is ideal for newcomers to After Effects, and those with limited After Effects experience.
Upcoming course dates
View all course dates and bookIn-class or online
This course is available in-class at eight centres or live online.
Expert trainers
After Effects courses are hosted by Adobe Certified Professionals with vast experience of using the application professionally. See Expert trainers.
How will I learn?
After Effects training is hands-on and practical.
Our trainers teach the necessary theory then demonstrate techniques step-by-step. You then practice the techniques taught on a computer running After Effects. You’ll have plenty of opportunities to ask questions.
Windows or Mac
After Effects works almost identically on the Windows and Mac platforms.
Our centres offer both Windows and Mac computers for delegates to use, so you can choose to carry out exercises on the platform you’re familiar with.
After Effects training guide and certificate
Course delegates receive:
- A practical After Effects training guide, to refer to during the course and use as a refresher after. Choose from a printed, bound guide or a PDF – whatever suits you best. If you’re participating online and you choose a printed guide, we’ll post this to you.
- An e-certificate confirming successful course completion. Click here to see an example of the certificate you receive.
After course support
Following After Effects training, delegates are entitled to 30 days’ email support from their After Effects trainer to help with any post-course issues. For further details, see Support.
Prerequisites
No prior After Effects knowledge is necessary.
After Effects version
Training is based primarily on After Effects 2025. The techniques taught are relevant to all recent releases of After Effects.
All After Effects training is suitable for both Windows and Mac users.
Follow-on courses
Our guarantees to you
We offer:
On-request After Effects training available
Introduction to After Effects training is also available on-request, i.e. one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group, hosted at one of our centres, your venue or online.
On-request After Effects training can be tailored to take into account any existing knowledge you have, and the work you’re going to be doing. Please contact us for a quote.
Expert trainers
Introduction to After Effects training courses are hosted by:
Phil Talbot
Phil works as a professional graphic designer and illustrator.
He’s a long-standing Adobe Design Specialist with expert knowledge of Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, Creative Cloud Express and Acrobat. He has used all of these applications extensively for over 25 years.
Phil’s professional qualifications and extensive experience provide an ideal base to train delegates using blended learning techniques to improve the individuals’ and organisations’ capabilities. He has worked with and trained many blue-chip organisations.
Marek Mularczyk
Marek is an Adobe Design, Video and Motion Specialist, and an Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI).
Voted as one of top 10 Adobe Certified Instructors in the world, Marek has over 15 years’ experience as an animator and photo/video editor, and has published numerous books on these topics.
As an instructor, Marek has trained a wide range of blue-chip clients including Lloyds, Barclays, HS2, Lululemon, Asos, Boohoo, Sony, Samsung, and many more.
Prior to focusing on training, Marek worked as a professional photographer for over 12 years. Photography remains his passion, and in his spare time he travels Europe in search of that perfect picture.
Wolf Winter
For over 30 years, Wolf has worked as a professional Visual Effects Artist, specialising in Motion Graphics, 2D and 3D animations and compositing, mainly in the film and broadcast television industries.
Wolf has worked as a professional trainer and university lecturer for over 15 years, equipping hundreds of people with skills to bring their ideas to life.
He trains people to a professional level in a range of industry-standard applications, including Autodesk 3ds Max and Maya, Adobe After Effects, Premiere Pro and Audition, and Maxon Cinema 4D.
Alistair Dabbs
Alistair is a highly-experienced trainer with expert knowledge of various Adobe creative applications including InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator, After Effects and Premiere Pro. He has held Adobe Certified Instructor (ACI) status for almost 20 years, delivering courses in both English and French.
Alistair has worked in a wide range of publishing roles including prepress production, graphic design and editorial production. He has delivered workshops and chaired debates at IT industry conferences.
When not training, Alistair works as a journalist and technical writer, writing on topics including digital imaging, computer arts, fintech, data security, AI and VR. He is a regular contributor to various computer and graphic arts magazines including The Register and Ars Technica, and is the author/co-author of several published books, including the best-selling Digital Designer’s Bible.
Discounts and bundles
To make your After Effects training as affordable as possible, we offer:
After Effects training bundles
Book places on:
for £695 + VAT (classroom-based) or £595 + VAT (live online training), saving £95 + VAT in both cases.
The bundle price will be applied automatically when you add these two courses to your basket.
Training discounts
Multiple places
If you book multiple places on any courses, we can offer you:
- 5% discount if you book two places.
- 10% discount if you book three places.
- 15% discount if you book four places.
- 20% discount if you book five or more places.
This can be for several people attending one course, one person attending several courses, or a combination.
These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and live online training.
Concessions
We offer a 10% discount on scheduled After Effects course places to:
- Students, teachers and lecturers.
- People who work for a registered charity.
- ISTC members.
These discounts are available for both classroom-based courses and remote training.
Please call us if you qualify for a discount. Evidence of your status that entitles you to a discount may be requested.
Terms and exclusions
Only one of the above discounts can be applied to any booking.
The above discounts are not available for on-request course bookings (one-to-one training or a ‘closed course’ for your group).
Price guarantee
When you book training with Armada, we want you to be certain that you’re not paying over-the-odds. So, if you book a place on any scheduled (public) course and then find the same course at a lower price elsewhere, we will match that price.
To qualify for the price match:
- The course you find must be comparable. By this we mean it must:
- Cover the same subject.
- Be the same duration or longer.
- For classroom-based courses, be in the same region, i.e. within 50 miles of our centre.
- For online training, be a live course, i.e. not pre-prepared e-learning content.
- The lower price must be advertised on the other company’s website.
To claim a price match, just call any time before attending your course and tell us where you saw the price.
“Marek was a really good teacher. It's not often you find someone who is super educated about a topic and can also teach it to people from the basics. He has a talent for knowing where to draw focus and where the students need not waste time. He was a master at, work both in subject area and delivery. ”
Sumila A
“I thought the training was excellent and Marek was a very patient and thorough trainer who clearly knows their stuff! The training was well paced and the selection of example files for us to work with was nicely considered and easy to follow. I also really appreciated the time taken to add in useful tips regarding things like keyboard short cuts, and explanations as to how the technology has evolved”
Marie G
“This is the second time Marek has taught me. He is a very helpful and knowledgeable teacher. ”
Ashley J
“The course content and areas we covered were really helpful. Clear communication throughout. Easy to follow- didn't feel rushed. ”
Emily D
“Really helpful and very knowledgeable - fully enjoyed the sessions! I also had Marek for my Intro to Premiere Pro course and I would highly recommend him!”
Chloe W
“I really enjoyed this course and Ian was a great trainer. I found it of great use and I will hopefully be more confident when using After Effects. Thanks Ian!”
Kalina M
“Great course. Useful and practical help, not just with tools but also for optimising performance. I can apply this learning to my job as a designer quickly and easily.”
Sereena K
“The course was really useful and I now feel very confident in using After Effects in my workplace. Marek was an excellent teacher too, friendly polite and interesting. Thanks!”
Mark C
“Very helpful and informative, enjoyable course which covered the basics. ”
Kyle C
“Thought online worked well - great option if cant get to the centre.”
Lynsey H
“I enjoyed learning different styles of animation techniques!”
Simon H
“Marek is a great tutor - very friendly and knowledgeable. The content and pace of the delivery was spot on! Thank you!”
Sam L
“The pace was perfect and Marek has a good way of explaining concepts so that they are easy to understand. A great teacher who made the training enjoyable. Would definitely recommend to anyone!”
Mike P
“The course content was organised in a logical manner and each task carried onto the next one seamlessly. Marek - 10/10 - Lovely guy and a fantastic instructor!”
Lewis T
“In-person training was great, perfect set-up and facilities, tech all worked really well. Brilliant location and lovely warm welcome from Rachel and Marek. Really useful to be able to ask questions and pick Marek's brains! Very thorough and really covered so much over the 2 days. Hope to be back for another course soon!”
Jenny S
“It was helpful to work with the timeline and key frames. Marek was a friendly, patient and knowledgeable trainer working at a good pace with clear instructions. I knew some of the areas due to my experience of other Adobe software but it was good to see how those same features were applied using After Effects. An overall excellent course, thank you.”
Emma M
“All the content was relevant. Excellent course, top trainer, well structured. Fantastic.”
Chris M
“I generally enjoy the Armada courses and will continue to use them if the budget allows. I found it helpful to be introduced to masking, tracking, and the basics of creating my own animations.”
Daniella A
“Very good course leader, engaging, easy to follow ”
Kevin F
“This was a great course and will benefit my work from now on, with the new skills I have learned. The trainer Marek was great very knowledgeable and helpful at all times. ”
Keith O
“Phil took the time to understand each delegates needs and made us feel at ease when going through different techniques. He didn't rush and allowed us the one on one time needed as and when. ”
Poppy B
“The trainer Marek was great, answered all questions and repeated the steps if needed. Thanks again :) Good pace and perfect amount of students during the sessions.”
Agne N
“Marek is very friendly, helpful and easy to follow. Marek kindly went through one of our company videos and we recreated it which was really helpful.”
Alison C
“Excellent training, Marek very patient and used examples well”
Geoff B
“Marek was an excellent instructor and helped us greatly, even structuring the second day of the course towards a specific piece of work that we were about to work on, clearly showing how we could put his training into real world practice.”
Matthew L (attended a Bespoke After Effects course)
“I left feeling really inspired, and confident that I could apply the skills I learnt to my work. Phil did a really great job at showing us how complex animations can be broken down into smaller functions and put together. He really enforced the 'problem solver mentality'.”
James B
“Really friendly trainer, comprehensive supporting materials, enjoyed the 2 days of training.”
Nicole D
“Phil was really helpful. Very patient, and clearly explained everything. He was very helpful with questions and when something needed repeating or more in depth answers.”
Tracy L
“Phil was a thoughtful instructor. He asked what it was that we all wanted to get out of the course and tailored his approach to this.”
Chris K
“Phil was brilliant, I learnt so much and really felt my skills getting stronger”
Alicia D
“Very hard working tutor, knowledgeable and patient.”
Jane F
“Marek is great - really good at getting the process across. He also was able to look at the specifics of how we will be using After Effects, and help steer us in the right direction.”
Lucian H
“Marek was a fabulous trainer, really took the time to understand our requirements and ensuring that we understood the content. He was happy to repeat himself when things didn't quite sink in. On the whole he was fantastic and kept it interesting throughout.”
Martin W
“Phil was a really welcoming and friendly teacher who was easy to follow and clear and ensured any areas we were unsure of were re-talked about and shown on screen. Phil also spent his breaks researching any other areas that we had questions about and provided really useful additional information on these.”
Lauren P
“Marek was a great trainer, he answered any questions I had and taught me plenty about the software. I can now confidently use Adobe After Effects.”
Edward K
“Exactly what I needed. Very happy indeed. Thanks”
Andy B
“Very useful day, good content and all skills can be put to use in everyday working. Trainer was efficient and helpful if anyone became stuck and provided extra knowledge when asked about it. ”
George J
“Phil was a great tutor - he made sure that everyone followed the steps and answered to all the questions. I learned a lot and I\'m really happy that I can use After Effects.”
Min YL
“Overall it was a great introduction to After Effects with Phil being able to give additional advice on areas where requested.”
Kate J
“Phil was a great tutor, he was clear and easy to follow, thanks Phil! ”
Sharan S
“I had a lovely day and it was above expectation, credits for Mark he is a wonderful teacher! ”
Sander M
“Marek was amazing and learnt a lot”
Lydia L
“Thank you for the training, really useful and insightful”
Tom T
“I really enjoyed this course. It was very useful, and very clearly explained. Thank you! ”
Lois M
“The trainer was very clear when delivering information and was happy to answer questions and re-cover steps when asked throughout the session, which made things much easier and comfortable. ”
Ruairidh H
“Mark Gatter again an absolute guru in After Effects. After completing the intro Adobe Premier Pro course I was looking forward to the Adobe After Effects course and it didn't disappoint. Looking forward to the Advanced course for After Effects. Mark makes the platform look easy with his calm and steady approach, really useful when you've not used the platform before. ”
Dan H
“I thought Mark was an excellent trainer, very engaging and helpful and understanding, I would thoroughly recommend him,”
Gillian S
“The course was brilliant for beginners, and Mark was a great trainer. I was astounded how much we learned as a group in just two days!”
Billy J
“Mark was an excellent tutor, very calm with all students and very clear and precise when explaining what we were covering. Willing to answer questions and go back over content already covered so that we all fully understood what was being asked of us.”
Carl N
“Thank you, Mark - a good balance of projects and chatting - a really enjoyable training session! ”
Mollie F
“I would usually prefer to attend training in person but I actually found the online training to be easy to follow and the day was well structured. I would feel confident in attending any other online training and would recommend this course to others who are looking to learn.”
Laura J
“I love how easy it is to join an Armada course, the digital media supplied, the clear and concise joining instructions. Everyone I have spoken to or communicated with have been brilliant. Mark is an excellent trainer, friendly, approachable which makes it a joy to attend the training sessions. Looking forward to my next course! ”
Damion N
“Mark is a lovely guy and clearly very knowledgeable, I found him patient and always willing to go back a step or two as needed to help and I felt no question was too stupid.”
Stephanie G
“I have done a number of Adobe courses with Armada and I have found them incredibly well taught and great value! Chris Nelthorpe is a fantastic trainer and is a perfect example of why you should take a course with Armada.”
James B
“I was worried doing the course digitally would pose some issues, however Chris was very clear and there was a good connection at all times - it was great to be able to learn so much over the two days from the comfort of my own home.”
Megan C
“Just finished a 2 day course with Chris. Learned so much and Chris was so good really helpful and patient.”
Hari P
“Course is well structured and delivered in a good, clear way. Helps to understand the basics and take this further into the advanced.”
Bradley P
“Just finished a brilliant Introduction To After Effects course with Chris Nelthorpe at Armada. I would fully recommend Armada training and I've already booked onto the Advanced Course. I really enjoyed the practical learning and Chris the trainer knew his stuff, I came away with some great knowledge. Thanks Armada.”
Robert W
“Just completed the two day Introduction to Adobe After Effects Course. Really enjoyed it and was suitable for none designers who wanted to use it for home projects as well as professional graphic designers looking to up skill like myself. Our trainer was excellent and made the course fun and enjoyable whilst making sure we got as much out of the course as possible. Will definitely use Armada Training again for future courses. Worth every penny.”
Steve W
“Good course to give a basic overview of the after effects software and how to implement it into my creative at work. Chris was very helpful and helped me understand errors along the way. Highly recommended.”
Nathan B
“The after effects course for beginners was very complete and easy to follow. Plus for the catering and meal in an Italian restaurant in Bristol.”
Sofia M
“Easy to follow course which allowed me to acquire a basic knowledge of the software.”
Jessica M
“Super duper....really tailored to my needs. Thanks Chris.”
Michael W
“Great, informative and thorough course covering beginner to intermediate After Effects skills. Very friendly and knowledgeable trainer, moving at a pace that suits you. Great learning facilities with all materials provided. Overall very worthwhile and productive course. Would recommend!”
Ryan P
“Great course, friendly atmosphere, knowledgeable and approachable tutor. Thanks.”
Amy W
“One of the best Adobe training courses I have been on. Chris was extremely knowledgeable and I really enjoyed his teaching methods. Would highly recommend.”
Daryl P
“Really well organised prior and during the course. Chris was a great tutor, judged the ability of our group in order to make the course relevant and made sure everyone understood each process as we went. Great software! Look forward to experimenting with the new knowledge gained on this course.”
Poppy E
“I attended the Introduction to After Effects course. Chris was very good, explaining everything clearly and breaking down what is an extensive application into very manageable chunks with real life applications. I left knowing what After effects is capable of and with the confidence to use it. A great and worthwhile experience.”
Dominic G
“Great course! Learnt so much that will be really helpful in my day-to-day work! Thanks Chris!”
Oliver C
“Absolutely fab course! Learned so much and Chris made everything clear and easy to follow.”
Bec A
“I attended the introduction to After Effects. The course is great, it covers a wide variety of techniques and really help add to what I know with sit down tutorials. Chris the instructor delivers the material practically which is perfect for how I learn. Would highly recommend.”
Nathan A
“A+ Very informative and helpful”
Lucy J
“Very helpful introduction the After Effects. The course is very well structured and informative.”
Stephanie C
“Great course and training for beginners in After Effects programme. Chris was a great teacher and very helpful.”
Brendon B
“From basics to more intermediate tutorials, the course was well received by all skill leveled participants. The environment was comfortable and the tutor was extremely friendly, patient & extremely experienced in AE.”
Hannah R
“Great, informative and thorough course covering beginner to intermediate AE skills. Very friendly and knowledgeable trainer, moving at a pace that suits you. Great learning facilities with all materials provided. Overall very worthwhile and productive course. Would recommend!”
Ryan P
“Excellent Adobe After Effects course with Chris. Essential working methods were explained at a good pace, plus tutorials were supplied for working on in own time.”
Robert P
“Very practical and useful course taught by a real professional. Defiantly would do another course with Armada Training.”
Richard W
“After having a crash course in After Effects many years ago, I was a little apprehensive about taking the course as I remember it being quite overwhelming. However, Chris was a fantastic tutor who explained everything thoroughly and took the time to go through any queries. I'd highly recommend this course and happy to finally have a good understanding of the software and how to apply this moving forward. Thank you!”
Claire K
“Good tutorials showing how to use different features of After Effects. Enjoyed the three days of learning and took away a lot of skills.”
Stephen R
“Fantastic course, Chris is a lovely and friendly instructor with a nice and slow and steady approach for new learners and flexible with demo requests for more experienced users.
Was a great day with just two people which meant we both got to ask plenty of questions and go through things we specifically needed to know or wanted to learn.
Would definitely recommend Armada. Elliot was a lovely training Coordinator and was a great welcoming host.”
Georgina P
“I went on a 2 day After Effects course which I would highly recommend. I am a complete novice and found it very helpful in understanding the basic principles of how it all worked. I now feel equipped to starting my own projects and applying everything that I have learnt. My tutor Chris was extremely helpful, professional and highly knowledgeable.”
Caroline B
“Adobe After Effects is a really complex programme with seemingly endless possibilities, but after running through loads of practical applications on this 2 day course I feel ready to take on the challenge! Chris is a very patient and enthusiastic tutor and I would like to return sometime for the advanced course. The buffet lunch was also very tasty : )”
Emma S
“The training was good and informative in a relaxed and friendly environment. The trainer was extremely knowledgeable and helpful. Overall a good course for learning the basics of after effects.”
Adam
“Really good course, well delivered, comprehensive content and useful, practical exercises.”
Sue T
“The 2 day training on After Effects was excellent. I would highly recommend. The trainer was brilliant at explaining everything and we covered a lot over the 2 days. The booklet/handout we got looks extremely helpful to refer back to at a later date, and I think will help a lot in terms of refreshing my memory. We managed to take the project and footage home with us to work on.
Really looking forward to using this software in practise now!
I went in with knowledge of other adobe software but my only knowledge on After Effects was what I taught myself from YouTube which was extremely basic. I think this training is really good at explaining why you're doing what you're doing, in addition to learning how to do it. Thanks Chris, and Armada!”
Beth O
“Brilliant course, very easy to follow. Will definitely recommend to other designers =) Thank you”
Michelle M
“This is the 4th course I have attended with Armada and all of them have taught me new skills and were extremely valuable and I have been able to practice the skills I have learnt in the working environment. Will hopefully join you for more courses soon! Very well taught! Thanks!”
Heather L
“I had a brilliant time on the Introduction to After Effects course, Chris the tutor explained the course really clearly and was extremely helpful. I'm hoping I can go on the next course for the Advanced training. Thank you!”
Jennifer N
“Great course, great tutor. Well done!”
Simon C
“I would recommend this course as it has taught me everything I need to know to go away and create what I need to make, informative videos and promotional videos etc.”
Ben E
“Very thorough, worked through projects and talked through technical elements.”
Jonathan S
“I thought the session was excellent. Everyone got a lot out of it and we will be able to elevate our audio visual studio output as a result.”
Ed H
“Organised & Formatted really well to introduce the main features of After Effects.”
Daniel B
“A great overview of After Effects. I'll definitely be putting some of the skills I've learned into action!”
Simon D
“Superb course. Thanks very much!”
Frazer P
“Very useful course.”
Anna H
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