Adobe After Effects CS5 Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques

This is the only book on the market to focus exclusively on the creation of visual effects for After Effects users, and is a one-stop resource for anyone who wants in-depth explanations that demystify the realm of visual effects and how they were created, thanks to veteran author Mark Christiansen's friendly and accessible style.

A thoroughly packed, informative read, this masterful guide focuses on explaining the essential concepts, features, and techniques that are key to creating seamless movie-quality visual effects. Users who are comfortable with After Effects will find a helpful review of the fundamentals - managing footage, viewing and editing layers, animating type, and more - so they can learn how to work smarter and more efficiently. Readers of all levels will learn core techniques for effects compositing including color matching, keying, rotoscoping, motion tracking, emulating the camera, and concluding with using expressions in After Effects, written by contributor and expert Dan Ebberts. An incredibly useful appendix on scripting in After Effects is included as well, written by Adobe engineer Jeff Almasol. The final section of the book delves into creative explorations, demonstrating professional effects that are commonly seen in films and games which readers can re-create.

Readers will also find comprehensive coverage of all that's new and makes this version of Adobe's effects programa must-have update, including the revolutionary new Roto Brush, all new effects such as the New Refine Matte effect, new support for Color Look-Up Tables, workflows that take advantage of the all-new 64-bit support, inclusion of third-party tools for additional creativity, and much more.

Note from the publisher:

FREE Adobe After Effects CS5.5 updates are available for this title. Simply register your product at www.peachpit.com/register and you will receive the updates when they become available.

Mark Christiansen (christiansen.com) is a visual effects supervisor and creative director with a studio in San Francisco. He has worked with visual effects companies such as ILM, The Orphanage, and Evil Eye Pictures on Hollywood feature and independent films, and has served as a director, producer, designer, and compositor/animator on commercials, music videos, live events, and television documentary productions. His work has appeared in films such as Avatar, The Day After Tomorrow, Pirates of the Caribbean 3, and films by Robert Rodriguez. Mark has done work directly for the Adobe After Effects development and marketing teams, is a founder at provideocoalition.com, and has taught courses at fxphd.com and Academy of Art University. He has been a guest host of popular podcasts such as 'The VFX Show' and has written all editions of Adobe After Effects Visual Effects and Compositing Studio Techniques and coauthored After Effects 5.5 Magic.