Beginner's Guide to Adobe After Effects: Animate & Polish

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Beginner's Guide to Adobe After Effects: Animate & Polish

This course is part of Special Effects Specialization

Instructor: Skillshare

Included with Coursera Plus

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5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

6 hours to complete

3 weeks at 2 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

5 modules

Gain insight into a topic and learn the fundamentals.

6 hours to complete

3 weeks at 2 hours a week

Flexible schedule

Learn at your own pace

Skills you'll gain

Details to know

Shareable certificate

Add to your LinkedIn profile

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Build your subject-matter expertise

This course is part of the Special Effects Specialization

When you enroll in this course, you'll also be enrolled in this Specialization.

Learn new concepts from industry experts
Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
Earn a shareable career certificate

There are 5 modules in this course

Instructor: Hongshu Guo

Ready to take your animation skills to the next level? In this intermediate step of the After Effects journey, instructor Hongshu Guo helps you go beyond the basics and start animating like a pro. This course picks up where the fundamentals left off, diving into transitions, layered effects, and polished animation techniques. You’ll learn how to offset layers, use trim path and masking effects, animate text and complex compositions, and add the kind of visual polish that makes motion graphics stand out. With each lesson, you’ll build toward a final project where you’ll design and animate a custom title or logo reveal. By completing this course, you’ll gain the confidence to animate more complex scenes, explore After Effects’ deeper toolset, and finish your projects with creative flair. If you're looking to build a portfolio-ready animation and unlock the next phase of your creative journey, this course is your launchpad.

Start your After Effects journey by learning how to animate with layers. In this module, you'll explore foundational animation tools, including offset layering and the Trim Path effect, to create smooth, engaging motion. You'll also learn how to combine multiple animated layers to build more complex compositions with visual rhythm and clarity.

What's included

2 videos2 readings1 assignment1 discussion prompt

In this module, you’ll learn how to connect scenes and guide attention using professional transition techniques. From simple wipes and fades to more dynamic reveals, you’ll practice designing smooth transitions that enhance storytelling and improve the flow of your animations.

What's included

2 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

Now it’s time to put your skills to the test with a creative project. This module walks you through designing a complete slot machine animation using layered components. You’ll animate handles, reels, and symbols—learning how to coordinate elements to simulate mechanical motion and interactive sequences.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

Make your text stand out with timing, style, and personality. In this module, you’ll explore how to animate text layers using scale, opacity, and position, while syncing movements for maximum impact. You’ll also learn how to personalize name and title reveals with creative motion design techniques.

What's included

2 videos1 assignment1 discussion prompt

Wrap up your animation with polish and precision. In this final module, you’ll add finishing touches like secondary animations and subtle effects to refine your work. Then, you’ll learn how to export your project with the right settings for sharing or portfolio use. You’ll also submit your final animation for peer review and celebrate your progress.

What's included

3 videos1 assignment1 peer review1 discussion prompt

Earn a career certificate

Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV. Share it on social media and in your performance review.

Instructor

Skillshare

47 Courses56 learners

Offered by

Skillshare

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Frequently asked questions

Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:

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The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.

When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.

If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.