After Effects Careers & Industries

Do you have the creative vision and technical know-how to create stunning motion graphics and visual effects? Unleash your inner artist and learn how to use Adobe After Effects to make your projects come to life!

Motion Graphics Designer, Special Effects Artist, Animator: These are jobs that use tools like Adobe After Effects (Ae) to create titles and special effects for videos, films, websites, and mobile apps. Adding movement to text, photos, and drawings is called motion graphics and After Effects is an excellent tool for the job. 

After Effects is most commonly used to add motion to graphic elements, composite video, and add visual effects. You can also use After Effects in post-production to fix color and sound, fill in missing elements, and remove elements from shots that don’t belong there. One of the most common uses of the application is to replace cell phone, television, and computer screens that appear in a video or on film. 

After Effects and Creative Cloud

Because it is part of Adobe Creative Cloud After Effects works well with other Adobe products. You can start a project in Photoshop, Illustrator, or Premiere Pro, then import the file into After Effects to add movement and other features. Which Adobe product you choose to learn before Ae will depend on what you eventually want to do with the programs.

After Effects and Photoshop

If you want to learn to use the products in Adobe Creative Cloud, Photoshop is a good place to start. This is one of Adobe’s most popular and accessible tools. Photoshop is known primarily as a photo manipulation tool used to retouch images; adjust color, brightness, or contrast; composite or combine images into something new; mask portions of an image; and add special effects. 

Adobe products work with layers, so you can try an effect and then scrap it if you don’t like the way it looks without altering the original file. Learning to use layers in Photoshop will give you a head start on After Effects. 

After Effects and Illustrator

Adobe Illustrator is a drawing program used to create all kinds of artwork including logos, patterns, and icons. What sets Illustrator apart is that it is vector-based, not pixel-based, so drawings can be scaled up or down easily. You can create beautiful and detailed digital designs in Illustrator and give them life with After Effects.

Illustrator is also used to create charts and graphs for infographics and explainer videos. Once the images are designed in Illustrator, they can be imported to After Effects to make them move. This is an effective way to demonstrate change in a graph or chart. Movement captures the user’s attention and helps them focus on your message.

After Effects and Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro is Adobe’s video editing software. While Photoshop and Illustrator let you add movement to static images, Premiere Pro opens the door to video effects. Premiere Pro allows you to import raw video footage, then make cuts, move clips, add B roll, and make transitions. You can add audio and then import the finished piece to After Effects to add titles, correct color, and create special effects. While Premiere Pro is not simple to learn, it is easier than After Effects, so experienced Video Editors recommend starting with Premiere Pro before learning Ae.

What Can You Do with After Effects?

You can import files created in other programs into After Effects or use Ae to create a video. The former is the most common way to work in Ae but Animators can use the program to create videos from start to finish. Here are some of the things you can do with After Effects.

Motion Graphics

After Effects lets Graphic Designers and Web Developers add motion to text for videos, websites, and mobile apps. You can add movement to logos and icons, infographics, and ads for social media. A common use is to create titles and credits for films and videos.

Compositing

When you composite video using After Effects, you are putting together clips from different videos to create a new scene or removing an element from one scene and placing it in another. This technique is often used to create large crowds or battle scenes. Green screen filming is another form of compositing. An actor is filmed in front of a green screen, then the screen is replaced in the video with another background and special effects in post-production.

Rotoscoping

Rotoscoping is an old animation technique that got new life when tools like After Effects were developed. In rotoscoping, live actors are filmed for a scene and then their movements are traced over to create animated characters. Digital tools make this process much easier. 

Motion Tracking

Motion tracking, or match moving, refers to inserting a computer-generated image into live-action footage to make it look like a character is interacting with an object or element that wasn’t on the footage. After Effects has a built-in motion tracking tool to make this process much easier. Motion tracking is often used for special effects like fantasy weapons and magical hand trails. 

Animation

You can import text and images into After Effects and animate them or create animations entirely in After Effects. Plug ins and preset animation effects are available in Ae, and you can organize the assets into libraries to use over and over. These plug-ins let you add texture or a particle effect, squash and stretch movement, create fire or smoke, and many, many more animation effects.

Industries That Use After Effects

Motion Graphics Designers work in any industry that produces videos containing animation and special effects. Most companies use websites to sell products and advertise services and these websites often include animation and motion graphics. Social media is another area where Motion Graphics Designers place videos and infographics. 

Motion Graphics Designers often work alone, but functioning as part of a team is important, too. Presenting ideas at meetings, talking with clients, and giving feedback are all part of the job, no matter the industry. The most prevalent industries using After Effects are advertising, tech startups, television and film, game development, websites and mobile apps, and immersive installation design.

Advertising

Digital marketing promotes goods and services through digital channels, and Motion Graphics Designers are hired to create animated logos, design moving text, and animate objects for media such as television, social media, websites, and mobile apps. Studies suggest that motion captures the audience’s attention and increases engagement. 

Another area where After Effects is used in advertising is in commercials. Adding animation, moving text, and special effects help make video advertisements successful. Not only do advertising agencies hire Motion Graphics Designers, but people who know After Effects can also work as freelancers creating advertisements for local small businesses like grocery stores and car dealerships.

Startups

Another industry that needs Motion Graphics Designers is startups. These businesses need to get their message out and let people know what they make or what they do. Startups need explainer videos and animated infographics to reach investors and clients. Some new companies have bigger budgets than others, so this can be another opportunity for freelance work.

Television and Film

When people think of video production and animation, they think of television and movies. After Effects is one of the tools used to create the title and end credits for television shows and feature films, as well as many of the animated effects. Unfortunately, it is very difficult to break into this segment of the industry, but one place to start is on sports and news shows. People with video editing and motion graphics skills create graphics and animation like chyrons that identify a channel and follow a brand strategy. People with solid After Effects skills can often get a start in television and film work through sports shows and newscasts. 

Another task that Motion Graphics Designers perform for TV and movie production is screen replacement. Every screen that appears on another screen needs to be animated. If a character in a television show or movie looks at a cell phone, the screen the audience sees has been created by a Motion Graphics Designer. This is an important skill that can be accomplished with After Effects.

Game Development

Whether it's PlayStation, Nintendo, or Xbox, web-based or an app, computerized gaming is a huge industry and shows no signs of slowing. Animation and special effects are at the heart of the popularity of video games and many Motion Graphics Designers work in the rapidly growing game development industry. Not only do Game Developers use tools like After Effects to add graphics and animated effects to video games, but they also create game advertisements for movies, television, and social media.

Websites and Mobile Apps

Movement captures a user’s attention and makes them more likely to engage with a website or mobile app. These products are created by Web Designers and Web Developers, but as animated graphics become more prevalent in this industry, the demand for Motion Graphics Designers grows. Knowing how to edit videos and create motion graphics are valuable secondary skills for Web Designers and Web Developers, and some larger companies hire just to work on animation. 

This type of design is known as user experience (UX) or user-centered design because it strives to improve the way users interact with a digital product to accomplish a task like paying bills or ordering lunch. Motion Graphics Designers understand how to move text and use animation to make the most successful connection with users.

Immersive Art Installations

Tools like After Effects are used to bring art to life in immersive art installations like the Immersive Van Gogh Experience and Otherworld. This blending of art and technology creates a multi-sensory environment for visitors to experience and Motion Graphics Designers are part of creating that product. 

What Skills Do Motion Graphics Designers Need?

There are certain skills Motion Graphics Designers need to be successful in their careers. This includes both soft skills–which are mainly innate abilities, preferences, and personality traits–and hard skills–which can be taught through classes, practice, and work experience.

Soft Skills

The abilities most necessary for Motion Graphics Designers involve creativity and organization, among others.

• Art- Artistic ability is one of the most important of the soft skills Motion Graphics Designers need. You will need to create sketches, mockups, and storyboards to show clients and an artistic sensibility helps you come up with ideas.
• Storytelling- Part of the work of a Motion Graphics Designer is storytelling. You need to have a sense of how to construct a narrative and support the story with animated text.
• Affinity for technology—Motion Graphics Designers work on computers and enjoying learning and working with technology is a given.
• Attention to detail—Making sure that animations are crisp and clean and include the necessary details is another important skill.
• Teamwork—Motion Graphics Designers often work as part of a team and need to be able to get along with others and communicate.
• Persistence—Working with video editing and animation often requires trial and error, at least at first. To be successful, it is important to keep trying even when things are not working.
• Organization—The ability to set up and follow an organizational model makes it easier to find the files you need. When you are organized, it is easier to stick to a schedule and get a project done on time.

Hard Skills

Hard skills for Motion Graphics Designers involve software training, design principles, and time management. 

• Software training—Motion Graphics Designers need to be willing to put in the effort to learn necessary tools like Adobe After Effects. Staying on top of technological changes is crucial.
• Design Principles—Like technology tools, Motion Graphics Designers need to study the basic principles of design like fonts, color, texture, light, spacing and others.
• Project management—The ability to create and follow a design and production schedule is another important skill.
• Communication—Writing and editing are other important skills for Motion Graphics Designers to be able to communicate with clients and other members of the production team. 

After Effects Jobs & Salaries

The Occupational Outlook Handbook from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics projects a 5 percent growth in animation jobs over the next decade. There are currently around 60,000 people working with special effects and animation in the U.S. right now. A 5 percent increase would result in 6,700 new jobs for Animators and Motion Graphics Designers.

Most of the jobs are concentrated in California, with Los Angeles being the most popular city for people who work with tools like Adobe After Effects. Seattle, Atlanta, New York, and San Francisco also offer a significant number of motion graphics and animation jobs. These cities have many connections to the entertainment industry. Large studios like Disney, Industrial Light and Magic, and Pixar are located in California. Seattle has a large number of game development companies, and New York and Atlanta are both centers for movie and television production.

Wages can vary widely from city to city. The median wage in this field is $79,000 per year or about $38 an hour. The top wage for Animators in the U.S. is $119,000 in the San Francisco, Oakland, Hayward area of California, which is home to companies like Industrial Light and Magic and Apple. The next highest wage is $113,000 in the San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara, California area, followed by Seattle, Tacoma, and Bellevue, Washington at $98,000. New York and Los Angeles both come in at around $95,000 with San Diego at $88,000. Salaries in other major U.S. cities are lower than those in California, Washington, and New York, but so is the cost of living. Special Effects Artists and Animators in Atlanta, Georgia earn a median wage of $74,000 a year followed by $67,000 for Orlando, Kissimmee, Sanford, Florida–Disney has a studio there. Wages in Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas are $66,000 a year and $62,000 in the Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Florida region.

What Will I Need to Learn After Effects?

Whether you decide to teach yourself or take a class, you will need a subscription to After Effects or Adobe Creative Cloud and a computer that can handle video processing. 

After Effects Subscription

In order to learn Adobe After Effects, you will need access to the program. After Effects is part of Adobe Creative Cloud, a collection of different software products for photography, graphic design, video production, illustration, and animation. There are more than twenty apps in Adobe Creative Cloud and you can access most of the collection with a yearly or monthly subscription. 

A month-to-month plan costs $82.49 and an annual plan paid monthly costs $54.99. 

You can subscribe to After Effects on its own for $20.99 per month for an annual subscription or $31.49 per month. The subscription comes with 100GB of cloud storage and a 30-day free trial of Adobe Stock, a collection of stock images, including 4,000 and HD video that you can use in projects.

A seven-day free trial of After Effects is available if you sign up for the annual subscription. You are not charged until the end of the trial and if you cancel before the seven days is up, you will not be charged at all. 

Most beginner-level After Effects classes are one to three sessions, so a week’s trial subscription should give you a chance to decide if you want to pay for a full subscription. In an in-person class, the instructor can help you sign up for a free trial. In an online class, you will be sent instructions before the class starts but if you have trouble, the instructor can help.

System Requirements

In order to learn After Effects, you will need a computer. When you take an in-person class, equipment will be provided at the location for you to use during the class. If you sign up for an online class, you will need your own computer.

Adobe has recommendations for minimum and optimal systems specifications for Windows and macOS computers. You will need the following:

• A fast processor
• An up-to-date operating system
• 16-32 GB of RAM
• 2-4 GB of VRAM
• Ample hard disk space
• 1920 X 1080 monitor resolution
• A stable internet connection 

Is It Difficult to Learn After Effects?

After Effects is not an easy tool to master but there are some factors that make it easier to learn. It will be easier for you to learn After Effects if you are already familiar with other Adobe applications, especially Photoshop and Illustrator. The workflow and interfaces on the different applications are similar, so if you already know Photoshop, you can concentrate on learning how to use the other parts of After Effects. Adobe’s Premiere Pro is another tool that can help you learn After Effects. If you have video editing experience, you will have a basic understanding of working with raw footage, which is helpful.

Experience with graphic design is also helpful when you are learning After Effects. This will give you a head start on the principles of design and animation and you will be able to concentrate on learning the particulars of working with the program. Designers are used to using storyboards, which can help you plan a project before you start keyframing.

It can be a challenge to learn After Effects on your own, and many people find classes helpful when acquiring new skills. Most people find it easier to learn a complicated tool like After Effects if they sign up for a class. You can watch tutorials and work on projects by yourself, but having an experienced instructor to guide you makes the process so much smoother. Plus, in an in-person or live online class, you will have other students to share your projects with, give and get feedback, and network with for future job searches. 

There are many courses to choose from if you want to learn Adobe After Effects to change to a new career in motion graphics and animation. You can choose between in-person classes, live online sessions, and on-demand video courses according to your personal learning style, budget, and time schedule.