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Graphic Design
This 1-day beginner Adobe After Effects course is an instructor-led introduction to motion graphics and visual effects for anyone new to After Effects or motion design. The course is delivered in Belfast, Dublin, and across the UK, and is designed for beginners who want to create professional-looking animations and video graphics.
The course is suitable for content creators, designers, marketers, videographers, and communications professionals who want to add motion to videos, titles, logos, and social media content. Participants will learn how After Effects works, how it fits into a video workflow, and how to create simple but effective animations using industry-standard tools.
Rather than focusing on complex effects or expressions, the training emphasises core concepts, good habits, and practical skills. Learners build a solid foundation in animation, timing, and composition while working with text, shapes, images, and video.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to create and export basic motion graphics and animations using Adobe After Effects, with a clear understanding of workflows suitable for digital, social, and video projects.
Understand what After Effects is used for
Know the difference between After Effects and Premiere Pro
Identify common real-world use cases:
Motion graphics
Titles & lower thirds
Visual effects
Learn how to:
Navigate the Welcome Screen
Create a new project and composition
Understand key panels:
Timeline
Composition
Project
Effects & Presets
Customise workspaces for animation
Animate Position, Scale, Rotation, and Opacity
Understand anchor points
Create simple animations using keyframes
Add, edit, and remove keyframes
Control timing and spacing
Create smooth motion
Use Easy Ease for natural motion
Adjust speed with the Graph Editor
Avoid robotic-looking animations
Create and edit vector shapes
Animate shape properties
Use strokes, fills, and paths
Use trim paths
Animate icons and UI elements
Build clean, modern motion graphics
Create text layers
Adjust character and paragraph settings
Animate text safely
Use text animation presets
Create custom text animations
Control timing and sequencing
Learners understand the After Effects interface, can animate layers and text confidently, and apply core motion principles to create clean, professional animations.
Isolate subjects using AI-powered Roto Brush
Refine edges quickly
Handle hair and complex motion
Understand when manual cleanup is required
Remove unwanted objects from video
Fill backgrounds intelligently
Use reference frames for better results
Avoid common AI artefacts
Track masks to moving objects
Attach graphics to footage
Stabilise motion using trackers
Track screens and surfaces automatically
Replace screen content convincingly
Speed up complex tracking tasks with AI
Apply and control effects safely
Stack effects non-destructively
Use adjustment layers effectively
Use animation presets responsibly
Speed up repetitive tasks
Maintain consistency across projects
Use blend modes correctly
Create track mattes
Combine multiple visual elements cleanly
Match lighting between layers
Add shadows and depth
Avoid flat-looking composites
Send sequences from Premiere to After Effects
Update motion graphics without re-rendering
Know when Dynamic Link is appropriate
Build reusable graphics
Create lower thirds and openers
Deliver editable assets for editors
Render efficiently
Choose correct codecs
Export with transparency
Avoid unnecessary file sizes
Create motion graphics templates
Prepare files for teams or clients
Maintain professional handoff standards
Use AI to speed up—not replace—motion design skills
Avoid overusing effects
Keep projects organised and performant
Know when to move into advanced motion or 3D workflows
By the end of this 2-day After Effects CC 2026 course, students will be able to:
Create professional motion graphics and animations
Use AI tools to accelerate rotoscoping, tracking, and cleanup
Animate text, shapes, and video confidently
Composite multiple elements into polished scenes
Export motion graphics correctly for video and social platforms
Peter Meehan, your course instructor, brings over 20 years of experience in graphic design & Adobe Creative Media.
Holding a degree in graphic design, he has worked with thousands of students from global giants such as Sky, Citibank & more.
Claire Youd
Both course content and instructor knowledge is exceptional – fresh, engaging and relevant. The ongoing support that Big Rock Designs provides is a real plus. I plan to attend future courses and would recommend other do too!
Joanne Doherty
Although my Photoshop knowledge was very limited, I found the organised sessions very easy to follow and I was over the moon at the amount I had learned. I’m looking forward to putting it all into practice in the coming months ahead.
Lorna McGivern
As someone who has attended numerous digital workshops and training I can honestly say Big Rock Academy’s introduction to Photoshop was the best I’ve ever experienced. They excelled in teaching us the logic behind the main tools in a very easy to understand way.
Rachael Weir
I just completed the Advanced Photoshop course at Big Rock Academy and I’m extremely pleased with what I’ve learnt. I now feel equipped to put it into practice in my job. I had a great teacher and I was able to really get to grasps with the software very quickly.
Live, instructor-led training in graphic design, marketing & video production.
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