Video Editing
Our Adobe After Effects courses are designed for both beginners looking to build a strong foundation in motion graphics and animation, and experienced users wanting to develop more advanced visual effects and workflow techniques.
Delivered in Belfast, Dublin, and across the UK, these instructor-led courses provide practical, hands-on training in creating professional motion graphics, animated content, titles, social media visuals, and video effects using Adobe After Effects.
The Beginner course focuses on core concepts and essential skills, helping learners understand the After Effects interface, animation principles, keyframes, timing, composition, and how to work with text, shapes, images, and video within a professional workflow.
The Advanced course is designed for users who already understand the basics and want to refine their skills through more advanced animation techniques, effects, compositing, masking, motion tracking, workflow optimisation, and professional project structuring.
Suitable for content creators, designers, marketers, videographers, and communications professionals, the courses emphasise practical workflows, creative confidence, and industry-standard techniques rather than overly technical or unnecessary complexity.
By the end of the course, participants will be able to confidently create and export polished motion graphics and animations for digital, social, and video projects using efficient Adobe After Effects workflows.
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
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
Configure preferences for performance and stability
Optimise RAM, disk cache, and GPU acceleration
Structure projects for speed and scalability
Build clean folder and comp structures
Manage precomps effectively
Avoid performance and revision bottlenecks in large projects
Use advanced keyframe interpolation
Control motion using value graphs and speed graphs
Build smooth, natural animation with intent
Use expressions to automate repetitive animation
Link properties intelligently
Maintain editable, client-friendly setups (no over-engineering)
Speed up text animation using AI-assisted presets and tools
Generate variations quickly
Maintain consistency across motion systems
Use Content-Aware Fill for video effectively
Remove unwanted elements cleanly
Blend AI-generated results into existing footage
Use Roto Brush efficiently on complex footage
Refine edges and reduce artefacts
Know when AI roto works—and when manual masks are better
Track objects and surfaces accurately
Attach graphics to moving footage
Combine tracking data with expressions and effects
Combine footage, graphics, and effects cleanly
Match lighting, scale, and motion
Maintain realism in complex scenes
Use blur, grain, and light effects for depth
Integrate elements naturally
Avoid common compositing mistakes
Build clean, flexible Motion Graphics Templates
Create reusable animation systems
Design templates that editors can use safely
Combine AI tools with expressions and templates
Reduce setup time across projects
Scale motion design production efficiently
Stack effects efficiently
Avoid unnecessary render overhead
Use adjustment layers and precomps strategically
Build consistent animation styles
Maintain visual standards across projects
Create motion systems for brand content
Optimise renders for speed and quality
Use Adobe Media Encoder effectively
Manage alpha channels and codecs
Deliver clean project files
Prepare templates and source files for teams
Archive projects for future reuse
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.
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