New to the 2nd edition: * All instructions, screen shots, Guided Tour video training movies, and project files updated for After Effects CS4. CS3 and CS4 features have been integrated throughout, including the pervasive use of Shape layers, Layer Styles, and Brainstorm * More integration with other Adobe applications, including using After Effects with Illustrator, Photoshop (including new Vanishing Point and 3d Layer exercises) and Flash CS4 * Redesigned first and last lessons, including an all-new final project that walks through the creation of a widescreen broadcast TV promo * Free bonus chapters on the DVD from other books on Photoshop, Cinema 4D, Flash, and broadcast design * Coupon for 15% off stock footage from Artbeats on DVD

New CS5 Tip Sheet: Chris and Trish Meyer have authored a PDF that covers all changes a reader (including professors) might experience when using this book (authored for CS4) with After Effects CS5. The PDF is available here: http://www.crishdesign.com/books/After-Effects-Apprentice/index.html

If you're new to After Effects and want to get up to speed quickly, After Effects Apprentice was created just for you. With 11 core lessons plus a hip final project that pulls it all together, you'll learn how to tap this program's vast potential -whether you want to create motion graphics for network television, corporate communications, or your own work. Fully updated to cover After Effects CS4, this book presents a professional perspective on the most important features a motion graphics artist needs to learn in order to use this program effectively. You'll learn to creatively combine layers, animate eye-catching titles, manipulate 3D space, key and stabilize a shot to place it in a new environment, and use effects to generate excitement or enhance the realism of a scene. DVD contains: All exercise source material and projects, guided video tours, and movies of the finished projects.

Topics include how to:
. Animate, edit, layer, and composite video and still images.
. Manipulate keyframes and the way they interpolate to create more refined animations.
. Use masks, mattes, stencils and blending modes to add sophistication to your imagery.
. Create and animate shape layers and text.
. Place your layers in 3D space.
. Use tracking and keying to create special effects, such as replacing screen displays.

DVD contains: All exercise source material and projects, an hour and a
half of video guided tours, plus bonus chapters from other books.