Adobe After Effects is a digital visual effects and motion graphics software developed by Adobe. This platform has become the industry standard for visual effects (VFX) and motion graphic design. If you are a graphic designer or creative, this tool is perfect for polishing your portfolio piece that you would like to see come to life! The short answer to the question “what is Adobe After Effects?” is a motion graphic tool. However, our graphic design Greenville NC team uses Adobe After Effects for a wide range of creative services, and we’d love to share all about what Adobe After Effects can do for your design projects! Read on to learn more about what is Adobe After Effects and all of the different ways that you can use the tool to take your creations to the next level.

What is Adobe After Effects used for?

After Effects is primarily used for motion graphics and visual effects but can be used more like the swiss army knife of video editing software for our graphic design Greenville NC team. The composition element in After Effects makes this possible. Compositions enable you to break up your project into sections and later combine each section into one piece to finalize your project. As our creative services revise a particular composition section, the final project updates in real-time. Compositions are a lifesaver when designing various motion graphic styles for a video.

What are motion graphics?

Motion graphics are an umbrella term for a multi-faceted group of design work. Motion graphics are the focus of giving static graphic design elements motion. This design style adds flair to key elements and applies in functional applications such as title cards or product zooms in a commercial. An example of motion graphics would be the NBA score cards that appear on the screen when a team scores or periodically to inform viewers what quarter of the game is currently in play and how long until the next quarter starts.

Motion Graphics vs. Classic Animation

While they share some similarities, what truly sets them apart are two key points: mediums and methods of creation, along with how the leading creative services Greenville NC team uses the elements. Classic animation generally starts with thumbnail sketches for storyboarding the main scenes of a story to aid in visual communication about what is happening in a scene. Those sketches then become stills. and from those stills, the rest of the story is illustrated frame by frame and then processed into animation with the help of computer software. The main takeaway is that animation communicates a story to a viewer. That is what separates motion graphics and classic animation. Our graphic design Greenville NC team uses motion graphics to accentuate information or branding elements. One important thing to note is that motion graphics, for the most part, are not focused on storytelling.

What are visual effects?

Visual effects are another umbrella term, but at its root are visual-based effects added during post-production that cannot be created or replicated in a live-action setting. An example of a visual effect is Chroma Key paired with the use of Green Screens. If you've ever watched an Avenger movie, chromakey and green screen-like effects are used to animate The Hulk in the final cut. Another quasi-form of visual effects that is essential to our creative services crew is color correction. Some color effects can be replicated in a live-action setting but can be very challenging and inconvenient, hence why we use color correction.

Red Shark Digital | Leading Creative Services in North Carolina

When it’s time to call creative services professionals for help with your brand identity, trust Red Shark Digital to exceed your expectations. With years of experience creating quality assets, graphics, and other creative services, we are here to show up and show out for your business. Visit our website or contact us today to learn more about how our graphic design Greenville NC team can transform your brand identity, along with more valuable resources regarding what is Adobe After Effects.